IF YOU ARE SEEKING TO GROW YOUR AQUACULTURE OPERATION BUT HAVE HAD DIFFICULTY GETTING A LOAN FROM A COMMERCIAL LENDER, CEI IS HERE TO HELP.
Purposes of Loans:
Term loans will be made to growers for restructuring of debt, purchasing boats, gear, and equipment, renovating or constructing infrastructure, acquiring land, and supplying operating capital.
Loan Amount:
Up to $150,000 (Higher Amounts are Considered)
Criteria for Application:
- Aquaculturists raising shellfish and/or sea vegetables
- Borrower must operate within Maine’s coastal counties: York, Cumberland, Sagadahoc, Lincoln, Knox, Waldo, Hancock and Washington.
- Borrower must have necessary licensing and leasing permits
- Borrower must have documented $500 in sales to unrelated/non-family party
- Complete business plan and minimum two years cash flow projection
Terms:
Up to 10 years, with flexible payments considered
Interest Rate:
CEI lends at competitive rates
Collateral:
CEI seeks collateral equivalent to the full amount of the loan and requires personal guarantee of the borrower.
Costs:
Origination fee of 2% of the loan and other filing fees are payable at closing.
Details:
- We consider loan applications from all Maine coastal counties and fisheries subsectors including for profit, nonprofit, startup businesses, municipalities, business expansions, individuals, co-op’s and LLC’s.
- Most CEI loan terms are tied to the useful life of the asset being financed or 10 years. Permanent working capital loans should not exceed five years. Most real estate loans will carry a term of 7-10 years but are likely to have an amortization schedule for up to twenty years with a balloon payment due. It is generally understood that the loan term should not exceed the term of the funding source.
- Loan repayment: Most CEI loans are repaid in equal monthly installments. The schedule of loan repayment is stipulated in each loan agreement and/or promissory note. Typically, loan payments may be structured to meet a borrower’s particular cash flow needs and may feature interest only with a deferred principal payment, seasonal repayments, interest only, or a balloon payment. Repayment structure is determined in the underwriting process and is generally tied to the use of funds.
- Prepayment Penalty – 0 for payout, progressive for refinance with another institutional lender, 5% of outstanding balance of First Year (Scale) The Borrower is subject to the following prepayment penalty should they refinance with another financial institution or non-traditional lender: 5% (1st year); 4% (2nd year); 3% (3rd year); 2% (4th year); 1% (5th year) applied to the outstanding balance.
Should an applicant require assistance in preparing any information, business counseling services are available at no cost from CEI’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC), or from any of the other SBDCs located around the State of Maine.
