MEO Business Development Center (MEO BDC)

MEO is accepting applications for our Agricultural Micro Grant Program from now through February 15, 2026.

REMINDER: From now through February 15, 2026 MEO is accepting applications for our Agricultural Micro Grant Program. If you are a startup, farm, or ranch that: 🌱Currently operates on less than 12 acres (farm) or up to 40 acres (ranch) 🌱Possess a county business or state General Excise Tax (GET) Licence as of July 1, 2025 You can apply for a micro grant of up to $25,000 to help your agricultural business grow! 📝Preference will be given to women and Native Hawaiian applicants 📝A small number of grants for lei-making flower farms are available 📝Open to applicants on Maui, Molokaʻi, and Lānaʻi You can use grant funds on things like: farming equipment and machinery, processing and storage equipment, farm infrastructure, expansion and upgrades, inventory and supplies, packaging and packaging materials, technology equipment. When applying, make sure you have:          ✅A completed application ✅Farm needs statement ✅Copy of original General Excise Tax License or filed form G-45 or G-49 ✅Photo ID ✅2024 State Tax Return Form N-11 (proof of residency).          Applicants may apply: 🖥️Online: http://bit.ly/49UIpUl (link also in our bio) 🏤In Person: MEO’s Wailuku Office, 99Mahalani St., (M-F), 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information: MEO Business Development Center (BDC),  (808) 249-2990 or  [email protected].          Mahalo to the @countyofmaui for partnering with MEO to offer this grant to boost small farms countywide!

Applications for the popular Agricultural Micro Grant Program 6.0 – which offers up to $25,000 to Maui County small farmers and ranchers – are being accepted beginning today, Jan. 15, 2026, by Maui Economic Opportunity.

The application period runs through Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026.

The $3 million Maui County-funded program is open to select startup and currently operating farms on less than 12 acres and livestock ranches up to 40 acres possessing a county business or state General Excise Tax License as of July 1, 2025.

Preference will be given to women and Native Hawaiians. A limited number of grants will be allocated to lei-making flower farms. Agricultural operations on Moloka`i and Lana`i also are encouraged to apply.

The grants may be used to directly impact the availability of locally-grown produce, livestock and poultry and other related products. Grant money can be used for:
- Farming equipment and machinery.
- Processing and storage equipment.
- Farm infrastructure, expansion and upgrades.
- Inventory and supplies.
- Packaging and packaging materials.
- Technology equipment.

The following documentation is required:
- Completed application.
- Farm needs statement.
- Copy of original General Excise Tax License or filed form G-45 or G-49.
- Photo ID.
- 2024 State Tax Return Form N-11 (proof of residency).

Farmers may apply on the MEO website at https://www.meoinc.org/agricultural-micro-grant-program/ or in-person at MEO’s Wailuku office, 99 Mahalani St., weekdays, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

For more information, contact the MEO Business Development Center, which is administering the grant, by phone at (808) 249-2990 or by email at [email protected].

This is the 6th round of micro-agricultural grants offered through the county to boost small farms countywide.

Caption: Maui Vanilla Farm received a Agricultural Micro Grant to support the farm’s operations. Applications for the next round of micro grants will be accepted beginning Jan. 15, 2026.

Two in-person workshops to provide information on the upcoming Agricultural Micro Grant Program 6.0, which offers up to $25,000 to small farms and ranches in Maui County, will be held in early January 2026.

The grants are administered by Maui Economic Opportunity’s Business Development Center and funded by the County of Maui.

The first session is set for Monday, Jan. 5, at the MEO Family Center in Wailuku and the second on Wednesday, Jan. 7, at Mayor Hannibal Tavares Community Center in Pukalani. Both sessions begin at 5 p.m.

The Jan. 5 workshop will be streamed live via Webex for viewing on Moloka`i and Lana`i.

Grant application and award information will be presented to help applicants understand the process and note the required documents that need to be submitted.

The grants have the following stipulations and requirements:

● Grants will be dispersed with efforts to ensure equitable distribution among applicants on Maui, Moloka`i, and Lana`i.

