The Best Business Grants in Hawaii
May 28, 2026
Updated:
Securing capital is often the biggest hurdle for any founder. While loans and credit cards are common, they come with the weight of repayment and interest. Grants are the ideal alternative because they generally don't have to be paid back. However, there is a catch: grants are highly competitive and can be very difficult to find. We've built this guide to help you understand the grant landscape in Hawaii.
Hawaii's state and local business grant landscape is limited in scale but there are several excellent opportunities. Most available programs are designed around three specific groups: manufacturers, agricultural producers, and women entrepreneurs. The Hawaii Technology Development Corporation anchors the state-level activity through its Manufacturing Assistance Program and the Hawaii Small Business Innovation Research matching grant for federal SBIR/STTR recipients. Maui County funds a dedicated agricultural micro grant program for local farmers and ranchers, while FoundHer runs a six-month accelerator program specifically for Hawaii-based women entrepreneurs of color that includes a $20,000 grant and a $4,000 care stipend.
Hawaii businesses with international expansion goals should also explore the Hawaii State Trade Expansion Program (HISTEP), the state-administered version of the federal STEP grant program. Administered by the Business Development & Support Division of Hawaii's Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism, HISTEP supports export development activities like trade missions, international marketing, and translation services for Hawaii-based small businesses pursuing overseas markets. HISTEP is one of the more meaningful funding options available to Hawaii businesses outside the dedicated state programs, particularly given Hawaii's geographic positioning as a Pacific gateway market. For more information and details on where to apply, check out our grant page for the State Trade Expansion Program.
While Hawaii's state and local grant landscape is more limited than some larger states, Hawaii businesses are eligible for hundreds of national grant programs from federal agencies, corporations, and foundations that often offer larger award sizes and broader eligibility. Those programs aren't covered on this page, but you can search our complete grant database to see every state and national grant your business qualifies for. You can also join our free weekly newsletter to get new Hawaii grants delivered to your inbox as soon as they open.
HAWAII GRANTS
Hawaii Energy EmPOWER Grant
Hawaii Eneergy
The Hawaii Energy EmPOWER Grant provides Hawaii small businesses, restaurants, and 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations with reimbursement grants of up to $15,000 (which may cover up to 100 percent of eligible project costs) to fund the purchase and installation of energy-efficient equipment upgrades that reduce electricity use and lower operating costs. Administered by Hawaii Energy, the state's ratepayer-funded energy conservation and efficiency program (implemented by Leidos), the program has awarded nearly 1,500 grants totaling more than $7.7 million to 780 small businesses, restaurants, and nonprofits across Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi Island, Maui, Molokaʻi, and Lānaʻi since launching in 2020.
Eligible uses of grant funds include the purchase of new energy-efficient equipment (such as HVAC systems, window film, ENERGY STAR certified commercial kitchen appliances, and refrigeration upgrades like motor controls, doors on open cases, and anti-sweat controls), parts, accessories, and materials necessary for installation, and labor for removing old equipment, preparing the site, and installing new equipment. For appliance replacements, Hawaii Energy must be able to verify the existing equipment being replaced, and all installations must be completed by one of Hawaii Energy's participating Clean Energy Ally (CEA) contractors. Grants are competitively reviewed and disbursed as reimbursements after project completion, once all required documentation has been submitted, verified, and approved.
To qualify, applicants must be a commercial rate schedule account holder with an electric utility on Hawaiʻi Island, Lānaʻi, Maui, Molokaʻi, or Oʻahu, and must fall into one of the eligible business categories: a small business with a facility of less than 5,000 square feet, a small business receiving electric service under commercial rate Schedule G, a small business receiving electric service under a commercial rate schedule with demand of 30 kilowatts or less per month, an owner-operated non-chain restaurant, or a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Applications are processed on a first-come, first-served basis until program funds are exhausted, and preference is given to organizations that serve populations identified as ALICE (Asset-Limited, Income-Constrained, Employed) or rural and hard-to-reach communities, as well as to organizations that have not previously participated with Hawaii Energy.
