State of Maine law requires the Maine Department of Economic & Community Development to establish and administer a social equity program to increase workforce development programs and provide support to individuals who are members of impacted communities and businesses that are owned by members of impacted communities. "Impacted community" means a racial, ethnic or tribal population that has experienced incarceration at rates disproportionate to the racial, ethnic or tribal population's rate of criminality starting in or about the year 1971 and as a result the racial, ethnic or tribal population has experienced direct or indirect discrimination in access to housing, employment and education. See 5 MRSA 13301-13303.
The Social Equity Program Advisory Committee will be convened and will serve to advise DECD on the development and implementation of the program. The advisory committee will have five members who are members of impacted communities. Two members of the advisory committee will be appointed by the President of the Senate and three members will be appointed by the Speaker of the House. The first‑named member appointed by the Speaker of the House is the chair of the advisory committee. The DECD Commissioner, or the commissioner's designee, will convene the advisory committee as necessary to carry out its advisory duties. The composition of the Social Equity Program Advisory Committee is currently being determined. Meetings of the Advisory Committee will be public meetings, and the schedule, agenda, and minutes from these meetings will be posted here when available.
By December 15, 2026, and biennially thereafter, DECD will file a report with the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over economic and community development matters and the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over cannabis matters detailing the components of the program, the progress and impact of the program and its components and the activities of the advisory committee. Each joint standing committee may report out legislation in the regular or special session of the Legislature in which the report was filed.
A Request for Proposal was issued to support this work. This RFP can be accessed here:
Request for Proposals (RFP) | Division of Procurement Services
Deadline for proposals was February 27, 2025. Results of this competitive procurement process will be published on the above website when it’s available.
Maine Department of Labor and the Maine Department of Administrative and Financial Services are in the process of recruiting staff to help support this effort – an apprenticeship navigator and a cannabis business advocate, respectively.
Any questions on the Social Equity Economic Development Program, please email us at BizAwards.DECD@maine.gov or call 1-800-872-3838.