Maryland TEDCO Rural Business Innovation Initiative (RBII)
TEDCO (Maryland Technology Development Corporation)
$25,000
Rural MD pre-seed + mentoring
TEDCO's Rural Business Innovation Initiative (RBII) supports early-stage, technology-oriented companies in rural Maryland with a combination of free mentoring and pre-seed funding. Companies first receive RBII mentoring services — covering business strategy, market analysis, financial planning, IP, and prototype development — and after at least 90 days of mentoring become eligible to apply for $25,000 in pre-seed funding. Eligible companies must be developing or using technology to start or expand a business, have annual revenues of $1 million or less, fewer than 16 employees, and operate in a rural area as defined by the Rural Maryland Council. The program is active, with new pre-seed investments announced through 2025–2026.
- Funding type
- Grant
- Level
- State
- Amount range
- $25,000
- Realistic amount
- Qualifying companies that complete the 90-day mentoring requirement and meet the size criter…
- Deadline
- Rolling — engage an RBII mentor, then apply after 90 days of mentoring
- Status
- active
- States
- Maryland
- Payment model
- lump-sum
Who qualifies
- Company must be developing new technologies/products or using technology to create a new business or expand an existing one
- Annual revenues of $1 million or less
- Fewer than 16 employees
- Must operate in a rural area as defined by the Rural Maryland Council
- Must be in good standing with the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation
- Must receive RBII mentoring services for at least 90 days before applying for pre-seed funding
Hard requirements
- Must be in a rural area
What it covers
Eligible expenses
- Early-stage business development costs
- Technology/product development and prototyping
- Market analysis and business planning support
- IP development (as supported through the program)
Ineligible expenses
- Uses outside the program's pre-seed/technology-commercialization purpose
How to apply
-
1
Confirm rural-Maryland and size eligibility
Verify the company operates in a rural area (per the Rural Maryland Council definition), has under $1M annual revenue and fewer than 16 employees, and is technology-oriented and in good standing with SDAT.
~2 hrs
-
2
Engage a regional RBII mentor
Contact your regional RBII mentor to begin mentoring services covering business strategy, market analysis, financial planning, IP, and prototype development.
~2 hrs
-
3
Complete at least 90 days of mentoring
Participate in mentoring for a minimum of 90 days, which is a prerequisite to applying for the pre-seed funding.
~20 hrs
-
4
Apply for the $25,000 pre-seed funding
After 90+ days of mentoring, submit the pre-seed funding application. Review the applicable COMAR codes (14.04.01/02/04/07) beforehand.
~8 hrs
The 90-day mentoring requirement is the real entry point, not the application — you cannot just apply for the $25K cold. Start the mentoring relationship early, treat it as the on-ramp, and use those 90 days to shape the business case the mentor will effectively help you make. Because RBII is specifically for rural Maryland, confirm your location against the Rural Maryland Council's definition before investing time.
Deadline & timing
There is no fixed deadline. A company first engages a regional RBII mentor for mentoring services; after a minimum of 90 days of mentoring it becomes eligible to apply for the $25,000 pre-seed funding. Companies should review the applicable Maryland regulatory codes (COMAR 14.04.01, 14.04.02, 14.04.04, 14.04.07) before applying.
Programs that stack well
Related programs
Explore more funding
Last reviewed 2026. GrantCompass is an independent funding-discovery tool and is not affiliated with any government agency. Always confirm details on the official program page.