The Build Our Future Grant Pilot Program and Fund (Fund) is a financing resource operated by the Maryland Department of Commerce (Commerce), to provide grants for innovation infrastructure projects intended to support innovation in an eligible technology sector.
Donor Name: Maryland Department of Commerce
State: Maryland
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant | Matching Grants
Deadline: 09/26/2025
Size of the Grant: More than $1 million
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
In FY25 $6.95 million was awarded to transformative projects that accelerate the growth of the state’s strategic industry sectors.
The program is funded at $7 million for FY26. Matching grants of up to $2 million are available to projects that demonstrate a transformative impact in accelerating growth and innovation in the state’s strategic industry sectors.
Eligible Uses of Funds
Grant awards may be used to defray the cost a grantee incurs to acquire, construct, rehabilitate, install, improve, or equip an eligible innovation infrastructure project.
Grants may be used for eligible innovation infrastructure projects designed to transform and accelerate growth in the following eligible technology sectors:
- Advanced manufacturing
- Aerospace
- Agriculture
- Artificial Intelligence
- Biotechnology
- Blue Technology
- Cybersecurity
- Defense
- Energy and Sustainability
- Life Sciences
- Quantum
- Sensors and Robotics
Examples of eligible projects include, but are not limited to:
- Sensitive Compartmented Information Facilities
- Wet Laboratories
- Cyber Ranges
- Prototype Manufacturing Centers
- Other Specialized Workforce Training, Skill Certification, or Research-Related Spaces
Eligibility Criteria
- A single entity may not be awarded more than $2,000,000 in grant funds in a fiscal year.
- For a grant award up to $1,000,000, a grantee shall provide matching funds that are at least 200% of the grant amount.
- For a grant award exceeding $1,000,000, and up to $2,000,000, a grantee shall provide matching funds that are at least 400% of the grant amount.
- Funds received by a grantee through other State grant programs are not counted toward the grantees matching funds requirement.
- A grantee must demonstrate an ability to cover their share of the project costs.
- Grants may be awarded to private companies (including publicly owned companies), nonprofit entities, local governments, or colleges and universities in the State.
- Not more that 50% of the appropriation to the Fund in a fiscal year may be awarded to colleges and universities in that fiscal year.
- Grants to colleges and universities from the Fund will be awarded to projects that:
- Are performed in collaboration with private industry; or
- Offer the prospect of significant economic impact and the opportunity to develop entrepreneurship or clusters of technological innovation in the State
For more information, visit Maryland Department of Commerce.
