The Maine Small Business Development Centers program helped launch 124 new businesses and save or create 1,061 jobs in the state in 2014, according to its annual report, issued Tuesday. The latter figure was the highest in the program’s 37-year history, it said.

The program, which received about $1.9 million in state and federal funding in 2014, had a return on investment of $1.37 in tax revenue for every dollar spent, and its clients garnered $39.8 million in capital investments, the report said.

In 2013, the program helped launch 103 businesses in Maine, retained or created 907 jobs, and its clients generated $33.9 million in capital investment, it said.

The program’s two largest funding sources are the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development, which funded 41 percent of its budget, and the U.S. Small Business Administration, which funded 35 percent. The money is used to pay 14 business advisors across the state who help businesses find and access capital, conduct research, hold workshops and provide technical assistance.


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