PORTLAND — Jay Williams, U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development, recently joined Maine’s Sen. Angus King and Rep. Chellie Pingree at the office of the Maine Center for Entrepreneurial Development to announce that MCED and Coastal Enterprises Inc. each received an Economic Development Administration i6 grant.

“This 2015 Regional Innovation Strategy cohort of grantees is truly an exciting group — the diversity in programs and regional representation proves that innovation and entrepreneurship are igniting all corners of the country,” Williams said.

MCED was awarded a three-year grant of $390,000 for expansion of its Top Gun Rural Accelerator Network.

CEI was awarded a two-year grant of $250,000 to assess the feasibility of and demonstrate market demand for a Natural Resource Business Seed Capital Fund. The proposed fund will build on CEI’s work to support natural resource based industries in Maine’s rural communities and attempt to demonstrate the need for flexible, patient capital to advance economic enterprises and engage even more impact investors in early stage ventures.

“We are honored to accept this grant from the EDA, which will support critical R&D to help Maine’s natural resource sector capitalize on its tremendous growth potential,” said Keith Bisson, SVP, Program Management & Development, CEI.