Technical Assistance Grants
The Maine Grain Alliance Grows Businesses
Download the request for Proposals
Examples of Previous Grant Awards
Please email completed proposals to: tristan@mainegrainalliance.com
Application Deadline: February 16, 2024 – 5:00 pm
Awards Announcement: March 2024
Your Application should not exceed 2 pages in length. It would be helpful for you to frame your application using the headings and information below and please be specific.
Brief Business Overview
- Your business
- Grain community involvement
Brief description of TA/Equipment need
- Equipment or Service needed
- Why is this important to you
- How will this improvement help you grow
Financials
- Identified TA provider, scope of work and timeline
- TA provider hourly rate
- Total cost of TA or Equipment (if a grant from MGA will not cover the full cost of the TA, please indicate how the balance of the cost will be covered)
Request for Proposals
The 2024 Technical Assistance Grant round is now open.
Maine Grain Alliance
P.O. Box 1140
Skowhegan, Maine 04976
Technical Assistance Grant Program
For immediate release
January 12, 2024
The Maine Grain Alliance seeks applications to award mini-grants of $250 – $1,000 to fund need-based technical assistance (TA) and equipment that will help grain-based business owners secure economic opportunities in Maine.
Examples of technical assistance might include, but are not limited to: hiring someone to help with business planning, hiring a consultant, advisor or expert, marketing/logo/brand development, website creation, attending a course or mentoring opportunity, hiring an architect, engineer, mechanical specialist, buying a needed piece of machinery or getting legal support. Please specify one area of technical assistance for which you are seeking grant support.
Grain-based business owners and entrepreneurs demonstrating financial need are welcome to apply. The Maine Grain Alliance is especially interested in assisting participants, presenters, panelists, work-study students, and scholarship recipients of the Kneading Conference which has been held annually since 2007.
For more information about the Maine Grain Alliance and its other programs, please visit http://www.mainegrainalliance.org The Maine Grain Alliance is a 501c3 non-profit organization. This technical assistance grant program is made possible by Allagash Brewing Company and Skowhegan Savings.
Download a PDF of the Request for Proposals
Examples of Previous Grants
Below you will find examples from of grant awards from our latests grant funding round. Our grants of $250-$1,000 are used to fund need-based technical assistance and equipment that will help grain-based business owners secure economic opportunities in Maine.
In 2023-2024, we funded $12,310 in grants to 16 businesses.
- Born Yesterday Bakery in support of a stone mill
- Counterpoint Bread, LLC in support of education
- Hanbakes in support of processing equipment
- Hank Sourdough Bakery in support of refrigeration
- Just Crackers in support of branding development
- Knead & Nosh in support of a mixer
- Maine Grains in support of marketing
- Siblings Bakery in support of website development
- Spark Bagel in support of baking equipment
- The Good Crust – in support of
- The Millers Table in support of professional consultants
- The Uproot Pie Co in support of branding development
- Tortillería Pachanga in support of graphic design
- Union Street Sourdough in support of a mixer
- Weeds and Seeds Farm in support of a grain moisture meter kit.
- Winterberry Farm in support of branding development
In 2022, we funded $15,350 in grants to 16 businesses.
- The Good Crust – in support of packaging needs
- The Somali Bantu Community Association’s Liberation Farms – in support of flint corn processing and post-harvest grain handling equipment
- Uproot Pie Co.- in support of an oven
- Afterglow Ice Cream Sammies – in support of website design and refinement
- Spark Bagel – in support of product branding and packaging design
- Night Moves Bread in support of flour proccesing equipment
- Maine Grains in support of media and marketing
- Crystal Spring Farm in support of grain handling equipment
- B&T Baked Goods in support of baking equipment
- The Bankery in support of kitchen equiment
- McLaughlin Family Farms, LLC in support of grain storage equipment and infrastructure
- Sheepscot General Store in support of bakery tools and equipment
- Zu Bakery in support of a mill
- Head Tide Oven in support of refrigeration needs
- MePowered Pastries in support of website updates and development
- Tummy Peace Brown Bread Bakery in support of a mill
In 2021, we funded $10,552 in grants as part of this program.
- The Good Crust – in support of enhancing website functionality
- Hootenanny Bread – in support of professional quality media equipment
- The Somali Bantu Community Association’s Liberation Farms Program – in support of flint corn processing and post-harvest grain handling equipment
- Songbird Farm – in support of a hand bagger
- Uproot Pie Co.- in support of kitchen equipment
- Vesper Bread – in support of infrastructure to power commercial mixer
- Winterberry Farm – in support of professional development and baking education
- Sanctuary Baking -in support of a dough mixer
- Afterglow Ice Cream Sammies – in support of business planning and consultation
- Just Crackers in support of a dough sheeter
- Spark Bagel – in support of a mill
In 2020, we funded $12,495 in grants as part of this program.
- Acadia Clay Ovens– in support of expanding exposure of the business through target print advertising.
- Au Bon Vivant Artisan Bakery – in support of a portion of cost relating to build-out of infrastructure and equipment
- The Bankery– in support of product development
- Bigelow Fields Bread House – in support of hiring professional baking consultants
- Brazen Baking – in support of packaging solutions
- The Good Crust – in support of baking equipment for entrepreneur to feature Maine grown-grains.
- Hello, Good Pie Bakery & Gourmet Kitchen – in support of a labeling solutions
- Hootenanny Bread – in support of baking equipment, maintenance, restoration, and training costs
- The Somali Bantu Community Association’s Liberation Farms Program – in support of flint corn processing and post-harvest grain handling equipment
- The Miller’s Table at Maine Grains – in support of contracting a business consultant for a new project
- Night Moves Bread – in support of equipment and installation by a bakery equipment specialist
- Old Dog Baking Company – in support of materials, equipment, and infrastructure
- ORA BREADS Volunteer Baking Guild – in support of baking equipment
- Rusted Rooster Farm– in support of grain storage infrastructure
- Songbird Farm – in support of post-harvest grain infrastructure
- Tumbledown Brewing – in support of brewing equipment
- Uproot Pie Co.- in support of purchase of baking equipment
- Wild Folk Farm/Maine Rice Project – in support of post-harvest grain equipment
- ZU Bakery – in support of baking equipment