(BIVN) – Governor Josh Green on Monday announced the State of Hawaiʻi will be partnering with the Ulupono Initiative to boost access to federal funds.

The Ulupono Initiative, an Omidyar Group venture, was founded in 2009 to support and promote “locally produced food, renewable energy, clean transportation choices, and better management of freshwater resources.”

The partnership will assist state departments with:

• Identification of high-impact funding opportunities in the priority areas of renewable energy, local food production, clean transportation, and fresh water
• Coaching and advisory support
• Grant proposal writing
• Section-by-section compliance and responsiveness reviews of applications

From the Office of the Governor:

Governor Josh Green, M.D., is partnering with the Ulupono Initiative as part of the Governor’s Investing in Hawai‘i’s Future, a collaboration between federal, state, and community partners to maximize federal funding for the state. The new partnership will provide tailored technical assistance to state departments and agencies to strengthen their ability to apply for and secure federal awards.

“I commend the outstanding work of our dedicated state personnel who pursue federal fund opportunities. Given the magnitude of available federal funds, we need to increase our capacity as a state to secure these resources,” Governor Green said. “This new partnership with the Ulupono team provides a valuable resource to help advance our collective goals and drive positive impact for our communities.”

Under Investing in Hawai‘i’s Future, Ulupono Initiative will provide pro bono services to state departments and agencies to assist in applying for and securing federal funds relating to renewable energy, local food, clean transportation, and fresh water. This one-year gift of service agreement was forged in recognition of the urgent need to act while historic levels of federal funding are available to states through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

“We stand ready to support the state in accessing and leveraging these once-in-a-generation funds, ensuring critical community projects are realized swiftly and effectively,” said Murray Clay, president of Ulupono Initiative. “By seeking and attracting more federal dollars, the state of Hawaiʻi will be able to fund projects that will benefit our residents and businesses.”