If you are looking for potential grant opportunities for your business, check out our list below. Grants are categorized by type, offering a high-level overview of details such as eligibility requirements, designated purposes, and more. Please click on the grant name to find out more information about the grant or to apply.
Please note: The list provided is not exhaustive and there may be additional grant opportunities available for businesses. It is essential for business owners to conduct further research to determine their eligibility for any specific grants.
For small businesses that intend to train and upskill low-wage workers age 50+, this grant program will reimburse employers up to $2,000-$2,500 per employee for training.
Applicant is a small business with qualifying employee(s) 50+ years of age. Applicant intends to train qualifying employee(s) to improve or add to their job skills. Qualifying employee(s) currently earn $16/hour or less on average, and work at least 30 hours per week, and are W-2 employees. Training to be completed and reported by November 30, 2023. Applicant must demonstrate evidence increasing wage at least $2/hour once training is completed ($2.50/hour min. increase to earn the maximum grant award).
For-profit businesses located within BGE's service area ; Existing BGE electric and/or gas customers with good payment history; In good standing with the State of Maryland ; Must have between 2-25 employees (full-time, part-time, contractors); Maximum annual gross revenue - $7 million; Demonstrated need for funding to support business and serve customers.
Self-identify as a Black woman or Black nonbinary entrepreneur (inclusive of multiracial Black women and multiracial Black nonbinary folks) and have a legally registered business plan to seek investor financing in order to scale, now or in the future, have a scalable, high-impact solution or idea with the ambition to be the next billion dollar business.
Providing a multi-year commitment to marketing, creative, media and technology services to Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC)-owned small businesses.
Etsy sellers may be eligible for relief funding thanks to CERF+, a nonprofit organization that provides support and preparation resources to artists during emergencies and disasters. This program grants up to $2,500 to Etsy sellers who have been through a natural disaster.
Businesses must be at least 51% WOC owned; Revenue generating (Minimum annual revenue of $100,000 strongly preferred); One to five years in business preferred; Formed under United States law and operating in the United States.
The HerRise Micro-Grant provides financial assistance, with the help of our corporate sponsors and donors, to Women of Color creating innovative solutions that impact their community and that are often unable to secure funding for their small business. Each month a $1,000 micro-grant will be awarded to a small business owner. Small business grants are useful for financing a particular small business need. Past recipients used their growth grants for computers, equipment, marketing materials, software purchase, website creation and more.
Applications accepted on a rolling basis.
$1,000
The HerRise Micro-Grant provides financial assistance, with the help of our corporate sponsors and donors, to women of color creating innovative solutions that impact their community and that are often unable to secure funding for their small business.
Applicants must be at least 21 years of age at the time of application. Applicants must be a veteran, Reservist, National Guardsman, or transitioning active-duty Military Member of any of the United States Armed Forces, the spouse of a Military Member, or the surviving spouse or child of a Military Member who died on active duty (i.e., a “Gold Star” family member). Applicants must be low-income and otherwise lack the financial means to start, or grow, an early-stage business or nonprofit. Applicants must own at least 51% of the business entity described in the application. Business entities, as defined in these rules, include sole proprietorships, legally incorporated LLCs, S-Corps or C-Corps (or formal partnerships) created under the laws of any U.S. jurisdiction. If the Applicant is applying in conjunction with a nonprofit organization, the Applicant must be the organization’s senior executive director or equivalent in order to be eligible for the grant. The nonprofit or business entity will also be evaluated on its positive social, community, educational, military-transition, veterans’ employment, health and wellness, or veterans’ mental health/spiritual impact on the American military and veteran community in addition to or in conjunction with the business or nonprofit functions.
Organizations do not need to be nominated to apply.
They are looking for nonprofit organizations that do work or offer programming that services Black women and/or girls, whether this is their overall organization mission or applies to a specific initiative.
There are no specific requirements on how to allocate the funds. However, it is encouraged that you put the money toward keeping your workforce employed, pay rent, operation, and inventory costs, connect to other customers, and provide opportunities to your community.
