HONOLULU — The Waimea Town Celebration that runs through Feb. 23 and the weekly E Kanikapila Kakou musical series presented by the Garden Island Arts Council at the Outrigger Kauai Beach Resort are just two examples of Umeke community partnership funding.
The Hawaii Tourism Authority reminds people that the deadline for its next round of 2025 Request For Proposals for its community partnership programs is April 1, 2025, submitted through the HTA digital portal, Umeke. The website for the online submission is hawaiiancouncil.org/kilohana/.
These community partnership programs support projects that preserve Hawaii’s natural resources, perpetuate the state’s Hawaiian and multicultural heritage, and enrich the community through festivals and signature events.
“HTA is proud to support programs that exemplify regenerative tourism by directing tourism’s benefits back into our island communities,” said HTA Board Chair Mufi Hannemann. “These efforts protect Hawaii’s natural and cultural treasures while uplifting the people and organizations working tirelessly to sustain them.”
A spokesperson for the HTA said during the last round of awards, nearly $3 million was awarded to 105 organizations, including several from Kauai. These awards are for projects, programs, and events from Jan. 1 to June 30, 2025, covering both the Waimea Town Celebration and E Kanikapila Kakou.
The latest RFP, or Requests For Proposal, is open to projects between July 2025 and June 2026.
“From a public perspective, some of our most beloved local events and businesses are Umeke-supported,” the spokesperson said. “But even smaller one-time projects and events are eligible for funding.”
“Umeke programs are one of the key tangible ways that HTA is implementing its regenerative vision for tourism that benefits local people and businesses,” the spokesperson said.
HTA is accepting applications for programs in the following four programs: Signature events – invests in projects that protect and enhance Hawaii’s globally competitive brand in a way that is coordinated, authentic, and market-appropriate while also enriching our communities, supporting better relations between communities and the tourism industry, and creates positive resident-visitor interaction;
Community Enrichment Programs provide fund support to unique, authentic, and highly valued visitor-related experiences and represent activities that are developed by the community, for the community, and are things the community is willing to and wants to share with visitors;
Kahu Aina focuses on supporting community initiatives that contribute to the responsible management, improvement, and protection of Hawaii’s natural resources in areas frequented by residents and visitors;
Kukulu Ola focuses on supporting community initiatives that contribute to protecting and enhancing the Hawaiian culture within the tourism industry;
Hookipa Malihini Initiative supports Hawaiian programs and cultural practitioners, craftsmen, musicians, linguistics, and/or other artists in resort areas and harbors statewide to help preserve and perpetuate Native Hawaiian culture in a way that is respectful and accurate, inviting, and educational to visitors.
“These partnerships reflect HTA’s comprehensive approach to destination stewardship,” said Daniel Nahoopii, HTA’s interim president and CEO. “By funding grassroots programs and providing workforce development opportunities, we aim to foster growth and success across Hawaii’s communities.”
For more information, detailed program descriptions, and application requirements, interested applicants can visit www.hawaiiancouncil.org/kilohana/.
