FY 2026 Innovation Grant awards announced

Kaua‘i County Office of Economic Development recently announced a total award of $368,362 for 12 proposals selected to receive Innovation Grants for fiscal year 2026.

The county’s economic development office received a total of 28 proposals. A selection committee reviewed all eligible projects and selected those to be awarded.

Members of the public also were invited to weigh in through the Consider.It platform on each eligible submission. That feedback was incorporated into the evaluation and scoring of each proposal.

The Innovation Grant Program — now in its sixth year — is aimed at supporting new or pilot initiatives that advance innovation, address community challenges and strengthen Kaua‘i’s economic development.

Projects awarded this year

Kaua‘i Federal Credit Union Foundation — Kalukalu Katalyst

• A 1-year pilot program providing small businesses with essential, otherwise unaffordable resources. It builds technical skills and collective resilience through expert-led training, peer learning and practical application at community pop-up markets.

I Ola Wailuanui — Wailuanuiahoʻana Wahi Pana Mapping Project

• Conduct essential land surveying to protect public real estate and support all development projects. Support the marina master plan by preserving and highlighting Hawaiian culture and specifically by enabling the continued restoration of Malae Heiau. Integrate these significant sites into the East Kauaʻi Mobility Transportation Hub to align with regenerative tourism goals.

Mālama Kaua‘i — Kaua‘i Local Food Cooperative Farmers Market Booths

• A pilot farmers market booth for Mālama Kauaʻi’s online food hub (KauaiLocalFood.com) to boost access to local food and promote more than 100 local producers. The staffed booth will function as retail point of sale and outreach center, featuring aggregated products, accepting food program benefits plus sharing information about home delivery and other food access programs.

ʻĀina Hoʻokupu O Kīlauea — Smart Harvesting

• Kīlauea Community Agricultural Center plans to purchase a mechanized root vegetable harvester and row builder from Japanese suppliers. The center will then pilot mechanized harvests, train staff and develop new value-added products. The findings will be shared with the broader farmer network by hosting a farmer workshop and publishing a practical “playbook.”

Hoʻomalu Ke Kai/Kauaʻi Sea Farm — Kauaʻi Limu Lab

• 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. 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.

Storybook Theatre of Hawaiʻi: Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle Educational Initiative on Kaua‘i

• Create and tour a new educational show called “The Rhinoceros Beetle Show” to schools and venues around Kauaʻi. Using live theater, an inflatable classroom set and a coloring book, the performance aims to educate more than 4,000 children about the urgent threat of the invasive coconut rhinoceros beetle.

Hoʻomalu Ke Kai — Building Kauai’s Coral Restoration Workforce

• Build the community and infrastructure capacity for coral restoration in the waters of Kauaʻi. Create the island’s first pathway for scholarshipped community members and youth to become certified scientific divers and receive training in coral reef emergency response. Initiative prepares under-resourced community members for careers in coral restoration, allowing them to directly participate in protecting and restoring Kauaʻi’s coral reef.

National Tropical Botanical Garden — Loulu Love Fest

• Loulu Love Fest is a 2-day initiative dedicated to rescuing Hawaiʻi’s native loulu palm and raising awareness about its cultural and ecological importance. Day 1 is a professional symposium, where experts share research and tools for loulu protection, focusing on threats such as the invasive coconut rhinoceros beetle. Day 2 is a free community celebration featuring cultural demonstrations, guided walks and workshops.

Hawai‘i Farmers Union Foundation/Hawai‘i ʻUlu Cooperative

• Hawaiʻi ʻUlu Cooperative and its partners local businesses ResiRoots Café and The Pineapple Store plus Hawaiʻi Farmers Union Kauaʻi Chapter plan to expand certified ʻulu (breadfruit) processing and establish baseline niu (coconut) processing capacity on Kauaʻi while strengthening farmer participation, creating new market opportunities and increasing community access to locally grown staple foods. It also includes farmer and consumer education on agroforestry, coconut rhinoceros beetle mitigation and culinary uses, ultimately reducing reliance on imported foods and supporting small farm viability.

E Ola Kakou Hawai‘i — Niu Ola, Kauhale Coconut Rhinoceros Mapping Project on Kaua‘i

• Document a baseline data collection map of nā kumu lāʻau niu (coconut trees) on Kauaʻi. Collect data on coconut rhinoceros beetle feeding and breeding sites as well as entrapments and treatment measures. Create a community-based mapping system to provide accurate data on damage done by the invasive insect for broad awareness and targeted mitigation efforts. Ultimately, protect Kauaʻi’s niu by reconnecting the community (lāhui) to the coconut as a foundational cultural and food resource.

CG Foundation/Kaua‘i Fresh Fish — Scaling Local Seafood: Advancing Food Security and Local Innovation

• Launch a value-added seafood line by transforming locally caught, underused 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, conduct research and development for a fish emulsion fertilizer, repurposing waste and diverting it from the landfill.

Mālama I Na Honu — Poʻipū Honu Research Project

• 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.

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.

Innovation Grants are awarded to fund innovative projects that generate short-term and long-term economic growth and diversification around Kaua‘i.

Visit the Kaua‘i County Office of Economic Development website to view all of the proposals submitted for this year’s Innovation Grant awards.

Contact the economic development office at 808-241-4946 or via email oed@kauai.gov for additional information or with any questions.