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V O L . X X V I N O. X V I 46 Fact Book / Doing Business in Maine B U S I N E S S R E S O U R C E S SBA's resource partners T he SBA works with SCORE chapters, Small Business Development Centers and Women's Business Centers to help meet small-business needs. More than 13,000 business counselors, men- tors and trainers are available to help write business plans, locate financial assistance, advise on managing and expanding, help find opportunities to sell goods or services to the govern- ment, and help with disaster recovery. Find a district office or SBA resource partner at www.sba.gov/tools/local-assistance SCORE SCORE is a national network of more than 11,000 entrepreneurs, busi- ness leaders and executives who men- tor small-business owners. www.SCORE.org Androscoggin County #325 (207) 782-3708, by appointment androscoggincounty.score.org Augusta #305 (207) 622-8509, by appointment augustame.score.org Bangor #314 (207) 942-0103, by appointment bangor.score.org Downeast (Ellsworth) #389 (207) 667-5800, by appointment downeastmaine.score.org Oxford Hills #479 (207) 743-0499, by appointment oxfordhills.score.org Portland #53 (207) 772-1147, by appointment portlandme.score.org Small Business Development Centers For information on the SBDC program, visit www.sba.gov/sbdc e SBA's Small Business Development Centers build, sustain and grow small businesses. Administrative Office University of Southern Maine at Portland State Director Mark Delisle Associate State Director Carol Papciak 55 Exeter St. Portland, ME 04104 (800) 679-7232 Infoline (800) 679-SBDC TTY (207) 780-5646 mainesbdc@maine.edu mainesbdc.org (207) 780-4949 Women's Business Centers For more information, visit www.sba. gov/wosb and to find the nearest WBC, visit www.sba.gov/women Women's Business Centers pro- vide training, counseling, mentor- ing and other assistance geared toward women, particularly those who are socially and economically disadvantaged. Brunswick (207) 504-5900 Portland (207) 535-2914 Farmington (207) 241-5593 Machias (207) 241-5592 Maine Center for Entrepreneurs launched in 1997 to build and lead a community of growth-oriented businesses by providing training, connections, coach- ing and mentorship. Since then, the organization has accelerated the growth of hundreds of businesses, established a mentor network of over 125 members, and developed programs like Top Gun, helping entre- preneurs accelerate business growth; and Cultivator and MarketShare Accel, helping food, beverage and agriculture companies. Its programs exist in a larger ecosystem that fosters business incubation and growth, including the Maine Aquaculture Innovation Center in Walpole, University of Southern Maine's Center for Entrepreneurship, Union River Center for Innovation in Ellsworth, and the UpStart Center for Entrepreneurship in Orono. Startup Maine is a nonprofit, volunteer-run organization that serves as a convener, educa- tor and catalyst of Maine's startup community. Except for 2020 during the pandemic, it hosts an annual conference in Portland. It also partners with organizations across the state to bring events, resources and inspiration to entrepreneurs. SCORE volunteer mentors, part of the nation's largest network of its kind, offer free hands-on support to small businesses. Whether mentors are still working themselves or retired from their careers, all are ready to help entrepreneurs write a plan or take a business to the next level. The Maine Technology Institute, founded and funded in 1999 by the Maine Legislature, offers grants, loans, equity investments and services to support Maine's innovation economy. Through various programs, it has distributed nearly $270 million to across 2,800 distinct projects while leveraging more than $1 billion in private sector matching investment. In its most recent fiscal year, it disbursed more than $9.3 million across 191 projects. It invests across the ecosystem, from early-stage startups to larger, well-established businesses. Entrepreneurial pitch competitions like Top Gun, "Greenlight Maine" and Gorham Savings Bank LaunchPad, offering awards of up to $100,000, are designed to provide startups with capital they wouldn't be able to access through traditional financing. Competitions, along with mentoring and training programs, provide a leg up to startups and early businesses as they travel the path from bootstrapping and sweat equity to becoming attractive to investors and bankers. What may be more valuable than cash awards is the support network of mentorship and technical consultation provided through the competitions. 200 200 IDEAS FOR MAINE'S BICENTENNIAL P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y G O R H A M S AV I N G S B A N K Tom Rainey, executive director of the Maine Center for Entrepreneurs, and Sue Hanson, program manager. Patrick Arnold, right, co-founder and CEO of the New England Ocean Cluster, and chief operating and marketing officer Chris Cary. Alicia Menard, left, and Jennell Carter of Casco Bay Creamery won $50,000 in Gorham Savings Bank's LaunchPad competition. The New England Ocean Cluster, which has a new anchor on the Portland waterfront called The Hús (Icelandic for house), is a private-sector, member- based entity that aims to connect businesses and individuals in the ocean economy, and to encourage an innovative and sustain- able approach to realizing economic opportunity.