Small businesses don’t have a lot of wiggle room when it comes to finances. Most of them are living on the margins of success for the first several years of their existence, if not longer. That’s why it’s so important for them to find funding wherever they can, ideally money that doesn’t need to be repaid.
Small business grants fit the bill. A grant is essentially a loan, with the important distinction that you never need to repay it.
This makes them an attractive funding option for businesses of a wide variety, especially since grants can similarly be applied to a wide variety of business needs. Think technology upgrades, capital investment, research and development, expansion, and more.
The good news is, Maryland is a great place to start a small business.
As of the most recently available statistics from the U.S. Small Business Administration, there were more than 639,000 small businesses in the state. They represented 99.5% of all Maryland businesses, and employed nearly 49% of all Maryland employees. In total, that’s more than 1.2 million employees. Small businesses are, in other words, very important for the economy.
If you need a boost for 2025, you are not alone. All businesses face financial challenges, sometimes critical, and small business grants can make a huge difference in your success or failure.
In this post, let’s take a look at the best options for small business grants in Maryland in the coming year. We will explore both state and national grants, as well as private grant programs, and give you all the information you need to get started applying for them. If you’ve always wondered about small business grants 2025 may just be your year.
There are many ways to fund a nascent or existing business. Bank loans are one, providing capital to help you get started or keep a business afloat during those difficult early years. Venture capital is the other common one, where investors provide funding in exchange for a cut of your profits later on.
While both of these can be a healthy part of your small business funding, and there is nothing wrong with them, why not look for free money where you can?
That’s what grants are: Funding opportunities with absolutely no strings attached. This allows early-stage businesses to:
The good news is, there are many grant opportunities from which to choose. Indeed, for funding opportunities Maryland is a great place to look. It has a thriving startup culture, and entrepreneurs can choose between a number of federal, corporate, and nonprofit options.
There also exists a strong Maryland grant program. If you’re curious about the many grant opportunities Maryland has to offer, read on.
First and foremost, let’s take a look at specific small business grants in Maryland. These are the ones that you cannot get in any other state.
Rather than offering a single grant, the Maryland State Department of Education offers a number of programs on an ongoing basis. They are geared toward teachers or educators and may represent either formula (government Title I grants) or non-formula. Awards vary.
Head to the MSDE’s main grants page and review the currently available grants at the bottom. Click the link to learn more about eligibility requirements and deadlines.
This program is geared toward Maryland companies who are looking to expand or further their current international marketing efforts. You may be awarded up to $5000 to help with related activities, such as trade shows or travel.
To learn more, email [email protected] or call 667-263-9354 and explain your goals. The point of contact will introduce you to an appropriate regional manager to help you complete the process.
Although it may sound technology-specific, TEDCO is actually interested in supporting a wide range of business types. Small business grants are geared towards social impact, entrepreneurialism, and laboratory research.
Find the appropriate category that represents your needs at the link above and click the “Learn More” button to see the application process.
Among some of the other best small business grants 2025 has to offer are industry-specific and niche grants. These small business grants in Maryland are applicable to enterprises in certain industries, particularly education, technological advancement, and conservation.
The CTE Innovation Grant is geared toward business owners whose goal is to drive the development of career and technical education.
As small business grants go, it’s quite specific. Make sure you check out the application requirements in the information guide listed on the page before applying.
For businesses interested in moving their ideas from the lab to the market, the Maryland Innovation Initiative is here to help. It offers a potentially huge reward of up to $430,000 for tech-forward businesses.
There are application deadlines coming up in January, April, July, and October. Make sure you carefully review the instructions, as this is a several stage grant application process.
Like the state of Maryland, the federal government also runs a number of grant programs. Although these are not exclusive to the state, they still comprise some of the best small business grants in Maryland.
The SBIR supports scientific advancement and entrepreneurship through America’s Seed Fund via the Small Business Administration. It helps you both develop the technology and figure out how to get it to market.
Best of all, the funding is non-dilutive. That means you don’t have to give up a share of the profits or ownership to the grantor.
The application process is somewhat lengthy, as you can apply for SBIR money through a variety of participating agencies rather than through a single grant. Find local assistance if you need more help.
The STTR is available through the same channels as the SBIR. It is also paid for by America’s Seed Fund. Similarly, its goal is also to help you create new technologies and then sell them to other companies or to the government.
The only difference from the SBIR is that in order to get this grant, businesses need a partner. The partner must be a nonprofit research institution. Examples include a laboratory run by the federal government or a research university.
As with the SBIR and the STTR, Department of Defense programs may take many forms. Explore their main page to see what they offer such as the Mentor-Protégé Program (MPP) and the Rapid Integrated Scalable Enterprise (RISE) initiative.
If you think you might be interested in a program, make sure to research it specifically. The DoD does not have standard timelines or award amounts, but rather sponsors a number of unique programs.
Funding from the Department of Energy takes a number of forms and it is available in a wide variety of award amounts. You may receive grant money for renewables, nuclear energy, carbon management, and more.
Head to the appropriate industry at the above link and click the “View More” button. Explore the currently available opportunities, make note of submission deadlines, and apply for the ones that are right for you.
Next up on our roundup of small business grants in Maryland our corporate and private foundation grants. There are a huge number of these in the United States, so we cannot cover them all here. However, below you will find some of the best options that we anticipate will be repeated in 2025.
Don’t forget: These are not the only options. Make sure you do thorough research about other private and corporate grants that may apply to your industry, minority status, or financial situation.
In years past, the Visa Foundation has been active in the grantmaking community. Their grants vary widely, but their main goal is to empower small business owners.
Keep an eye on their page to see when they may next offer grants for small businesses, especially underserved, diverse, and women entrepreneurs.
Every year, you’ll have a chance to apply for a FedEx small business grant. The award money is generous, with $50,000 for the grand prize recipient and $20,000 for nine other winners.
Watch the above page to see when the 2025 application window opens.
Available to women only, the Amber Grant program is designed to help female entrepreneurs realize their business dreams. The grant is $10,000, with an additional three awards of $25,000 to past winners annually. That means you could get a total of up to $35,000.
Funds are nonspecific, so you can use them for any business activity.
The Amber Grant is available on a monthly basis with the winner announced the following month. Feel free to keep applying.
And that concludes our roundup of the small business grants 2025 has to offer!
At the risk of repeating ourselves, remember that there exist many other small business grants in Maryland and beyond its borders. Do your business and start with this list, but keep looking for other opportunities to fund your small business!
This portion of our website is for informational purposes only. Tailor Brands is not a law firm, and none of the information on this website constitutes or is intended to convey legal advice. All statements, opinions, recommendations, and conclusions are solely the expression of the author and provided on an as-is basis. Accordingly, Tailor Brands is not responsible for the information and/or its accuracy or completeness. It also does not indicate any affiliation between Tailor Brands and any other brands, services or logos.
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