AUGUSTA – New Ventures Maine (NVME) has announced open applications for their statewide Fall 2023 Marketing Mini-Grant Competition.
The NVME Marketing Mini-Grant Program aims to strengthen access to markets for micro-businesses by supporting the development of marketing tools, materials, and activities. NVME will award cash mini-grants—up to $1,000 per region (defined below)—to microenterprises for marketing projects through a competitive application process. Applications are due Friday, November 3, 2023.
Eligible applicants include individual micro-business owners, business partners, or groups of business owners. Businesses apply to the region in which they are based (see below for details).
Application criteria include: 1) Five or fewer full-time equivalent employees; 2) sales in the current calendar year; and 3) gross annual sales of no more than $150,000 (previous calendar year).
New Ventures Maine’s mini-grants support new or expanded business marketing and promotion. Winning grants must be matched by a 25% contribution which can come from business profits, personal funds, or other sources.
Regions and contacts are defined for the NVME mini-grant program as follows:
· Aroostook County: Destin DeCambre, 207-768-9468, destin.decambre@maine.edu
· Kennebec & Somerset Counties: Jean Dempster, 207-621-3434, dempster@maine.edu
· Sagadahoc, Lincoln, Knox & Waldo Counties: Alicia LaFosse, 207-621-7457, alicia.lafosse@maine.edu
· Penobscot, Piscataquis, Hancock & Washington Counties: Banjo Ogunlela, 207-262-7842, oyebanjo.ogunlela@maine.edu
· Cumberland & York Counties: Elaine Thomas, 207-799-5025, elaine.thomas@maine.edu
· Androscoggin, Oxford & Franklin Counties: Dion Olmstead, 207-753-6581, dion.r.olmstead@maine.edu
Marketing mini-grants are sponsored in part by Norway Savings Bank, Katahdin Trust Company, and Kennebec Savings Bank.
For more information, contact the region representative listed above or visit the New Ventures Maine website.
