2 min read

Get your pitches in!

There’s only a handful of days left to apply for JumpstartME.

The business competition with a $75,000-plus prize package, kicked off in late June by the Lewiston Auburn Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Lewiston Association, has a looming Aug. 15 application deadline.

Lewiston Auburn Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Shanna Cox, center, flanked by Lewiston’s Economic & Community Development Director Lincoln Jeffers, left, and Michael Dostie, president of the Downtown Lewiston Association, stand in front of 120 Lisbon St. in Lewiston earlier this summer. The space is up for grabs rent-free in a new business competition called JumpstartME with applications due by Aug. 15. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal file photo

Chamber President Shanna Cox said that as of Tuesday, six businesses had applied already with four of those invited to apply to Phase 2 of the competition and another two invitations likely coming soon.

So far, applications “reflect both veterans in their industries and entrepreneurs with new concepts,” she said. “We are excited by the interest and submissions we have seen to date and strongly encourage folks to submit their Phase 1 application by this Sunday’s deadline.”

She’ll be holding a final session at the chamber on Saturday answering questions and reviewing Phase 1 or 2 applications.

The original prize package — with free rent for a year at 120 Lisbon St., $50,000 in marketing and branding services from Rinck Advertising, $2,500 in accounting services from Austin Associates P.A. and a year’s worth of business legal services from Skelton Taintor & Abbott — grew last week when Platz Associates added architectural services and Dojo Digital added web and email help for a year.

Kathryn Skelton is a business reporter at the Sun Journal covering local industries large and small. She writes features and deep-dive analysis, keeps up with local happenings, closings and rumors in a...