New Ventures Maine (NVME) has announced open applications for their statewide Marketing Mini-Grant competition.
The NVME Marketing Mini-Grant Program aims to strengthen access to markets for small 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 new or expanded business marketing and promotion projects through a competitive application process. Applications are due by Friday, February 28, 2025 at noon.
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 past 12 months; and 3) gross annual sales of no more than $150,000 (previous calendar year).
Terrill Waldman, co-owner of Tandem Glass with Charlie Jenkins, winners of a 2023 marketing mini-grant, said of its impact, “This grant gave us the energy to pursue and invest in a new logo and a ‘suite’ of marketing goodies. We are so proud of the work we have done. Overall, we are currently up 15% in sales over last year. Traffic to our web site is steady and traffic to our brick and mortar shop is up!”
Regions and contacts for the 2025 Winter/Spring contest are:
• Aroostook County: Destin DeCambre, 207-768-9468, destin.decambre@maine.edu
• Kennebec & Somerset Counties: Alicia LaFosse, 207-621-7457, alicia.lafosse@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: Martha Leonard, 207-245-3663, martha.leonard@maine.edu
• Androscoggin, Oxford & Franklin Counties: Gina Platt, 207-753-6581, gina.platt@maine.edu
“We are excited to sponsor mini-grants that empower small businesses to boost their marketing efforts and overall success,” said Duncan Mixer, AVP & Commercial Loan Officer at Norway Savings Bank. “Bringing financial support to the communities we serve is an important priority for us.” 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.
Photo: Microenterprise Program Development Manager Alicia LaFosse accepts a $3,000 donation from Duncan Mixer, AVP & Commercial Loan Officer at Norway Savings Bank.