| State economic development agency | Maryland Department of Commerce |
| State SBIR/STTR match or Phase 0 grant | State program (see below) |
| State small-business or supplier-diversity certification | State program (see below) |
| 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 runs its own certification or preference program for state contracting. Certification can open state set-asides, participation goals or preferences; federal SBA certifications (8(a), HUBZone, WOSB, SDVOSB) cover federal contracts.
Maryland supports SBIR/STTR applicants through the TEDCO SBIR/STTR Matching Funds. Check the program page for current rounds and eligibility; the federal award itself is still applied for through the agencies listed at SBIR.gov.
Match amount: Phase I: lesser of 25% or $25,000; Phase II: lesser of 25% or $75,000; awarded quarterly
Program page: TEDCO SBIR/STTR Matching Funds
Check the administering agency's page for each program's application link; we have not confirmed whether Maryland uses a single statewide grants system.
Portal: See each program page
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, awarded through regional EDA offices to local governments, economic development districts and nonprofits; USDA Rural Development Business and Industry loan guarantees for rural businesses, plus Rural Business Development Grants that go to towns, tribes and nonprofits (not to businesses directly) to support local small businesses; and SBA loan programs (7(a), 504, Microloan) accessed via local lenders, alongside Treasury-certified CDFI 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 grant opportunities are listed on Grants.gov; the eligibility floor often overlaps with state programs. Use the GrantProbe Grant Map to search open federal opportunities by keyword, category and agency, and read our federal grants for startups primer for the framework behind every match.
Need help beyond business grants? The Maryland section of the GrantProbe State Assistance Finder links the official rental, LIHEAP, SNAP, Medicaid and small-business programs for Maryland.
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 Maryland's SBIR/STTR support program (see above) and CDFI lending. See the signature programs section above for the named Maryland programs and their eligibility thresholds.
Yes. Maryland supports SBIR/STTR applicants through the TEDCO SBIR/STTR Matching Funds: Phase I: lesser of 25% or $25,000; Phase II: lesser of 25% or $75,000; awarded quarterly. See the program page for current rounds.
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.
Check the administering agency's page for each program; we have not confirmed whether Maryland uses a single statewide grants system.