| State economic development agency | Maryland Department of Commerce |
| State SBIR/STTR phase-zero match | TEDCO SBIR Phase III Match (Maryland Innovation Initiative + Builder Fund) |
| Formal small-business set-aside program | Yes (DBE/MBE/WBE/VOSB) |
| Signature grant programs cataloged | 2 programs |
The Maryland Department of Commerce is the state's lead economic-development agency. Major programs include the Advantage Maryland (MEDAAF) finance program, the Maryland Industrial Partnerships (MIPS) applied research grants (Maryland universities + Maryland companies), the Biotechnology Investment Incentive Tax Credit, the R&D Tax Credit, and a robust slate of programs through the Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO) including pre-seed grants and SBIR support.
Primary site: Maryland Department of Commerce
Maryland Industrial Partnerships (MIPS), administered through the University of Maryland, funds collaborative research projects between Maryland companies and Maryland public university faculty. Company contributes cash share; state funds the university research half.
The Maryland Economic Development Assistance Authority and Fund (MEDAAF) provides flexible financing (grants, loans, conditional loans) for major economic-development projects. Primarily project-closing assistance rather than broadly available small-business grants.
Maryland operates one of the larger state MBE programs by participation goal (29%), administered through MDOT.
Maryland MBE certification covering minority-owned, women-owned, and disadvantaged businesses. State agencies and local units of government must meet a 29% MBE participation goal on state-funded contracts. Certification through MDOT MBE office is also the basis for federal DBE participation on transportation contracts.
The Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO) operates several pre-seed and seed grant programs alongside SBIR support. Maryland's SBIR/STTR support has historically included proposal-development grants and post-award match programs; verify current program lines with TEDCO before assuming a specific match level.
Match amount: Cycle-dependent; pre-seed grants up to $100,000 separately
Program page: TEDCO SBIR Phase III Match (Maryland Innovation Initiative + Builder Fund)
Maryland state-administered grant programs typically use program-specific application portals on individual agency sites rather than a single statewide grants portal. Federal pass-through funds (HUD CDBG, EDA, USDA Rural Development) route through Grants.gov for the federal half, then through the state sub-recipient process. Always confirm the application URL on the agency page for the specific program before drafting.
Federal grants reach businesses in Maryland through several pass-through channels: HUD CDBG-State dollars administered by Maryland Department of Commerce that sub-grant to localities for economic development; EDA public-works and economic-adjustment grants flowing through regional EDA offices; USDA Rural Development Business and Industry loan guarantees and Rural Business Development Grants for rural-county operations; and SBA programs (7(a), 504, Microloan, CDFI) accessed via local lenders. Business eligibility for each channel depends on entity size, location (rural vs urban), and use-of-funds.
CDBG state administrator: Maryland Department of Commerce (CDBG-state administrator)
EDA regional contact: US EDA regional office
State programs cover one half of the picture. Federal grants flow through 26 federal agencies via Grants.gov; the eligibility floor often overlaps with state programs. Use the GrantProbe Grant Finder to filter federal grants by entity type, sector, and award size, and read our federal grants for startups primer for the framework behind every match.
Maryland's economic development agency administers several grant and incentive programs for businesses, but most flagship programs require either an existing operation, a defined hiring commitment, or capital investment milestones. Pure pre-revenue startups should usually pair federal SBIR/STTR (where R&D-eligible) with state innovation match programs (if available) and CDFI lending. See the signature programs section above for the named Maryland programs and their eligibility thresholds.
Yes. Maryland operates TEDCO SBIR Phase III Match (Maryland Innovation Initiative + Builder Fund), which provides Cycle-dependent; pre-seed grants up to $100,000 separately to small businesses receiving federal SBIR/STTR awards. See the SBIR/STTR match section above for eligibility, application timing, and program contact.
The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program flows from HUD to Maryland's state agency (Maryland Department of Commerce (CDBG-state administrator)), which sub-grants to localities. Businesses do not apply directly to the state for CDBG dollars; they apply to participating cities or counties for economic development sub-awards (job creation, blight remediation, low-to-moderate-income workforce). Contact your local economic development office for current sub-awards.
Maryland uses Grants.gov + program-specific portals. See the application portal section above for the portal URL and pattern. Most state-administered programs require pre-registration with a state vendor identification number before an application can be submitted.