AUGUSTA — New Ventures Maine is accepting applications for its statewide Marketing Mini-Grant competition.

The program aims to strengthen access to markets for small businesses by supporting the development of marketing tools, materials and activities, according to a news release from Jennifer DeJoy, communications and development manager with New Ventures Maine. Cash mini-grants — up to $1,000 per region — will be awarded to microenterprises for new or expanded business marketing and promotion projects through a competitive application process.

Eligible applicants include individual micro-business owners, business partners, or groups of business owners. Application criteria include five or fewer full-time equivalent employees, sales in the past 12 months, and gross annual sales of no more than $150,000 in the previous calendar year.

Businesses should apply to the region in which they are based. Regions and contacts for the 2025 winter/spring contest are:

• Aroostook County — Destin DeCambre, 207-768-9468, destin.decambre@maine.edu;

• Kennebec and Somerset counties — Alicia LaFosse, 207-621-7457, alicia.lafosse@maine.edu;

• Sagadahoc, Lincoln, Knox and Waldo counties — Alicia LaFosse, 207-621-7457, alicia.lafosse@maine.edu;

• Penobscot, Piscataquis, Hancock and Washington counties — Banjo Ogunlela, 207-262-7842, oyebanjo.ogunlela@maine.edu;

• Cumberland and York counties — Martha Leonard, 207-245-3663, martha.leonard@maine.edu; and

• Androscoggin, Oxford and Franklin counties — Gina Platt, 207-753-6581, gina.platt@maine.edu.

Applications are due by noon on Friday, Feb. 28.

For more information, visit newventuresmaine.org.

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