HONOLULU, HI – Small businesses across O‘ahu impacted by the Kona Low storm will soon have access to $3.35 million in direct financial assistance through the O‘ahu Kona Low Business Recovery Program, a new grant program of the state of Hawai‘i through the Hawai‘i Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT) and administered by the Chamber of Commerce Hawaii.

Applications will open on September 9, 2026, with eligible businesses able to apply for one-time grants of $5,000 or $10,000 to help recover from economic or physical impacts caused by the Kona Low storms between March 10-23, 2026. Applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis and reviewed and awarded in the order they are received and approved, until all funds are exhausted.

A FREE informational webinar outlining program details, as well as eligibility and application requirements, will take place Tuesday, September 8, at 10 a.m. HST. Click HERE to register.

Eligible businesses will receive grants based on verified annual gross revenue:

• Tier 1: $5,000 for micro enterprises with annual gross revenue of less than $250,000 (1-10 employees, including the owner if the owner can document that he/she is an employee and not a sole proprietor)
• Tier 2: $10,000 for small businesses with annual gross revenue of $250,000-$5 million (11-500 employees)

“Small businesses are often among the first to feel the effects of a disaster and the last to recover from it,” says Sherry Menor, President and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce Hawaii. “This program is about making sure businesses have access to resources that can help them get back on their feet and continue serving their employees, customers and communities. We encourage business owners who were impacted by the Kona Low to learn more now, gather their documentation and be ready to apply when the application opens.”

“The state is committed to supporting O‘ahu’s small businesses as they continue recovering from the Kona Low storms,” said DBEDT Director James Kunane Tokioka. “These grants are designed to provide practical assistance to help businesses rebuild, restore operations and remain resilient in the face of future challenges.”

The program is designed to provide timely assistance to O‘ahu’s non-agricultural, for-profit small businesses that experienced disruptions such as closures, loss of utilities, inaccessible locations, property or inventory damage, supply chain disruptions, reduced services, employee impacts or lost revenue as a direct result of the storm. Outreach will prioritize businesses in communities identified as having the highest concentration of documented storm damage and closures, including the North Shore, Waialua and Hale‘iwa; the Leeward Coast, including Wai‘anae, Māʻili and Nānākuli; Windward O‘ahu, including Kāneʻohe and Kailua; and Honolulu Metro.

Eligible businesses must:

• Have at least one owner be a Hawai‘i resident.
• Be physically operating on O‘ahu and have been established before the first Kona Low storm on March 13, 2026.
• Be a non-agricultural, for-profit small business that experienced material economic or physical harm directly caused by the storm.
• Meet federal small business size requirements, generally no more than 500 employees or the applicable SBA standard for the industry.
• Be registered and in good standing with the Hawai‘i Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs.
• Demonstrate material economic or physical harm directly caused by the Kona Low storms.
• Provide documentation supporting the storms’ impacts, such as photographs, repair estimates, insurance records, utility records, closure notices or financial records.

Businesses can learn more about the program and begin gathering required documentation before applications open on September 9, 2026. Applicants will need to demonstrate the storms’ impact through documentation such as photographs, repair estimates, insurance records, utility records, closure notices or financial records.

The O‘ahu Kona Low Business Recovery Program was initially slated for administration by the Honolulu Office of Economic Revitalization; however, operations at the office ceased on August 14, 2026.

Additional program information, eligibility requirements and application instructions will be available at www.oahukonalowrecovery.org. For more information, email konalow@cochawaii.org.