Maryland Commerce Awards Export Grants To More Than 100 Local Businesses
State program helps companies promote goods, services across the globe
BALTIMORE, MD (July 29, 2024) – Over the past year, the Maryland Department of Commerce has awarded more than 100 small and mid-sized Maryland companies with ExportMD grants to help promote their products and services in the global marketplace. The grants – awarded from July 2023 through July 2024 – help businesses finance the costs of marketing internationally including trade show fees and travel expenses.
Established in 1999, the ExportMD program provides matching grants up to $5,000 from Commerce’s Office of International Investment and Trade. ExportMD is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration, which has awarded multiple State Trade Expansion Program (STEP) grants to Maryland Commerce to help fund the program.
“The ExportMD grant program provides an excellent opportunity for businesses to succeed in our state and around the world—and ultimately bring more growth to Maryland’s economy,” said Maryland Commerce Secretary Kevin Anderson. “With help from the U.S. SBA, we’re proud to have supported more than 100 local businesses over the year with their global expansion efforts.”
From Washington to Wicomico counties, Maryland businesses utilized the state program in a variety of ways. Located in Baltimore City, Alertus Technologies used its ExportMD grant for Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to improve the quality and quantity of traffic to its website. Gross Mechanical Laboratories from Queen Anne’s County organized an individual sales trip to the Netherlands. And St. Mary’s County-based company ABSI Aerospace & Defense attended the Singapore Air Show as part of the delegation led by the Maryland Department of Commerce. Find the full list of recipients on our website.
Applications for the ExportMD program are accepted on a monthly basis and the next application deadline is August 1, 2024. Eligibility requirements can be found on the Commerce website.
About Maryland Commerce
The Maryland Department of Commerce stimulates private investment and creates jobs by attracting new businesses, encouraging the expansion and retention of existing companies, and providing financial assistance to Maryland companies. The Department promotes the State’s many economic advantages and markets local products and services at home and abroad to spur economic development and international investment, trade and tourism. Because they are major economic generators, the Department also supports the arts, film production, sports and other special events. For more information, visit commerce.maryland.gov.
