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Finance Your Business
CEI offers financing and technical support for a wide range of small business, community facility, affordable housing and mixed used real estate projects and ventures. With flexible loans, investments, rates and terms, CEI is able to leverage its capital with other sources, primarily banks, at a 1:3 ratio. Since its first major investment in 1979 in a value-added, community-owned fish processing facility in midcoast Maine, CEI has provided $250 million to 1,700 businesses, community facilities, and affordable housing throughout Maine, leveraging over $800 million for over $1 billion in high impact, job-creating and sustainable economic development projects and enterprises. CEI financing opportunities include: - Direct loans to start-up, existing and growing Maine small businesses, in amounts ranging from $1,000 to $500,000.
- Venture capital investments in small businesses located in New England and the mid-Atlantic region. Investments range from under $500,000 to over $1million.
- New Markets Tax Credits are available for investments in targeted distressed communities in Maine, Northern New England, and upstate New York. Select projects with high 3E impact will be considered in other parts of the country. Tax credit investments range from $2 million to $30 million.
- The SBA 504 program which provides fixed-rate financing for machinery, equipment and buildings - as much as $4 million for manufacturing.
- Affordable Homeownership, Rental and Supported Housing with loans and development capital from under $500,000 to over $2 million.
CEI welcomes loan requests from a wide array of Maine industries. We actively target the following sectors: To apply for a loan from CEI, learn more about the specific targeted loan sectors and their individual programs and loans, or to access the Frequently Asked Questions page, click on the links below or to the left. Apply for a Loan
Targeted Loan Programs
Frequently Asked Questions
Criteria for 3E Investing
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Tom's of Maine |
Since 1970, Kennebunk-based Tomšs of Maine has been committed to creating products and policies that honor and sustain the natural world. Their natural care products can be found throughout the U.S., Canada, and the United Kingdom.
Tomšs was among the first companies that CEI financed under the SBF&ET (Small Business Finance and Employment Training Project). Tom and Kate Chappell, founders and owners, exemplify the Maine entrepreneurial spirit.
They have maintained accountability to employees with progressive wages, benefits, and profit sharing, and contributed to Mainešs social and environmental health. In addition to participating in CEIšs employment training agreement program (ETAG) to target jobs and training to people with low incomes, the company catalyzed our student internship program to begin a process of creating learning opportunities for graduates in the community development field.
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Finance Your Business 
Maine Legislature Passes Model Anti-Predatory Lending Bill.