GROWING HAWAIʻI TOGETHER

Grants for Food Hubs and Food Businesses

Apply for up to $15,000 (Noi Kōkua) or up to $30,000 (ʻUmeke ʻAi Pono). Applications open March 3, 2026 (9:00am HST) and close April 1, 2026 (5:00pm HST).

Rebuilding thriving community food systems — together.

Growing Hawaiʻi Together is a Hawaiʻi Good Food Alliance (HGFA) grant program supporting local farm and food value chain businesses and community distribution efforts—grounded in Mālama ʻĀina, community-based work, cultural grounding, equity, and Food is Medicine.

Application window: March 3, 2026 (9:00am HST) – April 1, 2026 (5:00pm HST)
Choose 1 pathway: Noi Kōkua or ʻUmeke ʻAi Pono (cannot apply for both).

Resources

Complete RFP
Application Questions
Sample Budget Template

To use the budget template, make a copy then edit.

Hawaiʻi Compliance Express

2 Grant Pathways

Noi Kōkua Business Builder

What it funds: Production, small equipment, value-added processing, and infrastructure/process improvements to strengthen regional distribution of local food.

Award size: Up to $15,000 (HGFA total $300,000; 20+ awards).

Key notes: No match; one application per business; fiscal sponsorship not allowed; spending completed by Nov 1, 2026; reimbursement-based (receipts required; advances case-by-case)

Examples of eligible costs: Staff time, production activities, consultants/TA, software implementation, supply chain coordination, food safety certification, marketing, farm inputs, irrigation, fencing; equipment ≥ $1,000; rentals; project-related travel must follow federal per diem rules.

Not allowed (highlights): Indirect costs; major construction/renovation; pre-award costs; finance capital; duplicative activities already sufficiently funded.

Apply: Noi Kōkua Business Builder

IMPORTANT NOTE: You CANNOT save your progress in the application portal. We recommend drafting your answers in a separate document first.

ʻUmeke ʻAi Pono Community Feeding

What it funds: Local food procurement plus gathering packing, and distribution for communities with limited access, paired with nutrition education (recipe sharing) and community story gathering.

Award size: Up to $30,000 (HGFA total $300,000; 10 awards).

Budget rule: 70% direct food costs, 30% staffing/supplies.

Key notes: No match; one application per business; fiscal sponsorship not allowed; spending completed by Nov 1, 2026; reimbursement-based (advances case-by-case).

Eligible costs (highlights): Purchase of locally grown or sourced foods (average $2–$5/lb), staff time, transportation, packaging, and printed educational materials (recipes).

Not allowed (highlights): Imported foods, indirect costs, travel, personnel fringe, pre-award costs.

Apply: ʻUmeke ʻAi Pono Community Feeding

IMPORTANT NOTE: You CANNOT save your progress in the application portal. We recommend drafting your answers in a separate document first.

Eligibility Snapshot

  • Applicants must be located in Hawaiʻi and domestically owned for both pathways.

  • Applicants must submit a Hawaiʻi Compliance Express certificate of vendor compliance (applications without it are ineligible).

  • Government bodies and public institutions are ineligible for both pathways.

Timeline

  • Opens: March 3, 2026 — 9:00am HST

  • Closes: April 1, 2026 — 5:00pm HST

  • Award announcements: no later than May 1, 2026

  • Grant period: May 1 – Nov 15, 2026; all sub-awardee spending completed must be completed by Nov 1, 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Applications open March 3, 2026 at 9:00am HST and close April 1, 2026 at 5:00pm HST.

  • No—applicants must choose one pathway (Noi Kōkua or ʻUmeke ʻAi Pono).

  • Noi Kōkua: up to $15,000 per award.
    ʻUmeke ʻAi Pono: up to $30,000 per award.

  • No—there is no match requirement for either pathway.

  • No—fiscal sponsorship is not allowed.

  • You must be Hawaiʻi-based and domestically owned, and you must submit a Hawaiʻi Compliance Express certificate of vendor compliance with your application.

  • Awards are generally reimbursed based on receipts/proof of expenses. Advance payments may be available case-by-case.

  • Business-building activities across production, harvest, and post-harvest—including staff time, consultants/TA, software, value chain coordination, certifications, product development/marketing, inputs, irrigation/fencing, rentals, and eligible equipment (≥ $1,000).

  • Purchasing locally grown/sourced foods for community distribution, plus staff time, transportation, packaging, and printing recipes/educational materials.

  • No indirect costs (both).
    No major construction/renovation (Noi Kōkua).
    No imported foods, travel, or fringe (ʻUmeke ʻAi Pono).

    For a complete list of exclusions, please review the full RFP.

  • All sub-awardee spending must be completed by November 1, 2026.

  • Yes—email info@hawaiigoodfoodalliance.org by March 23, 2026, to request an alternative format or translation services.

  • Email info@hawaiigoodfoodalliance.org.