Cottage Industry to Commercial Enterprise Scholarship
The Hawaii Ag & Culinary Alliance (HACA) Cottage Industry to Commercial Enterprise Scholarship supports local value-added entrepreneurs in growing their businesses. Through this scholarship, offered in cooperation with the State of Hawai‘i, HACA partners with Leeward Community College (Leeward CC) and the Wahiawa Value-Added Product Development Center (WVAPDC) to provide a unique opportunity for Hawai‘i-based entrepreneurs utilizing locally grown, raised, or caught ingredients to gain valuable knowledge and resources to grow their businesses.
In each cohort, 15 selected entrepreneurs receive expert guidance to incubate and develop their cottage industry, consumer packaged goods (CPG), or value-added products into thriving food businesses. The partial scholarship provides $1,000 toward the $1,500 tuition for Leeward CC’s 12-week Aina to Makeke course, designed to equip participants with the skills to successfully bring food products to market. Please note that entrepreneurs are responsible for the remaining $500 course fee.
Cohort 6: May 27 – August 14, 2025
Tuesdays & Thursdays | 5:30-7:30 P.M.
Applications are CLOSED
Selected applicants will be notified by April 24, 2025
Please contact [email protected] if you have any questions.
12-WEEK AINA TO MAKEKE PROGRAM
Brought to you by the Leeward Community College, Office of Continuing Education and Workforce Development, the 12-week Aina to Makeke program examines what it takes to become a successful food business entrepreneur. Weekly classes guide participants in how to scale-up a kitchen recipe into a commercial product ready for market.
Instructor Christiane Bolosan Yee will be joined by food industry professionals to lead students in how to:
- PRODUCE a safe and wholesome consumer food product
- PROMOTE a food product through established market channels
- PROFIT as a business from the manufacture and sales of your product
Program will provide sessions with business advisors, coaches or entrepreneurs in the creation of their new business and the logistics of sourcing ingredients and packaging, regulatory compliance, and approaches to specialty food marketing.
TOPICS COVERED:
- Your Product & Consumer, Marketplace Survey, Product Costs
- Licensing & Regulations, Introduction to Cost of Goods
- Food Science Workshop, Working in a Commercial Kitchen
- Working with a Co-Packer, Cost of Goods & Recipe Scaling
- Business Law, Start-Up Costs, Margins, Break-even
- Food Safety Modernization Act, Managing Your Business
- Branding, Packaging
- Doing Your Pitch – Sales Sheets and Evaluation Night Information
- E-Commerce and Social Media
- Selling at Supermarkets & Farmers Markets
- Distribution
- Pitch Presentations
Click here for more information on Leeward CC’s 12-week Aina to Makeke course and the Wahiawa Value-Added Product Development Center.
WHAT YOU'LL RECEIVE
A partial scholarship of $1,000 will be awarded toward the $1,500 tuition for Leeward Community College’s 12-week Aina to Makeke course from May 27 – August 14, 2025
- The remaining $500 must be paid directly by the accepted applicant to Leeward CC upon registration
- Classes will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:30-7:30 P.M
- Introduction to the Wahiawa Value-Added Product Development Center (WVAPDC) and FREE one-hour consultation with WVAPDC Product Development Manager, Hailey Zhou
- Additional promotional and networking opportunities to grow your business
SCHOLARSHIP REQUIREMENTS
Must be based in Hawaii and 18 years of age or older- Product must include a Hawaii-grown, raised or caught ingredient
- Must be an early-stage food and/or beverage company with a consumer packaged good (CPG) or value-added product.
- Must have an annual revenue of less than $1,000,000
- Producing under Cottage Industry laws or out of a commercial kitchen
- Direct to consumer sales through an established storefront/retail presence, e-commerce, farmers markets, or other vendor markets are allowed
- Products already being sold in a specialty store or supermarket are also allowed to apply
- Must have obtained food safety training from Department of Health (DOH) or from a program approved by DOH
- Must be able to participate in all activities of the program including, but not limited to, course sessions, showcase*, and surveys. Travel may be required for businesses headquartered on the Neighbor Islands. Classes will be held from May 27 – August 14, 2025 on Tuesdays & Thursdays from 5:30-7:30 P.M.
*For the Aina to Makeke showcase on the final day of class, entrepreneurs are expected to provide a minimum of 100 product samples for prospective buyers, influencers, and industry representatives in attendance.
FROM START UP TO SHELVES
Hear from local entrepreneurs who have incubated their products through Leeward Community College’s Aina to Makeke program and the Wahiawa Value-Added Product Development Center with the support of Hawaii Ag & Culinary Alliance’s Cottage Industry to Commercial Enterprise Scholarship.
MEET THE COHORT ALUMNI
Explore the 74 value-added entrepreneurs utilizing Hawaii-grown, raised or caught ingredients and see where you can shop their food products! These alumni have taken their products from farmer’s markets to ABC Stores, ChefZone, Down to Earth, Farm Link, Foodland, 7-Eleven, Times Supermarkets, and even their own brick-and-mortar stores.
FAQ
Please contact [email protected] if you have additional questions.
Do I need to apply separately for the Aina to Makeke program?
No, your application for the HACA Cottage Industry to Commercial Enterprise Scholarship will also serve as your application for the Aina to Makeke program. You do not need to submit a separate application.
Can I enroll in the Aina to Makeke program if I am not selected for the scholarship?
Currently, Cohort 6 of the Aina to Makeke program is exclusively available to entrepreneurs selected for the HACA’s Cottage Industry to Commercial Enterprise Scholarship. Keep an eye on future opportunities for open enrollment in subsequent cohorts.
When and where are classes held?
Classes run from May 27 – August 14, 2025, every Tuesday and Thursday from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM. Classes are held online except for the final showcase on August 14 which will be held in-person.
What is the product showcase?
The Aina to Makeke program culminates in an event where all participants feature product samples for market feedback and pitch for prospective buyers. Attendees typically include retail and wholesale distributors, buyers and industry representatives. Participating entrepreneurs are expected to provide a minimum of 100 product samples for prospective buyers, influencers, and industry representatives.
Are Neighbor Island participants eligible to apply?
Yes, businesses headquartered on the Neighbor Islands are encouraged to apply. While the Aina to Makeke course is primarily conducted online, please note that travel may be required for in-person classes such as the final showcase.
Can I apply more than once if I’m not selected for this cohort?
Yes, if you were not accepted into a previous HACA cohort, you are welcome to reapply for the scholarship. We encourage returning applicants to submit updated information about the progress of their businesses.
