The Winter 2026 NVME Marketing Mini-grant Call for Applications is open! 

Background

Many small businesses have benefited from the NVME marketing mini-grant program since its launch in 2010. NVME marketing mini-grants are awarded annually through a competitive application process and support the development of marketing tools, materials, and activities. NVME awards cash mini-grants (up to $1,000 per region) to small businesses for current marketing projects.

Eligibility

Applicants include individual microbusiness owners, business partners, or groups of business owners. Businesses apply for the region in which they are based.

Contest Criteria

– five or fewer full-time equivalent employees

– gross annual sales of no more than $150,000 in the previous calendar year

– sales within the last 12 months

Use of Funds

New Ventures Maine’s mini-grants support new or expanded business marketing and promotion.

More Information

• Please read through our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for all of the details about this year’s Call for Applications.
• Note: the Google Form application can not be saved; refer to the application questions in the FAQ and prepare your answers offline so that you can complete the form and submit it all at one time.
• View the rubric our panel of judges will use to review and score applications.

Apply

The NVME Marketing Mini-Grant Application is online.

The application deadline is Friday, January 30, 2026 by noon.

For a paper version of the application, please contact the NVME staff person in your area (see below).

Contacts

If you have questions, please contact the NVME microenterprise staff person in your area:

• Aroostook County – Destin DeCambre, 207-768-9468, destin.decambre@maine.edu

• Kennebec & Somerset Counties – Alicia LaFosse, 207-621-7457, alicia.lafosse@maine.edu or Gina Platt, 207-753-6581, gina.platt@maine.edu

• Sagadahoc, Lincoln, Knox & Waldo Counties, including the towns of Brunwick and Harpswell – 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 – Martha Leonard, 207-245-3663, martha.leonard@maine.edu

• Androscoggin, Oxford & Franklin Counties – Gina Platt, 207-753-6581, gina.platt@maine.edu