Business Resource Center

Visit our Business Financial Assistance Page for the latest programs offered by the City, Region and State. 

For inquiries regarding any of our Grant Programs, please contact the Economic Development Department by emailing Biz Support.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

• Looking to purchase or rent industrial, retail, or office space in South Portland?
  • If you are interested in exploring business opportunities in South Portland, we are happy to help. 
• Are you a property owner or broker with a space in South Portland seeking a tenant?
  • The Commercial Real Estate Search Engine offered by Loopnet© provides a useful service to both potential businesses and City property owners/brokers. If you have a commercial vacancy in South Portland you would like the City to be aware of, please contact our office.

Commercial Real Estate Connection & Site Finder

The City of South Portland provides these listings on Loopnet.com© and GPEDC as a service to our community in order to foster business location and expansion within the City. These listings are in no way an endorsement of the companies listed, and the City of South Portland accepts no responsibility for the accuracy of the listings. Business owners should contact property owners and brokers directly to learn about these particular properties, and to explore others that may be available.

Please visit the LoopNet website or the New England Commercial Property website to find available commercial properties.

The Economic Development monthly e-Newsletter includes information about Economic Development updates from the City of South Portland's Economic Development Department, as well as resources and events that may be of interest to our business community. We encourage you to reach out to the Economic Development team if you have additional questions or if we can be of assistance.

Please email Biz Support with your contact information to sign up to be added to our Newsletter subscription list.

Restarting Maine's Economy Checklist: 

• Governor's Economic Recovery Committee - Recommendations to Sustain and Grow Maine's Economy

South Portland's businesses are thriving, and provide good jobs to local residents.

The following lists some of the largest employers within the City:

Keynote: Regional employment figure available only, which includes employees from other Cumberland County Communities.

Additional resources also exist for business and economic development assistance.

State of Maine Department of Economic & Community Development

The State of Maine Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) offers a wealth of information for businesses already operating or looking to locate in Maine. The DECD operates the Maine Office of Tourism, Maine International Trade Center, Maine Technology Center, and the State of Maine Office of Community Development.

State of Maine Strategic Planning for Economic Development

Read more regarding the State's Economic Development Strategy.

Greater Portland Economic Development Corporation

The City of South Portland is also an active participant in the Greater Portland Economic Development Corporation (GPEDC) in recognition of a need to work collaboratively to achieve both regional and local prosperity. Both the Metro Coalition and GPEDC are partnerships between the six Greater Portland communities of Cape Elizabeth, Falmouth, Portland, South Portland, Scarborough, and Westbrook. The GPEDC works to market and brand the Greater Portland region to attract and retain businesses. The GPEDC advertises available commercial properties in the region and helps businesses find the right fit for site location in the region. Since late 2012, there have been 5 instances where businesses or representatives from the State have contacted the GPEDC and its participating communities as part of a site location search.

South Portland-Cape Elizabeth Community Chamber

The City is also an active partner in the South Portland-Cape Elizabeth Community Chamber, which is in partnership with the Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Local

• City of South Portland Website
• Community Resources (PDF)
• South Portland Economic and Community Development Department
• South Portland Economic Development Facebook
• Greater Portland Council of Governments (GPCOG)
• Planning Applicant Forum Meeting (September 30, 2021)
• Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce
• South Portland/Cape Elizabeth Community Chamber
• SCORE Portland

State of Maine

• State of Maine - Office of the Governor - Official Documents
• Maine Department of Economic and Community Development
• Maine Municipal Association
  • American Rescue Plan (ARPA 101) Maine Municipal Association Conference 2021

Business Support

• Maine Small Business Development Centers
• Finance Authority of Maine (FAME)
  • FAME Programs
• Greater Portland Immigrant Welcome Center (IWC)

Ongoing Economic Development Initiatives

• Building Back Portland Harbor's Working Waterfront - BUILD Grant Application Narrative

State of Maine

• Maine Department of Labor (MDOL)
• WorkShare
  • WorkShare is an unemployment option that helps businesses retain their workforce during a temporary slowdown in work. The program allows employers to voluntarily reduce the hours of staff in lieu of layoffs. Employees of the business are allowed to collect a partial unemployment benefit to help them offset the loss of income.
• Maine Job Link hosts a variety of Hiring Events and Workshops, as well as in-person meetings with one-on-one consultants.
• Maine CareerCenter
  • View the let's get down to business: CareerCenter Employer Guide
• Office of the Governor - Workforce Resources

Maine Small Business Development Centers (SBDC)

• Recovery and Relaunch Resource Center
• View the article: Tips to Navigating the Labor Shortage

Greater Portland Council of Governments (GPCOG)

• GPCOG has a Job Program grant to assist with job creation/retention. The second round of applications will be accepted from October 27 - November 16.
• View Loan Programs for Small Businesses

Southern Maine Community College (SMCC)

• Professional and Personal Development Resources: Workforce Training

University of Southern Maine (USM)

• Cutler Institute: Workforce Development

Other

• Hospitality Maine - COVID-19 Restaurant Readiness Course
• National Restaurant Association - COVID-19 Information and Resources

The South Portland Economic Development Committee completed a new Economic Development Plan for the community in late 2015. The committee engaged the community through an online survey, and meetings with businesses and stakeholders, and held two community forums on October 1st and November 17th, 2015.

• Introductory Letter from Chairman of the Committee (PDF)
• Presentation to City Council - Feb. 17, 2016 (PDF)
• South Portland Economic Development Plan (PDF)
• Appendices of Economic Development Plan (PDF)

Materials & Presentations from the 2015 Economic Development Planning Process

• South Portland SWOT Analysis (PDF)
• Tax Base and Tax Rate Analysis SPEDC - Culled (PDF)
• Tax Base and Tax Rate Analysis SPEDC - SP and Neighbors Tax Rate (PDF)
• Tax Base and Tax Rate Analysis SPEDC - SP and Neighbors Valuation (PDF)
• SoPo Resident Survey Analysis (PDF) completed September 15, 2015
• Handout from Community Workshop on Oct. 1, 2015 (PDF)
• Breakout Table Notes - Oct. 1, 2015 (PDF) from Community Workshop
• Handout from Community Workshop on Nov. 17, 2015 (PDF)
• Breakout Table Notes - Nov. 17, 2015 (PDF) from Community Workshop

Other Plans & Reports

• South Portland Comprehensive Plan (2012)
• Mill Creek Master Plan (2015) (PDF)
• Knightville-Mill Creek Master Plan (2005) (PDF)

The Knightville/Mill Creek area is also the subject of a Sustain Southern Maine pilot project. More information is available on the Sustain Southern Maine Mill Creek Project website.