$500 - $2,000
Black-owned business, with 20 or fewer employees, and brick - and mortar shop in the US. Store must earn an average revenue of under $1 million dollars.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s annual Dream Big Awards seek to recognize small businesses across the country that have helped to grow the overall economy. Small businesses can submit their application for the chance to win a $25,000 grand prize during the Chamber’s Big Week for Small Business.
The Cannabis Business Assistance Loan/Grant Fund (CBAF) is a financing resource operated by the Maryland Department of Commerce (Commerce), to provide grants and loans for small businesses, including small, minority-owned and small women-owned businesses entering the adult-use cannabis industry. CBAF also provides grants to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) for cannabis-related programs and to business development organizations, including incubators, to train and assist small businesses, including minority and women business owners and entrepreneurs, seeking to become licensed to participate in the adult-use cannabis industry.
Applications accepted on a rolling basis.
Grants will be provided to qualifying businesses as follows: Existing Dispensary License Holders - $25,000 per license Existing Processor License Holders - $50,000 per license Existing Grower License Holders - $50,000 per license
Applicants must be a small business, defined as an existing license holder with 0-50 employees per license as of May 1, 2023; and Personal Net Worth Qualification – The business must be at least 51% owned by individuals whose personal net worth does not exceed $1.7 million. For the purposes of this program, net worth is defined as: the value of the assets of an individual remaining after total liabilities are deducted including the individual’s assets held jointly or as community property with the individual’s spouse. Net worth does not include The individuals’ ownership interest in the applicant. The individual’s equity in the individual’s primary place of residence; or The cash value of any qualified retirement savings plans or individual retirement accounts.
The ExportMD Program helps to offset some of the costs of marketing internationally for Maryland's small and mid-sized companies.
$5,000 reimbursement
Must have business operations in Maryland and be in good standing with the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation
Applicants must be a small business planning an international business initiative to commence and conclude within six months of the application deadline.
The Maryland Supply Chain Resiliency Program assists Maryland manufacturers that have been adversely affected by COVID with impacts to operations, workforce and/or sales. The Maryland Supply Chain Resiliency Program will include a business assessment and review of a company’s business practices to better understand the impacts on the business and the opportunities to help overcome them.
Rolling applications
To qualify for funding, companies must be able to identify a discrete project effort that will help to expand their supplier base or help their company become a better supplier. Examples include but are not limited to, technical assistance, consulting services, engineering services or training services.
Administered by UMBC and funded by the State of Maryland, the program offers financial assistance to technology-based businesses, as well as state and local agencies, to hire more interns.
The Maryland Technology Internship Program can reimburse employers for up to 50% of an intern’s wage and up to $3,000 annually per intern ($1,800 for the first semester and $1,200 for subsequent semesters).
Internship funding is available to Maryland technology-based businesses and state and local agencies offering paid internships.
PWQ provides matching training grants and support services targeted to improve the competitive position of small and mid-sized manufacturing and technology companies. Grants are used to increase the skills of existing workers for new technologies and production processes, improve employee productivity and increase employment stability.
Applicants should have a minimum of ten full-time employees. At least 60% of available funds must be awarded to employers with 150 or fewer employees in the State. The Program encourages the participation of small and minority-owned businesses.
Priority will be given to manufacturing and technology companies. In regions of the State where regionally important industries have been identified beyond manufacturing and technology, justification should be provided to approve PWQ funding.
Seed Funds are invested in companies that show promise of becoming venture-fundable companies or are companies that, through a seed investment, will be sustainable through customer revenue, follow-on funding, or other forms of the corporate venture.
Rolling applications
Specific Seed Investment Funds are available- Technology Commercialization Fund, Technology Fund, Life Science Fund, and Gap Fund
Early Stage MD Technology companies - For companies applying for their first investment from Builder, all companies must have started operations within five years from the date of the application and investment.
Pre-seed technology start-ups from all industries. However, to be applicable, a company must meet all of the following qualifications: Principal place of business is in Maryland, At least one full-time employee, No less than 50% of founders demonstrate economic disadvantage
