A. Project overview and history The OHA seeks to establish a service partnership with a Native CDFI doing business in the State of Hawaiʻi to administer the Mahi ʻai Micro Fund — a microgrant program that provides financial assistance to Native Hawaiian farmers to help offset the cost of property taxes and water utility bills. The goal is to relieve these fixed expenses so that farmers can retain more of their own capital to strengthen and sustain their operations. This initiative aligns with OHA’s strategic commitment to strengthen Indigenous food systems, economic resilience, and access to capital for Native Hawaiian communities. The OHA has allocated a maximum of ONE HUNDRED FORTY THOUSAND AND NO/100 DOLLARS ($140,000.00) for this program. In their proposals, Offerors must specify the amount of funding that will be distributed to farmers in the form of a micro-fund and include administrative costs, if any, necessary to facilitate the program. The proposal shall not exceed ONE HUNDRED FORTY THOUSAND AND NO/100 DOLLARS ($140,000.00) in total. Positioned as a micro-fund program, any financial assistance shall not exceed FIVE THOUSAND AND NO/100 DOLLARS ($5,000.00) per funding recipient.
