LIHU‘E — Kupuna disaster kits, wheelchair-accessible equine-assisted activities and a coding bootcamp are all part of a diverse array of projects under consideration for innovation grants of up to $50,000 from the county Office of Economic Development.
To assist in selecting grant recipients, the OED has opened up a public comment period now through Feb. 4.
The grants support new programs or projects that identify and solve local problems in the areas of small business, technology, transportation, agriculture, local manufacturing, creative industries, workforce development, circular economies and tourism.
This year, 17 projects applied for a piece of over $500,000 worth of funding budgeted for the program.
Eight of the projects fall into the business and workforce-development categories, including one proposal that requests $50,000 to create a business incubator for value-added food and beverage products and natural health-care products that use locally grown ingredients.
Another proposal hopes to use funding to host a nine-month coding bootcamp for students to learn the skills necessary to become software developers and eventually cloud architects. Part of the goal of the project would be to help Kaua‘i residents capture high-paying technology remote-worker jobs fueled by the pandemic. It would also expand work and education options on the island.
Agriculturally themed projects include one expanding aquaculture for sea cucumbers, another using insemination to improve the genetic makeup of local cattle, and a third that seeks to build a high-density tunnel house for growing mangos. Once established, the mango project would provide grafted mango trees to community members in the Kekaha area.
As of Jan. 26, the most-popular project under consideration was for compost development. The project proposes to expand composting facilities at Heart and Soul Organics in Moloa‘a, and would allow for more commercial food waste from the island’s east and north sides to be transported to and composted in Moloa‘a instead of going to the Kekaha Landfill. The grant would also fund an education component to teach farmers about composting food waste and using compost.
One arts and culture proposal requests $40,500 to create a series of virtual tours of museum exhibits to preserve the island’s history. According to the proposal, virtual tours would be available to educators and school children who are no longer able to visit with field trips as well as to those across the globe who want to experience the culture and history of Kaua‘i and Ni‘ihau.
Public comments, as well as the full proposals, can be found at oedinnovationgrant2022.consider.it.
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Laurel Smith, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0424 or lsmith@thegardenisland.com.
