Protecting your business and ensuring your employees are safe
COVID-19 Prevention Checklists for Businesses
COVID-19 Checklist Compliance Form-In order to open, businesses must commit to complying with the requirements of these checklists by filling out this short online form.
Establishing Safety Precautions:
This collaboration between DECD and the private sector will result in what will be known as COVID-19 Prevention Checklists.
First, you will be asked to provide some basic contact information in order for the Department of Economic and Community Development to reach out should there be any updates to the guidelines.
Please download your checklist in order to identify best practices for items related to physical distancing, hygiene, personal protection, and maintenance of clean workplaces, among others. DECD is also making badges for businesses using the checklists to voluntarily post on their doors, website or social media channels to help instill consumer confidence in their operations. Once the badges are available we will update this website.
We look forward to collaborating with businesses to implement practical, reasonable, evidence-informed safety protocols and modifications that protect the health and safety of employees and customers.
April 29: A new page has been added, Restarting Maine’s Economy, describing a plan to gradually and safely restart Maine’s economy.
April 29: New Guidance on Governor’s Executive Order 19 Regarding Curbside Pick-Up
April 29: New Guidance on Governor’s Executive Order 19 Regarding Places of Worship
April 3: Essential Business Operations Definitions (PDF)
April 3: Guidelines for Real Estate as an Essential Business (PDF)
Maine’s small businesses and their workers are the backbone of our economy, and there is no question that the coronavirus is impacting them. To protect small businesses, Governor Mills requested that the Small Business Administration (SBA) provide economic support loans to Maine small businesses in order to help them overcome any temporary loss of revenue due to COVID-19. To protect Maine workers, Governor Mills submitted emergency legislation that temporarily expands eligibility for unemployment insurance to individuals whose employment has been impacted by COVID-19.
For more information on resources available to help your business recover from losses as well as best practices to protect the safety of your customers and the health of your employees, please visit:
Get the latest news from the Office of the Governor.
Weekly updates with the Maine Department of Economic & Community Development with Commissioner Heather Johnson will now be held on Wednesdays from 3:30-4:30pm.
If you have already registered, there is no need to re-register. You may register once and attend any of the scheduled occurrences until June 24,2020.
You will be able to submit questions using the Q&A feature during the update. Click the links below for recordings of previous updates:
You will be able to submit questions using the Q&A feature during the update. Click the links below for recordings of previous updates:
If you have not registered, please use the following link:
https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_XXSSEjAQQXKvv3TtVbY9BA
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
April 13:In collaboration with Village Capital and the Sorenson Impact Foundation, Maine DECD is activating Maine’s startup and early-stage technology companies in response to the COVID-19 disaster - Startups Step Up (PDF)
Share Your Thoughts
As the Administration works to re-open the economy and continues to strive to have a transparent process, we welcome your thoughts and feedback and look forward to reviewing all suggestions that are submitted. Please understand that we will take everything under advisement but may not be able to use every submission.
Using this comment form, please take a moment to share your thoughts on potential goals and initiatives or on issues we should address in the planning process
Questions may also be directed to business.answers@maine.gov.
Financial Resources
Maine’s small businesses and their workers are the backbone of our economy. Several new programs, such as the Paycheck Protection Program, are now becoming available to support them due to COVID-19 disruption.
SBA Technical Assistance and Advising Partners
The SBA provides free business advice and counseling through three partner organizations in Maine. There is no wrong option and each is trained to assist with COVID-19-related paperwork and to answer specific, detailed questions.
Small Business Administration’s Guidance for Businesses and Employers to Plan and Respond to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Maine SBDC – Counselors are available statewide and you can request advising on the SBDC website. The website also has a wealth of information on starting a business.
SCORE – SCORE has chapters around the State, with the nation’s best chapter for two years running located in Portland - https://portlandme.score.org/. SCORE is a free, volunteer-led service and has both general business mentors and subject area experts.
Maine Women’s Business Center – WBC is also statewide and both WBC and SBDC are hosted by CEI - https://www.ceimaine.org/advising/ - you can request a business advisor from CEI through their website.
Financial Resources in Response COVID-19-related closures and economic disruption (PDF)
Other Resources for Maine Businesses Impacted by COVID-19
Resources for Maine Businesses Impacted by COVID-19 Pandemic (PDF)
Maine Department of Labor’s Guidance on Coronavirus Response and Updates
Maine Department of Labor Bureau of Unemployment Compensation
U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19 (PDF)
U.S. CDC’s Resources for Businesses and Employers
April 16:USDA and its Federal partners have programs that can be used to provide immediate and long-term assistance to rural communities affected by the COVID-19 outbreak- COVID-19 Federal Rural Resource Guide (PDF).
U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Guidance for Employers to Plan and Respond to Coronavirus (COVID-19).
Help the health care response
Volunteer your medical experience. To meet immediate health care needs, those with medical or public health experience or backgrounds are asked to register to volunteer.
- Please visit MaineResponds.org
Contribute medical supplies.
If you wish to help Maine government purchase critical medical supplies, please use this form:
COVID-19 purchase form
If you have critical, certified medical supplies* to donate to combat COVID-19, please use this form:
COVID-19 donation form
Contact Business Answers at the Maine Department of Economic & Community Development with your COVID-19 business-related questions and for information on resources. HOURS: weekdays between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. EST
1-800-872-3838 in Maine
1-800-541-5872 from outside of Maine
You can also e-mail us with your business questions at business.answers@maine.gov. Please note that we can’t provide help with unemployment claims. For questions on unemployment, please visit https://www.maine.gov/unemployment/
The Maine Department of Economic and Community Development works with statewide and local partners, private industry and small businesses to enhance and sustain economic prosperity in Maine.
What is DECD?
DECD and its partners show companies how to benefit from millions of dollars in tax credits, reimbursements, R&D credits, capital loans, even direct investment. Every year, we help Maine communities attract jobs and grow their infrastructure with unique financing programs.
Strategic
Planning
Task Force
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Maine average
hourly wage
$21.78
Maine
population
1.35 million
Produces 90%
of the nation's
lobster supply
Read the State’s New
Economic Development Strategy
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Bureaus and
Offices
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Tax Incentives
and Credit
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