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i 3 i 3 in our region. The Big Island Resource Conservation and Development project with Hawaii `Ulu Cooperative has two million dollars committed to their facilities improvements. The Hamakua Institute will utilize private sector investment for their market system development project. The East Hawaii Community Development Corporation intends to secure a loan and private sector investment to match funds for Miko Meats Facility improvements. Lastly, The Kohala Center and Ma`ona Community Garden will draw upon their robust foundation network to provide matching funds for their project activities. Barriers to Implementation. Ilawai`i Island's agricultural cluster has its roots in a self- sustaining Polynesian agricultural systems that were disrupted with over a century of plantation sugar production until the sugar industry on the island closed 27 years ago. Since then. there has been a steady increase in the number of small farms on the island and a significant diversity of crops produced from them. The island's agricultural production and private investment has dramatically changed, yet our island's infrastructure, services and government support have not kept up, holding back the growth of our agricultural industries. The agriculture and food system study completed earlier this year, identified six main market system constraints: 1)the lack of available processing and packaging infrastructure, equipment and services; 2) limited transportation and aggregation services and storage infrastructure to enable aggregation of small farm production into larger quantities to access larger markets; 3)the lack of an integrated public-private system for efficiently managing food waste and extracting its optimal value in enhancing food production; 4) a limited pool of affordable expertise and experienced workers to support agricultural growth; 5) a dearth of market data and shared market analysis to help guide local producers and other value chain actors to more effectively compete local products with cheaper imports; and 6)fractured and inconsistent efforts at building a shared brand image for local agricultural products in Hawaii and in key target markets on the continental U.S. and overseas. Our strategic system investments within the clusters value chain paired with comprehensive market development services and investments within the University's departments will actively work to mitigate these barriers to success within the cluster. General Implementation Timeline. The Coalition will utilize EDA technical assistance phase one funds to develop detailed implementation timelines for each project that will then be submitted for consideration within our phase two proposals. We know that during year one, infrastructure projects, after the Phase one planning, design, and partner engagement is completed, will start construction or construction preparations of new and improved infrastructure development projects. Construction project timelines will vary depending on permitting processes and material and labor availability; all projects will be completed before September 30, 2027. The Hamakua Institute will structure and develop HIAP as a mechanism for facilitating the public-private collaboration throughout the cluster and design the AIIP management structure. The Kohala Center will focus on technical assistance and the economic viability and sustainability of project investments, and will be engaged in activities throughout the project, strengthening relationships, initiatives, and networks designed to be sustained beyond the project term. The University will begin implementing investments and strategies identified in phase one. Hawaii County Build Back Better Regional Challenge Phase I Proposal Narrative 5