$ GRANT AMOUNT
$15,000
Kauaʻi Small Business Energy Efficiency Grant
Kauaʻi Economic Development Board
The Kauaʻi Small Business Energy Efficiency Grant (SBEEG) provides Kauaʻi small businesses with rebates covering the labor costs associated with energy efficiency upgrades at their commercial facilities. Administered by the Kauaʻi Economic Development Board (KEDB) in partnership with the County of Kauaʻi's Office of Economic Development and the Kauaʻi Island Utility Cooperative (KIUC), the grant operates alongside KIUC's Commercial Retrofit Program, with KEDB funding labor costs and KIUC's program covering a percentage of materials costs for the same eligible projects. Together, the two programs are designed to reduce the upfront financial barrier that small businesses face when retrofitting their facilities for energy efficiency. Eligible upgrades include air conditioning, motors, lighting controls, and refrigeration.
To qualify, a business must be classified under KIUC Rate Schedule J or G. Grant amounts vary based on the scope of the project, with prior awards ranging from a few hundred dollars to roughly $9,000 per business depending on the upgrade. The program operates on a first-come, first-served basis. Interested businesses begin the process by submitting an interest form to KIUC, after which KIUC conducts an energy audit at the business, identifies eligible retrofits, and recommends materials costs it can cover. The business then solicits a contractor quote for installation work, which KEDB reviews to determine the grant amount before the business signs a grant agreement and proceeds with installation. KIUC conducts a final site visit upon completion, after which the business receives its rebate from KEDB.
$ GRANT AMOUNT
$10,000
FoundHer Accelerator Program
FoundHer
The FoundHer accelerator program focuses on Hawaii-based women entrepreneurs. Accepted participants to the six-month program will receive $20,000 grants, a $4,000 care stipend, weekly educational workshops, and monthly learning and networking retreats. Businesses must be early-stage, for-profit and at least 51% Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander-owned to qualify.
$ GRANT AMOUNT
$20,000
Hawaii Manufacturing Assistance Program
Hawaii Technology Development Corporation
HTDC’s Manufacturing Assistance Program (MAP) offers Hawaiʻi-based manufacturers up to a 20% reimbursement (up to $100,000) on qualified expenses to help Hawaiʻi manufacturers enhance productivity, competitiveness, and growth in Hawai‘i’s manufacturing sector.
$ GRANT AMOUNT
$100,000
Hawaii Small Business Innovation Research (HSBIR) Program
Hawaii Technology Development Corporation
HSBIR provides matching grants to help companies further develop new products that solve critical issues for the nation. Applicants must have received Federal Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) /Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grants or contracts to qualify for the state matching grant program. The HSBIR program provides up to 50% match for companies receiving SBIR/STTR awards. Companies may apply also for reimbursement for grant writing costs for their initial Federal grant application (Phase 0).
The Hawaiʻi SBIR matching grant program is the longest state funded SBIR matching program in the United States. Initially the grant program only funded companies that received Phase I grants but in 2016, the program was expanded to help companies who are moving their advanced technology products from research into the market. Hawaiʻi’s SBIR Phase II and Phase III winners are creating the best technology solutions in the nation.
$ GRANT AMOUNT
$500,000
Maui Agricultural Micro Grant
Maui Economic Opportunity
Applications for the popular Agricultural Micro Grant Program 6.0 – which offers up to $25,000 in grants to Maui County small farmers and ranchers – will be available January 2026.
The $3 million Maui County – funded program, administered by Maui Economic Opportunity’s Business Development Center, is open to food producing farms on 12 acres or less, and livestock ranches up to 40 acres, possessing a State of Hawaii general excise license as of July 1, 2025.
Preference will be given to women and Native Hawaiians. A limited number of grants will be set aside for flower/plant, lei making farms.
$ GRANT AMOUNT
$25,000
Don't stop at state-level funding
Most business grants aren't geographic, they're tied to your industry, your stage, or your team. Our database tracks 500+ programs across every category, and our free newsletter delivers new grants to your inbox each week.