Processing Your Payment

Please do not leave this page until complete. This can take a few moments.

February 13, 2025

Ellsworth stokes 'micro-grant' program for downtown businesses

By Laurie Schreiber

Now in its fourth iteration, a micro-grant program offered by the nonprofit Heart of Ellsworth aims to help downtown Ellsworth entrepreneurs, startups and small businesses pursue projects to advance their businesses.

Grants can be used to hire consultant or advisor, develop marketing or branding elements, create websites, attend workshops or upgrade equipment or technology, to name just a few options. 

Photo / Courtesy Heart of Ellsworth
Jon Stein from Fogtown Brewing Co. received Heart of Ellsworth grants in 2021 and 2023, helping to buy new oak barrels.

“This program follows our successful Bricks & Clicks Program in 2024, and is a natural fit for the work Heart of Ellsworth does to promote and support businesses in our downtown,” said Zabet NeuCollins, the program’s coordinator. “The more we support our local businesses, the more our community thrives.”

Program sponsors are Franklin Savings Bank, Bangor Federal Credit Union, First National Bank and Machias Savings Bank.

Applications are due by Monday, Feb. 24. For more information, click here.

Last year’s Bricks & Clicks Program offered small businesses complimentary one-on-one consultations.

This year’s grant program will provide three awards: one for $5,000, one for $3,000 and one for $500. The awards are available for startup or expansion projects to help entrepreneurs and business owners and to support economic opportunities in Ellsworth. All downtown Ellsworth business owners and area entrepreneurs are eligible to apply.

The grant program was previously offered in 2020, 2021 and 2023. 

Awardees have used the grants for a variety of needs, NeuCollins told Mainebiz.

“It has ranged from new equipment for several downtown restaurant owners — new oven for Precipice Coffee, new oak barrels for Fogtown, etc. — to hiring consultants such as hiring an artist to design a new logo for a mobile business, to developing an electric health recording system to more,” she said.

In 2020, Heart of Ellsworth awarded $4,500 and $11,000 each in 2021 and 2023. 

With this year’s funding, the total that will be awarded is $35,000 since the program’s inception.

The awards will be announced at the Downtown Grants Award Ceremony at 16 State St., scheduled for March 25.

Sign up for Enews

Mainebiz web partners

Most Recent

Most Recent

Related Content

Thumbnail A mainstay in Rumford branch of Franklin Savings Bank will retire
Thumbnail Franklin Savings Bank promotes longtime manager to new role
Thumbnail Franklin Savings Bank promotes longtime manager to CFO position
Thumbnail Franklin Savings Bank hires Skowhegan-based mortgage loan officer

0 Comments

Order a PDF