New Ventures Maine recently announced winners of the Fall 2023 Marketing Mini-Grant competition. The Southern Maine region winner is The Whole Almond of South Portland, owned by Myranda McGowan.

The Whole Almond produces plant-based dairy products, nut butters, and baked goods using sustainable and zero-waste practices and using local ingredients whenever available. The Whole Almond products can be found at retail locations, coffee shops, and farmers markets.

The $1,000 grant will be used to develop a new website and newsletter. The new website will allow customers to pre-order products for pick-up at farmers markets and events and will allow grocery and other stores to order products directly.

Six winners, in six regions across Maine, will receive cash grants of $1,000 awarded through a competitive application process. Mini-grants support new or expanded business marketing and promotion. Contest criteria for small business applicants included: 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 from the previous calendar year.

The competition was sponsored in part by Norway Savings Bank.

New Ventures Maine is a statewide program of the University of Maine at Augusta, University of Maine System, and provides free classes and individual coaching in the areas of career planning, entrepreneurship, and money management.