Active. Atlas Opportunity Score: 92/100. N9+ Fit: 0/100.
The County of Maui Department of Agriculture is accepting applications for its FY2027 Local Food Purchasing Incentive: Farm-to-Family Grant. The program supports Maui County organizations that purchase, contract for, or subsidize food grown or harvested in Maui County. Applications are due October 15, 2026 at 4:30 p.m. HST.
Funding
Grant awards range from $100,000 to $400,000. The County may modify award amounts. The grant period is 12 months, and at least 70% of total grant expenses should be spent on food costs.
Who May Apply
Eligible applicants must operate in Maui County. The official guide allows Hawaiʻi-incorporated for-profit organizations, IRS tax-exempt nonprofit organizations, and sole proprietors that meet County requirements. Applicants must be in good standing with State and Federal government and must provide the required compliance and organizational documents.
Healthcare and School Relevance
The solicitation expressly identifies several Atlas-relevant models. Eligible examples include Produce Rx programs using medically tailored meals, local produce boxes, or local protein boxes as preventive health measures for at-risk patients; School Food Pantry and Food Education programs; school snack and nutrition education programs; first foods and infant feeding; kūpuna feeding; farm-to-food-pantry programs; and summer or school-break feeding.
Because this opportunity is centered on food access and nutrition rather than remote clinical examination technology, Atlas assigns N9+ Fit 0/100.
Core Program Rules
Only food grown or harvested in Maui County qualifies for reimbursement. Processed foods may qualify when at least 80% by volume of ingredients are grown or harvested in Maui County and the final product is made in Maui County. Programs must pay market value to producers. The guide gives preference to programs purchasing kupuna crops and programs serving populations with the greatest need.
Required Application Package
Applicants must use the County’s official Farm to Family application and budget forms. Required supporting materials include a current Certificate of Vendor Compliance or equivalent tax clearances, DCCA registration or certificate of good standing, W-9, bylaws or operating procedures, corporate resolution when required, two years of profit-and-loss financial statements, and other documents applicable to the project such as subcontractor or fiscal sponsorship agreements. The County requires the Certificate of Vendor Compliance submitted to MDOA to have been issued no more than 60 days before submission.
Source-control note: the currently posted FY2027 Grant Guide lists a Medical License among supporting documents, while the currently posted official application checklist does not list a Medical License. The application also instructs applicants not to submit supplemental information that is not listed on its checklist. These two current County documents therefore conflict on that item. Applicants should obtain clarification from MDOA before final submission rather than assuming that a medical license is required, not required, or inapplicable.
The official guide directs applicants to complete the narrative in the County PDF application and expressly advises applicants not to use ChatGPT to generate the project narrative. Atlas will respect that restriction and will not author an applicant narrative for this opportunity.
Budget Rules
Indirect costs may be up to 15% of the total budget. Contractors and consultants necessary for direct project delivery may be allowed with prior MDOA approval. Equipment must be necessary to the project, dedicated solely to the grant, justified against rental, and may become County property. Out-of-state travel is not allowed. The current solicitation and guide do not state a mandatory match or cost-share requirement.
Scoring
The 100-point evaluation allocates 15 points to Project Description, 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 current solicitation controls the final deadline and any later amendments.
The FY2027 Farm to Family workshop was held September 16, 2026. The County program page currently lists the workshop slide deck and video as coming soon, so applicants should recheck those resources before final submission.
Official Sources
- County of Maui Farm to Family Grant page
- FY2027 Farm to Family Grant Solicitation
- FY2027 Farm to Family Grant Guide
- Official Farm to Family Grant Application
- Official MDOA Grant Budget Spreadsheet
Last verified: September 17, 2026.