● Grant preference is given to socially disadvantaged farming applicants, such as women and Native Hawaiians, and to farmers who did not receive funding in prior fiscal years from the micro-grant program.

● Except for up to $250,000 for flowers and plants used to make lei, the micro grants will be exclusively to food-producing farm businesses that operate on less than an aggregate of 12 acres or up to an aggregate of 40 usable acres for livestock producers within Maui County.

● Applicants must possess a county business or state general excise license for the farming or ranching business as of July 1, 2025.

● Low revenue from sales will not disqualify applicants.

● Farm business owners and any partners must be Maui County residents for a minimum of one year before the date of the applicant's grant request.

Further details and information will be provided at the informational sessions.

The grant application period for the $3 million Agricultural Micro Grant Program 6.0 opens Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, with applications becoming available.

Farmers and ranchers may apply on the MEO website at https://www.meoinc.org/agricultural-micro-grant-program/ or in-person at MEO’s Wailuku office, 99 Mahalani St., weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

For more information, contact the MEO Business Development Center by phone at (808) 249-2990 or by email at [email protected].

Caption:
Lapaau Farms in Wailuku was one of the small farms receiving a 2025 Agricultural Micro Grant, through a program funded by Maui County and administered by MEO. In-person informational sessions for the 2026 grant are set for early January 2026.

📝💵FALL BREAK TEEN FINANCIAL LITERACY WORKSHOP! 💰📚
Sign up your teen for a FREE two-day workshop during Fall Break, where they will learn essential money skills like budgeting, saving, and credit! 🙌✨
📅 Dates: Monday and Tuesday October 6th and 7th
🕒 Time: 9:00 – 11:30 AM
📍 Location: MEO Classroom #1
99 Mahalani St.
Wailuku, HI 96793
This workshop, hosted by Maui Economic Opportunity’s Business Development Center, is a great opportunity for middle and high school students to get ahead in managing their finances! 💼👩‍🏫

📝💵 Teen Financial Literacy Workshop! 💰📚

Sign up your teen for a FREE two-day workshop during Fall Break, where they will learn essential money skills like budgeting, saving, and credit! 🙌✨

📅 Dates: Monday and Tuesday October 6th and 7th
🕒 Time: 9:00 – 11:30 AM
📍 Location: MEO Classroom #1
99 Mahalani St.
Wailuku, HI 96793

This workshop, hosted by Maui Economic Opportunity’s Business Development Center, is a great opportunity for middle and high school students to get ahead in managing their finances! 💼👩‍🏫

Irish Mahoney’s Umani Farms Maui business plan was judged the top entry and winner of a $15,000 grant in the fourth Best Business Plan contest, staged by Maui Economic Opportunity’s Business Development Center (BDC).

The contest, which announced six winners earlier this week, was funded by a $60,000 grant from the Maui County Office of Economic Development to provide financial support for start-up businesses countywide. Entrants had to complete a five-week BDC Core Four Business Planning Course during the fiscal year, July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025.

A total of 12 plans were submitted for a juried review by an outside panel of three community development partners. The top six plans received grants with amounts based on ranking. Five of the winners came from Maui and one from Lana`i.

The top prize went to Umani Farms, a start-up micro-greens farm in Makawao. Mahoney has been involved in farming since an early age and saw an opportunity to turn her passion into a business that provides for the Maui community.

Her business plan calls for growing and supplying fresh organic micro-greens to local restaurants, grocery stores and health conscious consumers while employing sustainable agricultural practices. The plants selected are nutrient dense and popular in the culinary world for vibrant flavors, aesthetics and health benefits.

“Umani” means “to harvest” in the Filipino Tagalog dialect, which Mahoney said connects the farm to the agricultural heritage and the land that defines her mission.

“At Umani Farms Maui, we believe that harvesting is not merely the act of gathering crops; it symbolizes the culmination of hard work, dedication and respect for nature,” Mahoney said. “Our farm celebrates this philosophy, where every seed sown represents a commitment to sustainability, quality and community.”

