The Market Entry Fund (TMEF) is a nonprofit located in St. Paul. We support packaged food startups, and intersect with many industries – such as food/beverage, consumer packaged goods (CPG), retail/wholesale trades, media, design, and marketing, government/regulatory and research, to name a few. At its core, TMEF advances equity and inclusion in local food manufacturing and supply chains. Specifically, we work with MN food/beverage producers, founders, businesses from underrepresented communities to make their product and get the product(s) into the market. We provide founders and their businesses with technical and business solutions, along with micro-grants, and public education and advocacy.
Micro manufacturing of food/beverage is complex business - that is heavily regulated across multi-government levels, requiring deep knowledge and hands on technical support services - well beyond the basic business coaching, planning, and networking services that exist today. Noticeably, this is also an industry where many women and people of color start up business to support their families.
TMEF partners with expert organizations and individuals to offer the above services and address social, economic and racial challenges in business development, food regulations, and market place practices. Our community of food producers are growers/farmers as well as manufacturers who take the farm goods and turn them into value-added consumer goods.
We're here to help emerging producers go to market with their products. Through co-retail, a supportive grocery environment, our store partner provides retail services and transactions for makers and gives them 100% of proceeds from their food sales.
We provide cost-sharing opportunities and micro-grants to small, local food manufacturing businesses to get them to the next level of their business journey. Because we have limited funds, we seek to grant in places where the "funding can have the deepest and most tangible impact" on the growth and success of the business.
Recognizing that others in our ecosystem provide complementary businesses supports, we help make connections and partnerships that you need to keep your business thriving far beyond what our services can do. Become part of the ecosystem of local food production.