Office of Economic Development Invites Public to Comment on Innovation Grant Proposals

The county Office of Economic Development invites the public to review and comment on the recently received proposals for fiscal year 2021-22 Innovation Grants.

As part of the selection process for the grants, community input will be factored into the scoring. Anyone interested in participating in this review process can provide feedback online at consider.it. The website will be available during the public comment period from Jan. 24-Feb. 4.

The intent of the Innovation Grants program is to support new programs or projects that advance innovation by identifying and solving local problems in the areas of small business, technology, transportation, agriculture, local manufacturing, creative industries, workforce development, circular economies and tourism on Kaua‘i.

“Consider.it helps to create civil discussion about which projects we should prioritize here on Kaua‘i,” said Office of Economic Development Director Nalani Brun. “It will visually summarize what our community thinks about each project and why. We encourage anyone interested to please create an account to evaluate each project on a spectrum from low priority to high priority, and give your pros and cons.”

The deadline for public review and comment is Feb. 4. Officials encourage the public to read through all descriptions and share thoughts about the importance of funding each proposal.

To participate in the public comment and review process:

• Step 1: Visit the website.
• Step 2: Browse through proposals to view a brief or full description.
• Step 3: If you want to provide input, you need to create an account with consider.it.
• Step 4: After reading the proposal, you can provide feedback in two ways. You can share what you think are the pros and or cons of the proposal by clicking on the “Give an Opinion” button. You can also rate where the proposal falls on the scale from low to high priority for funding.
• Step 5: You can then read another proposal and repeat the process.

If you need an auxiliary aid/service or other accommodation because of a disability, contact Therilyn Martin Haumea at [email protected] or 808-241-4299 as soon as possible.

Questions about the grant program can be emailed to [email protected].