The other winners and their grant amounts follow:

- Wealth Worthy Wahine, financial resource and training platform for women offering online and in-person workshops; $12,500.

- HI Caliber Concrete, service company specializing in concrete and asphalt cutting, concrete coring and other masonry services for residential and commercial customers; $10,500.

- I Love Lanai Tacos, a food trailer on Lana`i specializing in authentic Mexican dishes; $9,000.

- Thriftly, online secondhand apparel marketplace; $7,500.

- Maui Harvest Delights, mobile fruit and farm stand in Ke`anae with soft serve farm-to-table frozen treats and locally grown produce; $5,000.

Judging for the contest was based on business plan narrative and summary, marketing plan, operational plan, cash flow projections and economic diversity impact to Maui’s economy.

“Many entrepreneurs are hampered by the inability to garner funding to get their start-ups off the ground,” said BDC Director David Daly. “We thank the County of Maui for providing a boost to small business start-ups, who are prepared for success through our Core Four business planning series, and expanding the economic base of the county, which is dominated by small businesses.”

The Core Four business planning class series covers writing a business plan and provides the information needed to start, operate and grow a business. It is geared for those thinking of starting a business or who are just starting and need direction. It is offered multiple times during the year on Maui and Moloka‘i.

The course costs $75. Financial assistance is available upon request. For more information about Core Four, call (808) 249-2990 or go to www.meoinc.org.

Caption: Irish Mahoney

The two-day Financial Literacy for Teens workshop, covering topics such as budgeting, saving and credit, will be held Monday and Tuesday, July 7 and 8, at Maui Economic Opportunity in Wailuku.

The teen financial literacy workshop is offered at no cost and is put on by MEO’s Business Development Center. The in-person workshop runs from 9 to 11:30 a.m. on both days at MEO, 99 Mahalani St., behind the J. Walter Cameron Center.

The workshop is offered annually during the fall and summer breaks to middle and high school youth.

Topics to be covered include budgeting and saving, basic banking, applying for jobs, obtaining credit and more. MEO Business Development Specialists Lianne Peros-Busch and Teon Simmons will be the instructors.

To register for the workshop online, go to www.meoinc.org, click on the “Programs & Services” tab, then “Business Development Center” and “Financial Literacy.” The direct link is https://form.jotform.com/242906295432156.

For more information, contact Simmons by phone at (808) 243-4317 or by email at [email protected].

BDC has been offering the popular Financial Literacy for Teens in public schools in the fourth quarter. Peros-Busch and Simmons presented the program to 85 6th and 7th-graders at Lana`i High & Elementary and 51 students at Hana High School.

The Maui County Office of Economic Development provides funding for the workshops.

Caption: Maui Economic Opportunity Business Development Specialists Lianne Peros-Busch (left) and Teon Simmons discuss savings with Lana`i High & Elementary School students. Peros-Busch and Simmons took the Business Development Center’s Teen Financial Literacy workshop to Lana`i in the fourth quarter of the school year.

The fourth Core Four Business Planning Course series of the year, presented by Maui Economic Opportunity’s Business Development Center, starts Tuesday, July 1., and runs twice weekly through Thursday, July 31.

Classes are in-person only at MEO’s Wailuku classroom, 99 Mahalani St., behind the J. Walter Cameron Center.

The Core Four Business Planning classes focus on how and why to write a realistic business plan and provide the information needed to start, operate and grow a business. It is perfect for those thinking of starting a business or just starting out and needing further direction.

The five-week series with a total of 24 hours of instruction runs 5 to 7 p.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays.

The cost is $75. Financial assistance is available.

Upon course completion, graduates are eligible to apply for grant funds to assist business startups.

Those interested in learning more about the Core Four course can attend an introductory class at 5 p.m., Thursday, June 26, in the MEO classroom.

Registration is required and can be done by going to www.meoinc.org and clicking on the Core Four tab on the main and Business Development Center pages. Enrollment forms also may be picked up weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at MEO’s Wailuku office.

For more information, contact David Daly, director of the Business Development Center, at (808) 243-4318.

