Initially associated with Agency for New Americans, a Boise-based refugee resettlement agency and direct program of Mountain States Group, META was launched in 2002 with a grant award from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Office of Refugee Resettlement. In 2006, META became a direct nonprofit program of Mountain States Group as it secured additional funding and began to provide microenterprise services and products to a broader demographic base that includes women, immigrants, minorities, and other low-to-moderate-income entrepreneurs.

In its most recent fiscal year, META loaned out $110,000. This resulted in the creation of 22 jobs, 11 new start-up companies, and five business expansions or stabilizations. In addition to business financing, META offers one-on-one consulting, business plan training classes, and monthly Beyond the Bottom Line business lunch workshops.