Small business resources in Maryland (2026 directory)

## Maryland small business resources As of 2026, there is significant funding for Maryland small businesses from state and federal sources.

State of Maryland resources

### Maryland SDAT - https://dat.maryland.gov/businesses - Business formation, entity maintenance, personal property tax. ### Maryland DLLR - https://www.dllr.state.md.us - Occupational licensing (contractors, plumbers, etc.) - License lookup at mdlpa.maryland.gov ### Maryland Department of Commerce - https://commerce.maryland.gov - Programs: - MEAF (Maryland Economic Adjustment Fund) - MIDFA (Industrial Development Financing Authority) - More Jobs for Marylanders (tax credits for manufacturers) ### Maryland Energy Administration - https://energy.maryland.gov - EmPOWER Maryland rebates for HVAC + weatherization ### Maryland DOT - MBE/DBE/SBE certification

Federal resources

### SBA Maryland District - https://www.sba.gov/maryland - 7(a) loans up to $5M - 504 loans for owner-occupied CRE - Microloans up to $50K - Government contracting ### SBDC - https://www.mdsbdc.org - Free 1-on-1 counseling ### SCORE Maryland - https://www.score.org/maryland - Free business mentoring

County resources

### Montgomery County EDC - https://www.thinkmoco.com - Minority business certification ### Prince George's EDC - https://www.pgcedc.com ### Frederick County OED - https://www.discoverfrederickmd.com/economic-development

Healthcare/STEM

### Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund - https://www.mscrf.org ### Maryland Industrial Partnerships (MIPS) - Maryland tech companies seeking university research partnership

Capital access

### MIDFA - Manufacturers and life science companies. Up to $5M. ### MSBDFA - MBE/WBE certified businesses. Up to $500K.

Procurement

### eMMA (eMaryland Marketplace) - https://emma.maryland.gov - Free registration. ### Maryland PTAP - https://www.mdptap.org - Federal contracting help.

Education and training

### Maryland SBDC - Free 1-on-1 counseling, training workshops ### Maryland Manufacturing Extension ### Maryland Arts Council - https://msac.org

Networking

- Bethesda Chamber: https://www.bccmc.org - Silver Spring Chamber: https://www.greatersilverspringchamber.com - Rockville Chamber: https://www.rockvillechamber.org - Gaithersburg-Germantown Chamber: https://ggchamber.org - Frederick Chamber: https://www.frederickchamber.org - Maryland Hispanic Chamber - Maryland Black Chamber - Maryland Asian Pacific American Chamber - Maryland LGBTQ+ Chamber

Procurement certification

### MDOT DBE Certification - https://www.mdot.maryland.gov/Office_of_Equal_Opportunity/MDOT-DBE-Program ### Maryland MBE Certification - https://gomd.maryland.gov - State contracts.

How to use this

For new Maryland 301 business: 1. Maryland business license from SDAT 2. Federal EIN (IRS) 3. Trade license via DLLR (if applicable) 4. Tax credits / grants (SBDC can help) 5. DBE/MBE/WBE certification (procurement access) 6. Maryland Chamber membership 7. List in 301 Business Directory (free)

Common questions

- **Q: 2026 Maryland grants?** A: Yes — multiple state and federal (IRA, CHIPS) plus county. - **Q: How to get federal contract as Maryland SMB?** A: Register on SAM.gov + eMMA, then check DBE/MBE. - **Q: Maryland biotech funding?** A: MSCRF, MIPS, TEDCO, Abell Foundation, private investors. - **Q: Minority business resources in Montgomery County?** A: MBE certification, Maryland MBE, MBDA Washington.

Related

- Maryland SBDC: https://www.mdsbdc.org - Maryland DLLR: https://www.dllr.state.md.us - Maryland Commerce: https://commerce.maryland.gov - 301 Directory: https://301businessdirectory.com