Maine Entrepreneurial Resource Corps (MERC)

Empowering Maine Business Owners with Expert Support

Running a small business comes with big challenges—and MERC is here to help. Whether you need hands-on business guidance or you’re ready to explore artificial intelligence (AI), MERC is here to help you grow, adapt, and stay competitive. Through this program, eligible businesses can access:

• Subsidized consulting, connecting you with experienced Maine-based professionals to tackle key business challenges
• Free AI training through Coursera to help you work more efficiently and grow your business. Read about our AI training opportunities.

Hands-On Consulting Tailored to Your Business Goals

Consulting and technical assistance are vital to businesses, especially those just starting out. Although many startups are eager to enlist the help of experienced consultants, it can be challenging to find assistance that is both dependable and within budget. To help overcome these two challenges, MTI created MERC.

MERC maintains a database of vetted, Maine-based consultants to facilitate short-term projects (three months or less) with eligible businesses. If a business submits a project that is approved by MTI, MERC covers 50% of the project fee, up to $15,000 annually or $30,000 over the lifetime of a business’s participation.

What Kind of Expert Consulting Can MERC Provide?

Our most popular projects fall into the following categories:

• Marketing 
• Financial
• Legal
• Custom Software Development

If you don’t see your need on the list, don’t worry! MERC can provide a range of business support. If you have a need that can be addressed by a third party, we can likely turn it into a MERC project. Reach out to the MERC Coordinator to learn more.

Funding Structure

Types of Funding

Grants

Typical Funding Amount 

Half of the project fee, up to $15,000 annually or $30,000 over the lifetime of a business’s participation (cumulative across all MERC projects)

Funding Criteria

Your organization or project must meet the following criteria to be eligible for MERC. 

• Under $5 million in annual revenue
• You must be a Maine-based organization
• Your innovation must fall within one of the seven targeted technology sectors
• Your organization must have an innovation
• Your innovation must enable your organization to create additional Economic Impact in Maine
• You must have access to matching funds

How to Apply

Step 1: Fill out the interest form

Step 2: Meet with the MERC coordinator

Step 3: Application

Step 4: Choose your consultant

Step 5: Scope of Work

Learn more about the MERC Application Process

Curious About How AI Can Support Your Business?

Free AI Training Through Coursera

MERC offers free, self-paced AI training to help Maine businesses build foundational knowledge and explore practical ways to use AI. Through a partnership with Coursera, you’ll get access to the full Generative AI course catalog—plus a learning path curated by MTI specifically for Maine’s small businesses. Learn how AI can streamline your marketing, customer service, operations, and more.