Pacific Business News: Hawaii launches $3.35M grant program for small businesses hit by Kona Low storms
September 3, 2026
By True Deck
The state of Hawaii Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT) is partnering with the Chamber of Commerce Hawaii (COCH) to provide a grant program for small businesses that were impacted by the Kona Low storms this past March.
“Especially on the North Shore, livelihoods were impacted, small businesses were impacted, families were impacted,” COCH President Sherry Menor said. “Like any disaster, it takes a while to recover.”
The Kona Low Business Recovery (KLBR) will distribute $3.35 million in grant funding to support small businesses on Oahu. All the money has been provided throughout the state. This isn’t the first time that COCH has been supporting the island following a hardship.
“For the Maui Wildfires, (COCH) launched our business relief fund,” Menor said. “For the pandemic, we partnered with the City & County of Honolulu on a business relief grant program. We’ve had experience administering and managing these types of programs.”
While the COCH doesn’t have any plans of upcoming grants to support Hurricane Lala damage, the chamber is focusing on disaster resilience and disaster preparedness.
Eligible businesses may receive grants of $5,000 and $10,000, and the applications will be reviewed and approved in first-come, first-served fashion. Businesses with less than $250,000 in yearly revenue and one to 10 employees will qualify for a $5,000 grant, while businesses with $250,000 to $5 million in yearly revenue and 11 to 500 employees qualify for the $10,000 grant. Eligible businesses also must have at least one owner with Hawaii residency.
“We talk about economic expansion, and we are so reliant on the tourism industry, which obviously we need to be because it’s our No. 1 economic driver,” Menor said. “But we really are focusing on what other industries are resilient to these types of disasters. That’s why for the chamber, the 2030 blueprint is a critical action plan to ensure that damage is negated from these types of instances.”
Following an informational webinar on Tuesday, applications open Wednesday at 8 a.m. HST.
Read the story here.