New Ventures Maine (NVME) has opened applications for their statewide Marketing Mini-Grant competition.
The NVME Marketing Mini-Grant Program is designed to enhance market access for small businesses by funding the creation of marketing tools, materials, and activities. NVME will provide cash mini-grants—up to $1,000 per region (as defined below)—to microenterprises for new or expanded business marketing and promotion projects through a competitive application process. Applications must be submitted by Friday, February 28, 2025, at noon.
Eligible applicants include individual micro-business owners, business partners, or groups of business owners. Businesses should apply to the region where they are located (see below for details).
Application criteria include:
Five or fewer full-time equivalent employees
Sales in the past 12 months
Gross annual sales not exceeding $150,000 (from the previous calendar year)
Terrill Waldman, co-owner of Tandem Glass with Charlie Jenkins, recipients of a 2023 marketing mini-grant, commented on its impact, “This grant energized us to pursue and invest in a new logo and a ‘suite’ of marketing goodies. We are very proud of the work we have done. Overall, we are currently up 15% in sales compared to last year. Traffic to our website is steady, and traffic to our brick and mortar shop has increased!”
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
For more information, contact the region representative listed above or visit the New Ventures Maine website.
Marketing mini-grants are sponsored in part by Norway Savings Bank, Katahdin Trust Company, and Kennebec Savings Bank.
"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."
Source: New Ventures Maine
