The Business Telework Assistance Grant Program assists businesses with retaining and creating jobs across the Maryland.
Donor Name: Maryland Department of Commerce
State: Maryland
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 01/06/2023
Size of the Grant: $25,000
Details:
Funded with $1 million in Governor Larry Hogan’s Fiscal Year 2023 Budget, the program will provide grants of up to $25,000 to help businesses expand telework capabilities for their employees. These grants will help applicants purchase the equipment necessary to develop and implement telework policies, including hardware, software, and technical services.
The Telework Assistance Grant Program is a result of the Chapter 696, Acts 2021, which established the Office of Telework Assistance within the Department of Commerce. This office oversees a variety of activities related to assisting companies with implementing telework.
Benefits
Teleworking provides many benefits to employers and employees, including:
- Employee recruitment and retention.
- Employees who can telework instead of relocating may allow employers to even hire employees they would otherwise not be able to hire.
- A better work-life balance by offering more flexibility, and avoiding stresses like rush hour traffic.
- Improved employee morale
- Happier employees tend to be more productive.
Criteria
Eligible businesses must meet the following criteria to be considered:
- Be in the process of developing a telework policy that conforms to the best practices established by the Office of Telework Assistance within the Department of Commerce;
- Be an existing business in good standing with the state of Maryland; and
- Have a physical location in Maryland.
General Terms and Conditions
- Grants of up to $25,000 will be made available to businesses to develop telework policies and purchase equipment to assist in the implementation of these policies;
- Grant awards will vary based on the applicant’s request and demonstrated needs;
Applicants must be an established Maryland business and demonstrate financial need to implement the proposed telework policy; - Eligible costs are limited to include expenses such as hardware, software, or any technical equipment or technical services necessary to implement a telework policy;
- Funding decisions will be made based on a variety of evaluation criteria, including but not limited to capability of developing a telework policy and operational experience, the number of employees in the business, and the assistance needed for the business to implement a telework policy.
- Preference will be given to businesses with under 50 employees.
- Grant awards are competitive and limited to available funds.
- The grant cannot be used for previously purchased equipment.
- Within 1 year after receiving a grant under the Program, a business shall submit a letter to the Department that:
- Describes how the grant funding was used;
- Includes the telework policy that was implemented using the grant funding; and
- Includes any invoices related to the implementation of the telework policy
For more information, visit Business Telework Assistance Grant.
