Governor Mills Announces $500,000 in Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan Awards to Attract and Support Remote Workers

Grants from Governor’s Jobs Plan will support efforts to stabilize, expand, and create co-working spaces for remote workers

Governor Janet Mills today announced that her Administration has awarded $500,000 in grants through her Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan to attract remote workers to Maine and help those already working remotely integrate into Maine communities.

During the pandemic, Maine was one of only 10 U.S. states to attract new residents and continues to outperform the national average in population growth, in part driven by those choosing to work remotely from Maine.

The Remote Worker Welcome Program aims to turn Maine’s influx of remote workers into a long-term economic opportunity by increasing the availability of communal offices known as co-working spaces. Grants were awarded to eleven recipients to stabilize co-working businesses disrupted by the pandemic or to create or expand new spaces.

“During the pandemic, thousands of people decided to move to Maine and bring their work with them. These grants from my Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan will create more workspace options for anyone who wants to make Maine their office and their home," said Governor Janet Mills. “My Administration will continue to work hard to keep Maine the best place to live, work, start a business, and raise a family.”

“Supporting remote workers who wish to move to Maine or who already call Maine home is critical to our economic growth,” said Heather Johnson, Commissioner of the Department of Economic and Community Development. “I look forward to seeing the enhanced and expanded opportunities for Maine workers that stem from these grant awards.”

“This funding will help us recover costs associated with increased HVAC capacity at the MaineStreet Business Building that will provide improved air quality, flow and control for our members,” said Denise Cilley, Associate Director, Sunrise County Economic Council. “Shifting midway through our design phase, also mid-pandemic, to meet our small business community’s needs and preferences was the right thing to do. We at SCEC are grateful to the Maine Jobs and Recovery Plan Coworking Grant program and Maine Department of Economic and Community Development’s Office of Business Development for this grant.”

“Coworking spaces play a critical role in connecting remote workers, building community, and supporting the retention of this growing workforce in Maine,” said Nate Wildes, Executive Director of Live and Work in Maine.

These awards build on other Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan initiatives to support remote workers, including financial support to Maine’s libraries which also serve as critical remote work locations in many Maine communities.

A full list of today’s awardees can be found here (PDF).

The Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan is Governor Mills' plan, approved by the Legislature, to invest nearly $1 billion in Federal American Rescue Plan funds to improve the lives of Maine people and families, help businesses, create good-paying jobs, and build an economy poised for future prosperity.

Since the Jobs Plan took effect in 2021, over $750 million in Jobs Plan funding has been spent or committed to deliver results on behalf of Maine people. For more about the Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan, please visit maine.gov/jobsplan.