Economic Development

Our primary mission is to assist in the strengthening of our local and regional economies in partnership with our municipalities and the County Government.  Some of this work is completed solely within our organization and a significant amount of this work is completed through local, regional, State and federal partnerships. Broadly speaking, we strive to strengthen the regional economy through the retention of existing businesses, encouraging the growth and development of new and existing businesses and entrepreneurs and the attraction of businesses located beyond our borders.

Services and Information Available

  • Data
  • Sources of Financing
  • Grants
  • Economic and Community Development Planning
  • Business Plan Development
  • Technical assistance for entrepreneurs and microenterprises

The Economic and Community Development Department at the Southern Maine Planning and Development Commission (SMPDC) provides a wide array of services and programs.  We serve as both a Municipal Economic Development Resource and a Business Economic Development Resource. 

 

What's New

 

Recent Economic Development Projects

 

SMPDC Economic Recovery Hub Program

The goal of the Economic Recovery Hub Program is to strengthen the network and success of small businesses in the York and Southern Oxford Counties. This program is funded by Federal ARPA funds awarded by the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development. In the Fall of 2023, SMPDC began the implementation of a $766,000 Economic Recovery Hub grant award from the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) that included financial and technical assistance for small businesses in our service area who were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and who were unable to access prior rounds of pandemic relief funding. SMPDC recruited an array of regional partners to advance the program's goals, including the Small Business Development Center, SCORE, Sanford Regional Economic Growth Council, Saco Main Street, Heart of Biddeford, and many others. Eligible businesses received grant awards up to $15,000, as well as technical assistance with bookkeeping, web design and social media planning services from an array of local business support providers. Many of the grant recipients represented minority-owned, women-owned, and/or disadvantaged business enterprises. In the spring of 2025, SMPDC issued the third and final round of Technical Assistance Hub grants as we look to identify new sources of funding to keep this highly successful program going. After processing more than 200 applications since the Hub program was initiated in 2023, SMPDC has issued $484,000 in financial assistance grants and provided technical assistance to more than 90 small businesses and nonprofits in the region.