Funding from the County of Maui Mayor’s Office of Economic Development helps to make the Core Four Business Planning Course possible.

Caption:
David Daly, director of Maui Economic Opportunity’s Business Development Center, teaches a Core Four Business Planning Course at MEO in Wailuku. Another round of Core Four classes begins July 1.

Maui Economic Opportunity received a $6,250 grant through the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines in a partnership with Valley Isle Community Federal Credit Union to support MEO’s Business Development Center.

Valley Isle Community FCU President and CEO Trevor Tokishi approached MEO CEO Debbie Cabebe about applying for matching funds through the member impact fund program grant. The funds would support BDC community lending and provide working capital to the program.
The BDC program offers an array of small business services and support including microlending, business planning classes, financial planning classes for adults and youth, and credit counseling. BDC also runs Maui County’s micro-agriculture grant program.

Last week, a team from the credit union including Tokishi, Jarrin Arakaki, Small Business Manager, and Kyle Williamson, Vice President Lending, presented the check to Cabebe at the MEO Wailuku office.

The Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines is a member-owned cooperative that provides funding solutions and liquidity to more than 1,200 members to support mortgage lending, economic development and affordable housing in the communities they serve.

The Valley Isle Community FCU is a full-service financial institution serving all residents on the island of Maui. Established in 1940, the credit union is a financial cooperative, owned and operated by members. Members’ deposits support loans for other members.

“Maui Economic Opportunity thanks Trevor Tokishi for bringing up this opportunity to MEO,” said Cabebe. “Small businesses are the lifeblood of our community, providing essential services and innovative products for locals and tourists alike. And the wages and taxes they pay help local families and individuals provide for themselves.”

Caption: A team from Valley Isle Community Federal Credit Union delivered a $6,250 check to support Maui Economic Opportunity’s Business Development Center. Shown are (from left) Jarrin Arakaki, Small Business Manager; Trevor Tokishi, President/CEO; Debbie Cabebe, MEO CEO; Kai Pelayo, MEO Board Member; and Kyle Williamson, Vice President Lending.

A “Mastering Your Money” class aimed at helping residents take control of their finances through budgeting, spending, saving and credit strategies will be held 1 to 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 19, in-person at Maui Economic Opportunity in Wailuku.

MEO’s Business Development Center will be putting on the class, which is being offered at no cost to attendees. Mastering Your Money could be helpful to residents struggling to make ends meet while coping with Maui’s high cost of living.

Class topics to be covered include budget and saving strategies, understanding spending habits and creating a personal financial plan.

The class also will cover credit, how to establish it, improving FICO scores, and understanding personal credit profiles. A FICO score is a tool used by lenders to determine whether an individual qualifies for a credit card, mortgage or other loans and the rates the individual pays.

BDC has certified credit counselors ready to help individuals with their debts and loan consolidation at no charge and offers financial literacy classes to teens and adults and the Core Four Business Planning Course. In addition, BDC has a microloan program and is currently administering the Maui County Agriculture Micro Grant.

Registration for the class is required and can be done at https://forms.gle/Cuyzn6fr8AqcTtqJ9. MEO is located at 99 Mahalani St., Wailuku, behind the J. Walter Cameron Center.

For more information, contact BDC Director David Daly at (808) 243-4318 or by email at [email protected].

More than 75 individuals interested in the new round of Maui County Agricultural Micro Grants, which offer up to $25,000, gathered in-person at Maui Economic Opportunity in Wailuku and via Zoom on Wednesday, Jan. 15.

The fifth installment of the grant, funded by the County of Maui and administered by MEO’s Business Development Center, is open to select startup and operating farms on less than 12 acres and livestock ranches up to 40 acres.

The hour-long gathering, led by BDC Director David Daly, covered the parameters of the grant and application requirements. He also answered questions from attendees.

A video of the gathering can be found at https://vimeo.com/1047669979?share=copy.

Applications, which went live Jan. 9, are available at https://www.meoinc.org/agricultural-micro-grant-program/ or in-person at MEO’s Wailuku office. The deadline for submissions is Feb. 25.

For more information, call (808) 249-2990.