Kaua‘i County Office of Economic Development awards 2024-25 Innovation Grants

Kaua‘i County’s Office of Economic Development for the fifth year is awarding funds to new programs and projects that identify and solve local problems with advanced innovation while supporting economic development of the island.

Six proposals were recently awarded a total of $204,025 through the fiscal year 2024-25 round of funding through the Innovation Grant program.

The county economic development office received a total of 13 proposals that were reviewed by a selection committee and the public. Each proposal was scored, with public feedback factored into the scoring.

“We are pleased with the results of this year’s grant process,” said Nalani Brun, director of the Kaua‘i County Office of Economic Development. “This grant program continues to bring more of a greater focus on both innovation and problem solving than in past years and helps to support the many recommendations made by our community in our community plans. We also received a lot of community input that helped with our evaluation. Mahalo to our engaged community.”

This year’s Innovation Grant recipients are:

‘Aina Ho‘okupu O Kīlauea — Community Compost Innovations

• ‘Aina Ho‘okupu O Kīlauea will take distributed composting to the next level by creating a community-scale composting system that works in tandem with the farm site and the local community to more effectively divert food and green waste to turn it into compost essential for soil health, reducing the need for imported commercial fertilizers.

Anaina Hou Community Park: Foundations for Fire Safety — Soil Testing for Sustainable Water Catchment

• The sustainable water catchment system represents a proactive approach to improving fire safety and environmental sustainability. By initiating phase 1 with soil testing, the project is setting the stage for a robust water management system that will enhance the ability to manage wildfire risks effectively.

Hale Puna — West Kaua‘i Farmers Market

• This project moves and expands the farmers market, improving infrastructure and launching innovative marketing initiatives to increase access to fresh, locally-ground produce for all community members.

Ho‘omalu Ke Kai & Kaua‘i Sea Farm — Expanding Opportunities, Education and Workforce Development around Native Restoration Aquaculture

• The proposed project will build capacity for production and research into making native bivalve aquaculture economically feasible while developing an education and workforce development program around ongoing research and production activities.

Kuleana Coworking Corporation — Kuleana AI Lab

• A groundbreaking initiative aimed at empowering the people of Kaua‘i with the tools and skills needed to harness the transformative power of generative artificial intelligence technology at every level of ability, from beginner to advanced.

Kumano I Ke Ala O Makaweli — Māhaʻihaʻi Sustainable Water Project

• This project focuses on enhancing water sustainability and ecological restoration within the Māhaʻihaʻi area and addresses critical issues related to watershed resource management as well as the restoration and preservation of traditional aquaculture practices in West Kauaʻi.

The goal of the grant program is to provide funding for innovative projects to generate short-term and long-term economic growth and diversification within Kaua‘i County.

Proposals were accepted in the areas of small business support, energy and sustainability, creative industries, agriculture, destination management, cultural opportunities and circular economy.

To learn more about this year’s Innovation Grant proposals, click here.