Kona Low Business Recovery Program

In Partnership with

The Maui Economic Development Board, Inc., in partnership with the County of Maui’s Office of Economic Development, has established the Kona Low Business Recovery Program to provide limited financial assistance to Maui County based small businesses that have been impacted by the Kona Low storm systems that caused significant damage in Hawaii in March of 2026.    

Eligible impacts may include:

  • Physical property damage (including assets and inventory) caused by extreme weather activity 

  • Significant Business Interruptions due to forced closures and infrastructure or utility outages 

  • Expenses incurred to repair, replace, or protect facilities or inventory from further damage 

Eligible businesses must: 

  • Operate a business whose primary activities are not agricultural production, vacation rental operations, or property management services. 

  • Generate annual gross revenue of $5,000,000 or less 

  • Employ less than 50 full-time equivalent employees 

  • Provide proof of business registration or legal business operation prior to March 2026 in the State of Hawai’i with a registered business address in Maui County.  Acceptable documentation may include active DCCA registration, active General Excise Tax License, 2025 federal business tax filings (including schedule C), or business banking statement (with a Hawaii-based agency) dated prior to March 2026. 

  • You may check your business registration status HERE (DCCA)*

*The DCCA is currently experiencing annual filing processing delays.  Exceptions for delinquent status may be considered on a case-by-case basis, upon proof of annual filing submission. 

  • You may check your Hawaii GET License status HERE (GET) *

*Scroll down to “Business” section and click “search tax licenses”  

NOTE: Only General Excise (GE) IDs are valid.  Withholding (WH) or Transient Accommodation (TA) IDs are not eligible.  

 

Applications will be accepted until December 31, 2026 or until funds are exhausted. Due to the high demand for grant funding, it may not be possible to provide grants to all eligible applicants. Grants will range according to the tier structure established below: 

  • Tier 1 (businesses with annual gross revenue of $250,000 or less): 10% of revenue up to a maximum of $5,000 

  • Tier 2 (businesses with annual gross revenue of more than $250,000): $10,000 

 

If awarded, funds may be used for the following costs incurred as of March 13, 2026 or later:  

  • Business operations costs (rent, utilities, fuel, equipment, etc) 

  • Repair or Replacement costs for damaged business property and infrastructure 

  • Insurance adjustments, deductibles, and premiums 

  • Health/dental/vision insurance for staff 

  • Inventory, Supplies, and Marketing 

 

If awarded, funds may NOT be used for the following:  

  • Loan payments  

  • Staff salaries, wages or payroll  

Contact businessrecovery@medb.org for inquiries.