OED announces recipients of FY25-26 Innovation Grant
LĪHU‘E – The Office of Economic Development recently requested proposals for its Innovation Grants for Fiscal Year 2025-2026. Now in its sixth year, the Innovation Grant Program aims to support new or pilot initiatives that advance innovation, address community challenges, and strengthen Kaua‘i’s economic development.
Proposals were accepted in the areas of small business support, energy, transportation, sustainability, workforce development, creative industries, agriculture, destination management, cultural opportunities, and circular economy initiatives. The goal of the program is to fund innovative projects that generate both short-term and long-term economic growth and diversification.
This year, OED received 28 proposals. As part of the review process, the public was invited to review eligible submissions and provide feedback through the Consider.It platform. Public comments were incorporated into the evaluation and scoring of the proposals.
A selection committee reviewed all eligible projects and selected 12 proposals for a total of $368,362.00. The Office of Economic Development is pleased to share the list of projects that received funding this year.
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Kauai Federal Credit Union Foundation - Kalukalu Katalyst is a one-year pilot program aimed at strengthening Kauaʻi's economy by providing small businesses with essential, otherwise unaffordable resources. It builds both technical skills and collective resilience through expert-led training (in branding, AI, digital marketing, and storytelling), peer learning, and practical application at community pop-up markets.
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I Ola Wailuanui – Wailuanuiahoana Wahipana Mapping Project - 1) Land Protection: Conducting essential land surveying to protect public real estate and support all development projects 2) Cultural Preservation by supporting the marina master plan by preserving and highlighting Hawaiian culture and specifically by enabling the continued restoration of Malae Heiau; 3) Regenerative Tourism: Integrating these significant sites into the East Kauaʻi Mobility Transportation Hub to align with regenerative tourism goals.
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Malama Kauai – Kauai Local Food Cooperative Farmers Market Booths - This project will launch a pilot farmers market booth for Mālama Kauaʻi’s online food hub, KauaiLocalFood.com, to boost access to local food and promote over 100 local producers. The staffed booth will function as both a retail point of sale and an outreach center, featuring aggregated products, accepting SNAP/WIC benefits, and sharing information on home delivery and other food access programs.
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Aina Hookupu O Kilauea – Smart Harvesting - Improving labor productivity and local food excellence: KCAC is a vertically integrated agricultural hub that includes on-site growing, processing, storage, and retail. To innovate, the project will purchase a mechanized root vegetable harvester and a row builder from Japanese suppliers. KCAC will then pilot mechanized harvests, train staff, and develop new value-added products. Finally, they will share their findings with the broader farmer network by hosting a farmer workshop and publishing a practical “playbook.”
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Hoomalu Ke Kai/Kauai Sea Farm – Kauai Limu Lab - The Kauaʻi Limu Lab will be the island's first dedicated program for cultivating clean seedstock cultures of native Hawaiian limu (seaweed), supporting both food innovation and coastal restoration. Building on the Kauaʻi Sea Farm hatchery, the lab will partner with the Oʻahu-based Limu Hui to exchange and maintain native limu varieties, creating a living seed bank and reliable seedstock supply. Unlike similar labs on other islands focused on research, the Kauaʻi Limu Lab will focus primarily on food production, filling a critical gap in sustainable aquaculture and expanding community access to highly nutritious native limu products.
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Storybook Theatre of Hawaii: CRB Educational Initiative on Kaua‘i - Storybook Theatre of Hawaiʻi will create and tour a new educational show, "The Rhinoceros Beetle Show," to schools and venues across Kauaʻi. Using live theater, an inflatable classroom set, and a coloring book, the performance aims to educate over 4,000 children about the urgent threat of the invasive Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle (CRB).
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Hoomalu Ke Kai – Building Kauai’s Coral Restoration Workforce - This project aims to build the community and infrastructural capacity for coral restoration on Kauaʻi. It will create the island's first pathway for scholar shipped community members and youth to become certified scientific divers and receive training in coral reef emergency response. By providing gear, certifications, and mentorship, the initiative prepares under-resourced community members for careers in coral restoration, allowing them to directly participate in protecting and restoring Kauaʻi’s coral reef.
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National Tropical Botanical Garden – Loulu Love Fest - Conserving Native Palms through Innovation & Engagement: Loulu Love Fest is a two-day initiative dedicated to rescuing Hawaiʻi’s native loulu palm and raising awareness of its cultural and ecological importance. Day 1 is a professional symposium where experts (scientists, conservationists, etc.) will share research and tools for loulu protection, focusing on threats like the Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle (CRB). Day 2 is a free community celebration featuring cultural demonstrations, guided walks, and workshops to educate residents and visitors on the loulu's significance as a part of Hawaiʻi’s biocultural heritage.
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Hawaii Farmers Union Foundation/Hawaii Ulu Cooperative - Growing ‘Ulu & Niu processing capacity to diversify Kauai’s economy: The Hawaiʻi ʻUlu Cooperative (HUC), in partnership with local businesses (ResiRoots Café and The Pineapple Store) and the Hawaiʻi Farmers Union Kauaʻi Chapter, plans to expand certified ʻulu (breadfruit) processing and establish baseline niu (coconut) processing capacity on Kauaʻi. and strengthen farmer participation, create new market opportunities, and increase community access to locally grown staple foods. It also includes farmer and consumer education on agroforestry, CRB mitigation, and culinary uses, ultimately reducing reliance on imported foods and supporting small farm viability.
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E Ola Kakou Hawaii – Niu Ola, Kauhale CRB Mapping Project on Kaua‘i - Niu Ola plans to document a baseline data collection map of nā kumu lāʻau niu (coconut trees) on Kauaʻi. Using a network of Moku Alakaʻi (regional leaders) to survey their areas, the project will collect data on: 1) Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle (CRB) feeding and breeding sites and 2) CRB entrapments and treatment measures. Both measures are to create a community-based mapping system to provide accurate data on CRB damage for broad awareness and targeted mitigation efforts. Ultimately, the project aims to protect Kauaʻi's niu by reconnecting the community (lāhui) to the coconut as a foundational cultural and food resource.
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CG Foundation/Kauai Fresh Fish – Scaling Local Seafood: Advancing Food Security & Local Innovation - Kauaʻi Fresh Fish (KFF) will launch a value-added seafood line by transforming locally caught, underutilized fish into smoked, dried, canned, and flash-frozen products. This will expand customer access to 100% Hawaiʻi-caught seafood and ensure a more reliable income for local fishermen. In a parallel effort, KFF will conduct R&D on a fish emulsion fertilizer, repurposing waste and diverting it from the landfill. Together, these activities support circular economy principles to benefit Kauaʻi's food security and sustainability.
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Malama I Na Honu – Poipu Honu Research Project - This research project aims to enhance the understanding of sea turtle behavior, distribution, and seasonal patterns around Kauaʻi by leveraging field data on basking turtles and seasonal nesting behaviors (especially related to trips to French Frigate Shoals).
To view the proposals submitted for this year’s Innovation Grant Program, visit: https://oedinnovationgrant2026.consider.it.
For more information, contact the Office of Economic Development at 808-241-4946 or email oed@kauai.gov.
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