Ten of 88 business applicants have been selected as semifinalists in a $30,000 business pitch contest run by Gorham Savings Bank and are now courting votes from the public to make it into the final round.
Gorham Savings announced the 10 semifinalists Tuesday, opening voting on each businesses’ plan for how they would use the $30,000 award through May 15. That process will determine five finalists who will make their pitch to a panel of business leaders and be selected for the prize during an event June 18.
Rockland-based candy bar maker Bixby & Co. won the inaugural competition in 2013, and residential wind turbine and microgrid company Pika Energy won in 2014.
The companies competing in the final round are senior care company Beach Glass Transitions of South Portland; Biovation, which makes a portable product to dry a pair of wet boots, of Boothbay; Casco Bay Butter of Scarborough; school fundraising catalog company Close Buy Catalog of Portland; Bluetooth boom box maker DemerBox of Portland; Flowfold, which makes wallets and other gear, of Portland; Green Bee Soda of Brunswick; dinghy manufacturer Portland Pudgy of Portland; yarn and fiber finisher Saco River Dyehouse of Biddeford; and Sentry EHS, which makes workplace safety software, of Westbrook.
Voting is taking place online at launchpad.gorhamsavingsbank.com.