HomeMy WebLinkAbout20230112OED.pdfDEREK S.K. KAWAKAMI, MAYOR
MICHAEL A. DAHILIG, MANAGING DIRECTOR
News Release
For Immediate Release: January 12, 2023
COUNTY OF KAUA‘I
OFFICE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
NALANI BRUN, DIRECTOR
(808) 241-4946
OED announces FY 22-23 Innovation Grants recipients
LĪHU‘E – The Office of Economic Development announces that the County of Kaua‘i received
19 proposals for the Innovation Grants for FY 22-23. As part of the review process, OED invited the
public to review the proposals for the Innovation Grants and provide feedback via the ConsiderIt
platform. The public feedback was factored into the scoring as part of the selection process.
“We are pleased with the results of this grant process,” said Office of Economic
Development Director Nalani Brun. “This process continues to bring greater focus on both
innovation and problem-solving than in past years. We also received a lot of community input that
helped with our evaluation.”
A selection committee reviewed and scored all the eligible projects and selected nine
proposals to fund for a total of $385,000. The Office of Economic Development is pleased to share
the list of projects that received funding in this fiscal year.
Agriculture:
• Ho‘omalu Ke Kai & Kaua‘i Sea Farm – This project designs and implements a land-based
system for oyster cultivation utilizing fluidized cylinders.
• HAPA-Hawaii Alliance for Progressive Action - This project focuses on the ‘Ai Pono challenge
to increase awareness, demand and regular revenue for local food and farm businesses.
• Malama Kauai – Kaua‘i Farm to School Pilots will provide 100% funding to local K-12 schools
via incentives for free local food to use in local school meals.
• Malama Kauai – The Farmers Enhancing Equitable Distribution (FEED) Mini-Grant Program
will distribute grant funds directly to Kauai farmers to increase food production to fill market
gaps at fair market value.
Energy and Sustainability
• Kaua‘i Community Science Center-Climate Connect is a project that creates and executes a
training course in creating virtual reality content for Kauai students that connects back to
climate, climate change and being responsible stewards of the ‘āina.
• Aina Alliance- This project creates a strategic plan for the building of an off-grid Eco-Village
on Kauai.
Creative Industries
• Garden Island Resource, Conservation and Development– This project collects footage and
produces a documentary about the last ‘akikiki, one of Kauai’s endemic forest bird species at
the brink of extinction.
Visitor Industry Destination Management/Cultural and Other Initiatives
• Royal Coconut Coast Association – This project provides Wailua Heritage Trail
Enhancements by adding four more markers with interpretive plaques to this historical area
and providing website education updates that links to this project.
• Kamawaelualani-This project, called Awakening the Ancestors, showcases Kaua‘i Ali‘i using
virtual reality and augmented reality providing an educational experience for three exhibits
at the Kaua‘i Museum.
As part of a request for proposals (RFP), this is the third year that OED has offered funding
for Innovation Grants to support new programs or projects that advance innovation by identifying
and solving local problems while supporting economic development.
Proposals were accepted in the areas of small business support, energy and sustainability,
creative industries, agriculture, destination management and cultural opportunities, and circular
economy in Kauai County. The goal of the grants is to provide funding for innovative projects to
generate short-term and long-term economic growth and diversification on Kaua‘i.
To learn more about the Innovation Grant proposals, you can view the proposals
here: https://oedinnovationgrant2023.consider.it/.
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