KEMA to accept FY 2026-2027 Grant-in-Aid proposals starting Aug. 15

Published on August 13, 2026

LĪHUʻE – The Kauaʻi Emergency Management Agency (KEMA) will begin accepting proposals from private and nonprofit organizations for its Fiscal Year 2026-2027 Grant-in-Aid program starting Saturday, Aug. 15.

To apply, visit www.kauai.gov/kema and select “COK FY27 Grant-in-Aid.” The application link will go live on Aug. 15.

Proposals must be received on or before 4:30 p.m. HST on Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026. This is a received-by deadline, not a postmark date. Proposals received after the deadline will not be considered and will be returned to the applicant. The program is intended to benefit the people of the County of Kauaʻi by funding community emergency preparedness and response needs, including supplementing other available funding where appropriate and addressing funding gaps where adequate federal or state funding is unavailable or has not been secured. 

Funding is available through four opportunities across the following categories:

• Establishing and administering new Community Emergency Response Teams, or CERT (two separate funding opportunities);
• Providing assistance with damage assessment, search and rescue, and aerial public warning and notification; and
• Supporting sheltering operations as part of Emergency Support Function 6 (ESF-6): Mass Care and Human Services.

Eligible private or nonprofit organizations may apply for up to $10,000 each to establish new CERT programs, up to $10,000 for damage assessment, search and rescue, and aerial public warning and notification, and up to $50,000 to support refuge area and sheltering operations. Applicants will be notified of funding decisions on or around Oct. 1, 2026. The project funding period will run from Oct. 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027.

For more information, please contact the Kauaʻi Emergency Management Agency at 808-241-1763 or pgallagher@kauai.gov. 

If you need an ASL interpreter, materials in an alternate format, other auxiliary aid support, or an interpreter for a language other than English, please contact Padraic Gallagher at the number and email above as soon as possible. Requests made as early as possible will allow adequate time to fulfill your request. Upon request, this notice is available in alternate formats such as large print, Braille, or electronic copy.

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