Last verified September 4, 2026

Small business grants in Maryland

As of September 2026, a Maryland small business can be matched against 116 programs: 11 Maryland state programs, 42 national programs open to MD businesses, and 63 federal grants via Grants.gov.

Most of these programs never run an ad. The money is real — the problem is that nobody tells you it exists. That's the part we fixed.

11
Maryland state programs
42
National programs open to MD businesses
63
Federal grants via Grants.gov

Five Maryland programs worth knowing by name

Every program names its funder and links to the official page. Annual programs spend most of the year between windows — the date tells you when to be ready, and that's exactly when winners start preparing.

ProgramAmountStatusBuilt forOfficial link
ExportMD Program
Maryland Department of Commerce (with U.S. Small Business Administration)
Verified Sep 4, 2026
up to $5,000Closes Oct 1, 2026A grant program that helps Maryland small businesses offset costs of international marketing initiatives, i…Official page ↗
Maryland Manufacturing 4.0
Maryland Department of Commerce
Verified Sep 2, 2026
$25,000-$500,000Annual — between cycles
Expected to reopen in summer/fall 2027
Grants to small and mid-sized Maryland manufacturers (3–250 employees) to invest in Industry 4.0 technologi…Official page ↗
NourishMD Grant Program (DHCD)
Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD)
Verified Aug 27, 2026
$25,000 – $150,000Annual · next ~late 2026A targeted investment program designed to expand access to healthy and fresh foods in Maryland communities…Official page ↗
Maryland Community Investment Venture (MCIV) Fund
State of Maryland, Office of the Commissioner of Financial Regulation
Verified Aug 29, 2026
up to $100,000Annual · next ~Fall 2026Grant program providing $25k–$50k to fintech firms to pilot innovative financial products and services in p…Official page ↗
Maryland Made
Maryland Department of Commerce
Verified Sep 1, 2026
$15,000.00Between cycles
Contact program manager for next cycle timeline
The Maryland MADE grant program provides grants to small Maryland manufacturers to invest in smart manufact…Official page ↗

6 more Maryland programs plus the 42 national matches — scored against your specific business — and 63 federal listings for you to review, in your full report.

Straight answers

Do grants have to be paid back?

No. A grant is not a loan. You never pay it back. Most small-business awards just ask for a short report on how the money was used. Larger federal grants can carry more formal reporting and compliance terms, so read the award conditions before you accept.

Some of these say "between cycles." What do I do right now?

Get ready before the window opens. Maryland Manufacturing 4.0 lists its next window as “Expected to reopen in summer/fall 2027; NourishMD Grant Program (DHCD) as “~late 2026. The owners who win are the ones whose applications are ready the week a window opens — not the ones who find out it existed the week it closed.

What's the difference between state, national, and federal programs?

State programs come from Maryland's own budget and only MD businesses can win them — less competition. National programs are run by companies and foundations and are open to businesses in every state. Federal grants come through Grants.gov and tend to be larger and more paperwork-heavy.

How current is this page?

Every program shows the date we last verified it against the funder's own page. Anything that closes, moves, or changes gets caught by our daily re-check.

What does the $97 report add to this page?

This page lists programs. The report scores all 116 against your actual business — your industry, your state, how you're owned — and comes with up to 10 written applications, done with you.

Somewhere in Maryland, an owner qualifies for three of these and doesn't know it.

This page can't read your business. The 3-minute quiz can — it matches your industry, state, and ownership against all 116 programs and shows you where you stand.

See which grants match my business