Active. Atlas Opportunity Score: 93/100. N9+ Fit: 0/100.
The County of Maui Department of Agriculture is accepting applications for its FY2027 Food is Medicine Grant. The program funds healthcare-led nutrition interventions using Maui County-grown food to prevent, manage, or treat illness. Applications are due October 15, 2026 at 4:30 p.m. HST.
Funding
Applicants may request up to $100,000. Maui County’s enacted FY2027 budget appropriates $300,000 to the Food is Medicine Program. Awards are cost-reimbursement grants, although an adequately justified upfront disbursement may be approved and written into the final grant agreement. The County’s September 16, 2026 workshop materials state that 70% of the total grant budget must be spent on food.
Who May Apply
Applicants must operate in Maui County and be health professionals with experience working with patients to improve health outcomes. The solicitation further states that the grantee must be a licensed medical provider and must demonstrate that participating patients are under a health professional’s health or nutrition plan. Eligible entity types include Hawaiʻi-incorporated for-profit organizations, IRS tax-exempt nonprofit organizations, and sole proprietors that satisfy the County’s requirements.
Eligible Program Models
Examples include prescribed local fruit and vegetable boxes, local protein boxes, vouchers for Maui County-grown food, and medically tailored meals. The program targets patients with qualifying clinical or health-related social needs, including diet-related disease, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, cancer, postpartum status, food or housing insecurity, care-transition needs, and other conditions identified in the official solicitation.
Only food grown in Maui County qualifies for reimbursement. Processed foods may qualify when at least 70% of ingredients are grown or harvested in Maui County and the final product is made in Maui County.
Required Application Package
Applicants must use the County’s official application and budget forms. The required package includes applicant information, signed application checklist, declaration statement, narrative proposal, the official Excel budget/cost proposal, and supporting documents. Supporting documents include current tax/vendor compliance documentation, DCCA registration or certificate of good standing, W-9, bylaws or operating procedures, corporate resolution when applicable, two years of profit-and-loss financial statements, a medical license, subcontractor agreements when applicable, and fiscal sponsorship agreements when applicable.
The narrative covers project overview, community and economic impact, experience and capacity, work plan, outcome measures and evaluation, self-sufficiency, and financial controls. The official guide expressly instructs applicants not to use ChatGPT to generate the narrative and states narratives may be subject to AI detection. Applicants should follow that restriction.
Budget and Cost Rules
The guide allows salaries and wages, payroll taxes and fringe benefits, approved contractual services, project expenses, qualifying food, and other justified direct costs. The County’s FY2027 workshop materials add a controlling program requirement that 70% of the total budget must be spent on food. Indirect costs may be up to 15% of the total budget. Equipment may be requested only when necessary for the project, dedicated solely to the grant, and approved by MDOA; qualifying equipment becomes County property and must be justified against rental. The current official solicitation and guide do not state a mandatory match or cost-share requirement.
Because this opportunity is designed around prescribed nutrition interventions rather than remote clinical examination technology, Atlas assigns N9+ Fit 0/100. The existence of an equipment category should not be interpreted as establishing N9+ eligibility.
Scoring
The 100-point evaluation allocates 15 points to project overview, 20 to community and economic impact, 10 to experience and capability, 15 to work plan, 10 to outcome measures and evaluation, 10 to self-sufficiency, and 20 to the financial and cost proposal. Applicants scoring above 60% may be considered for award, subject to available funding and comparative ranking.
How to Submit
Applications may be submitted by email to the Maui Department of Agriculture grants office, hand-delivered to 2154 Kaohu Street in Wailuku, or mailed to the County of Maui Department of Agriculture. Late applications are not accepted. The County’s live program page and grant solicitation control the final deadline and any later amendments.
The grant workshop was held September 16, 2026 from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. HST via Microsoft Teams. The County’s official grant page now provides the workshop slide deck and full workshop video for applicants preparing FY2027 submissions.
Official Sources
- County of Maui Food is Medicine Grant page
- FY2027 Food is Medicine Grant Solicitation
- FY2027 Food is Medicine Grant Guide and General Terms
- Official Food is Medicine Grant Application
- Official MDOA Grant Budget Spreadsheet
- FY2027 Food is Medicine and Farm-to-Family Grant Workshop Slide Deck
Last verified: September 21, 2026.