KALO GRANTS

Proposal Guidelines

Formatting guidelines for both grant levels:

1. Format: Your proposal must be in narrative form. PDF only, max 2MB.
2. Layout: 12pt font, 1-inch margins.
3. Cover Sheet: Must include the business name and names of all team members.
4. Optional Video: Max 2 minutes with verbal explanation; provide a link in the online application.

Details and requirements by grant level: 

Finalist Guidelines for $1,000 Grant

• Location: The event is live on O‘ahu; however, students from Neighbor Island campuses are invited to participate virtually via Zoom.
• Mandatory Pitch Coaching: All $1,000 grant finalists are required to participate in a coaching session prior to the live event. This session is designed to help you refine your slides and sharpen your presentation for the audience vote.
• Attendance: All members listed on the application must be present for the entirety of the Pitch Night event to receive funds.
• Format: 10-minute pitch using slides + 5 minutes of audience Q&A. Slides must be provided to organizers in advance.
• Student Presenters: If the team includes non-students, UH students must deliver the majority of the pitch.
• Selection: Awardees are selected via a live audience vote.

GRANT JUDGING CRITERIA

1. Is the product or service clearly described with passion?
2. Is the problem clearly defined? Does the team articulate the problem with a deep understanding of its nuances and the people or organizations affected by it?
3. Does the solution directly address the problem?
4. Is the solution feasible? How realistic is the solution in terms of implementation, resources, and technology?
5. Does the team demonstrate strong understanding of the product or service’s value that it offers its customers.
6. Has the team identified the right audience? Do they have a well-defined target market that experiences this problem? Does the solution stand out from existing alternatives?
7. Has the team given a strong, logical justification for their funding request, including how the funds will be allocated and the specific goals they intend to reach?

Additional Criteria for $1,000 Grant:

1. Is there evidence of customer pain points? Have they validated the pain points or challenges through customer interviews, surveys, or market research?
2. Has the team validated their solution? Has the team conducted initial tests, prototypes, or trials to demonstrate the potential success of their solution?
3. Is there evidence that the product or service is something customers would pay for?

LIVE PITCH JUDGING CRITERIA

1. Presentation Quality: Did the pitch grab your attention? Was the pitch clearly articulated?
2. Content: Did the pitch clearly define the problem-solution fit? Did the pitch clearly define the market opportunity and competitive landscape? Did the pitch highlight efforts toward customer validation? Did the pitch demonstrate a strong understanding of their customer segments?
3. Overall Impression: Did the applicant express passion? Did the applicant demonstrate credibility? After hearing the pitch, what is your level of confidence in the success of the venture? Did you have more questions than answers after the pitch?

Disbursement: Checks are issued to a legal business entity or UH student team members. Payments will not be made to non-UH students.

Prize Allocation: Each winning team has sole responsibility for deciding how to allocate or use its prize proceeds. PACE organizers will not become involved in a team’s internal allocation decisions.

Documentation & Tax: Recipients must provide W9, WH1, or W8BEN forms. All federal and state taxes are the responsibility of the awardees.

Usage Restrictions: Funds must be used for business development. Funds may not be used for the following:

• Salaries: Any form of founder or staff compensation.
• General Personal Equipment: Laptops, cell phones, or hardware not central to the core business.
• Office Space: Purchase, rent, or renovation of business locations.

Progress Reports: All recipients must submit a progress report. Failure to report will result in ineligibility for future PACE opportunities.

Honors & Integrity: The University of Hawai‘i Honor Code applies to all participants. While PACE strives to maintain the integrity of the program, please be aware that final presentations are made to an open audience. As a participant, you are responsible for protecting any proprietary information concerning your business that you share. PACE takes no responsibility for unwanted disclosure of information.

Intellectual Property: Protection of intellectual property rights is the sole responsibility of the applicant. The University of Hawai‘i and PACE cannot take responsibility for protecting the IP or other rights of applicants. We strongly encourage teams with sensitive or patentable innovations to consult with the UH Office of Innovation and Commercialization (OIC) prior to public disclosure.

No Non-Disclosure Agreements: To maintain the educational and collaborative nature of our programs, the organizers, reviewers, judges, and staff will not enter into non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) with applicants.

Media Consent: By participating, all competitors grant the University of Hawai‘i and PACE permission to record public sessions. These recordings may be used for marketing and promotional purposes to support future entrepreneurship initiatives.

Program Governance: All eligibility decisions, rules, and exceptions are at the sole discretion of PACE and its representatives. Submissions must contain content appropriate for a professional and academic audience. PACE reserves the right to disqualify any entry deemed inappropriate or inconsistent with the University’s values.