Forest Economy Accelerator

Forest Economy Accelerator is sponsored by Maine Technology Institute through the PRIME Ecosystem program. The Forest Economy Accelerator helps companies overcome technical and scale-up barriers to commercialization. Maine companies of any size can get support through technical assistance projects or through technology-scaling bootcamps.

Maine’s Forest Economy Accelerator - Office of Strategic Partnerships, Innovation, Resources and Engagement - University of Maine Office of Strategic Partnerships, Innovation, Resources and Engagement Maine’s Forest Economy Accelerator The University of Maine Forest Economy Accelerator helps companies that are introducing new products and services to accelerate their growth.

Companies can work with UMaine to access technical expertise and equipment at university facilities, receive customized support and mentoring to build out their business partnerships, and gain access to student talent. The Forest Economy Accelerator is funded thanks to a grant from Maine Technology Institute through the PRIME Ecosystem program.

The funding for this initiative is part of the Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan – the proposal put forth by Governor Mills and supported by the Maine Legislature to invest the state’s share of federal American Rescue Plan relief funds.

Depending on their individual needs, companies can apply for one or multiple accelerator services: The Forest Tech Incubator is a virtual incubator for Maine companies bringing new forest technologies or fiber-based products or services to market that include forest fiber.

Forest Tech helps companies accelerate commercialization by focusing on building their value chain through connections with strategic partners, first customers and investors.

Connections to potential strategic partners, pilot customers, and investors Business support from the University of Maine entrepreneurship team Mentoring from an executive-in-residence with deep industry connections, as well as other industry experts Prototyping and process technical assistance to advance product development Technical development and market research assistance from undergraduate and graduate student talent Peer-to-peer support through a monthly CEO roundtable Financial support for participation Companies can apply anytime and must commit to at least four months of participation Once accepted into the incubator, the UMaine team and executive-in-residence will work with the company to develop a workplan, starting with a deep dive on the product’s value chain Through weekly virtual meetings and monthly in-person meetings in Orono or Portland, the team will work with the company to identify, recruit and onboard strategic partners Participation in a monthly CEO roundtable Ideal Incubator Candidates: We’d like to see start-ups that have achieved one or more of the following milestones: A technology at a TRL 4-6 (Download a TRL-CRL calculator here: NYSERDA TRL-CRL Calculator ) Reached level 2-5 on Maine Technology Institute’s VIRAL scale Beachhead market identified with supporting evidence Close-to-ready minimum viable product Tech Develop helps companies overcome technical and scale-up barriers to commercialization.

Maine companies of any size can get support through technical assistance projects or through our technology-scaling bootcamp.

UMaine expert support for problem solving and prototyping valued up to $1,500 Materials, supplies, and/or student labor valued up to $5,500 Bootcamp : Scaling Your Technology Two-day workshop to walk you through going from benchtop or pilot-scale to full-scale production Material handling, storage, product packaging Processes (3D printing, thermoforming or molding, films/sheets, dewatering/drying) Process optimization – raw materials, water, energy, standalone or co-location Safety, industry specific certifications and testing The Innovate for Maine Fellows (IFM) and Black Bear Consulting Corps (BBCC) programs connect Maine college students with Maine’s most exciting growing companies.

IFM is a paid summer fellowship that prepares student fellows to collaborate with companies on innovation projects that accelerate company growth and give students a paid, meaningful, hands-on internship experience. BBCC pairs each company with a small team of vetted college students who can assist with key business projects for five weeks during the academic year .

The Corps is designed for rapid response to short-term project opportunities. Students are assigned to project teams based on how well their skills and experience align with project needs.

Typical projects for IFM and BBCC include: Competitive & Data Analysis Web Design & Improvements Graphic Design & Marketing While specific eligibility requirements may vary by program, all companies must meet the following requirements: Company must be based in Maine or be able to demonstrate a substantial business presence in or business ties to Maine Company must be working to use forest-based materials in its products or packaging or developing a service to support forest-related businesses Please complete our intake form.

Once you have done so, our intake coordinator will route your request or contact you to set up an initial consultation. Maine’s Forest Economy Accelerator Intake Form