New Ventures Maine launches 2026 mini-grant competition for small businesses
New Ventures Maine 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 — to microenterprises for new or expanded business marketing and promotion projects through a competitive application process. The application form is accessible online at the NVME website. Applications are due by Friday, Jan. 30 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.
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).
MINI-GRANT — “The marketing project funded through my NVME mini-grant led to new clients, stronger partnerships, and increased demand for my trainings. It has also helped me position my business as a trusted resource for high-quality professional development in our region,” said Tisha Bremner, Insightful Workplace Solutions.
Tessa Boepple, co-owner with Dylan Boepple of 3B’s Catering, winners of a marketing mini-grant last year, said of its impact, “We have received more email inquiries, and larger quote requests; three times the number of inquiries compared to this time last year. And we succeeded in providing a more polished look at events.”
Regions and contacts for the 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 at https://newventuresmaine.org/about-us/more-services/marketing-mini-grants/.
NVME Marketing Mini-grants are sponsored in part by Katahdin Trust Company, Kennebec Savings Bank and Norway Savings Bank.
New Ventures Maine provides free classes and individual coaching in planning careers, starting businesses, and managing money. A statewide program of the University of Maine at Augusta, University of Maine System, NVME helps Maine people succeed in the changing economy and achieve economic security for themselves and their families. For more information visit newventuresmaine.org.