FARMINGTON – Are you a small business owner that is looking for a marketing boost?
For more than eight years New Ventures Maine’s marketing mini-grant program has strengthened small businesses access to markets by supporting the development of well-planned marketing tools, materials, and activities. Under the program, NVME awards cash mini-grants (up to $400) to micro-enterprises for marketing projects via a competitive process. This program is partially supported by Norway Savings Bank.
A total of $400 is available in the current November 2017 grant cycle for businesses in the Western Region that includes Androscoggin, Franklin, and Oxford counties. Eligible businesses for the mini-grant employ 5 or fewer full-time equivalent employees and have gross annual sales under $250,000. Not-for-profit organizations or businesses are not eligible. A 25 percent match of the prize amount will be required. Mini‐grants support business marketing and promotion, not the production of products or purchase of equipment, tools, furnishings, or other fixed assets.
Interested small business owners can apply for the marketing mini-grant online at newventuresmaine.org. More information about the mini-grant program and about the competitions in the other five regions of the state are available at newventuresmaine.org. Please contact Karleen Andrews the Microenterprise Specialist for NVME Western Region at karleen.andrews@maine.edu if you prefer a paper application. The deadline for the mini-grant application is 5 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 3, 2017.
New Ventures Maine, administrated by the University of Maine in Augusta, is the only statewide organization offering skills development and support in the three areas of career planning, entrepreneurship, and financial management. Please visit their website at newventuresmaine.org to learn more about all their services.
