InCommon Group presents funding‑landscape scan and technical‑assistance gaps; board agrees to June in‑person session

Maisha Ali, partner and co‑founder of InCommon Group, told the advisory board that an existing‑resources scan and interim stakeholder assessment found many funding programs for Maine agriculture and food businesses but identified gaps in types of capital and technical assistance.

Ali said the scan identified 105 distinct funding entities and 145 funding programs across federal, state and private sources at the time the research was completed (early February 2025). The majority of identified programs were grants, followed by loan programs; fewer equity, tax‑credit and targeted impact instruments were cataloged. Ali cautioned the board that the scan represents a snapshot and that some programs listed in the spreadsheet had since been reduced or discontinued.

Key gaps flagged in the presentation included: fewer funding options for pre‑venture and startup businesses compared with later‑stage firms; comparatively fewer programs for value‑added processing and distribution than for production; limited availability of long‑term, in‑depth one‑to‑one technical assistance;…