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Montgomery County, Maryland SBIR/STTR Matching Grant Program

Download program guidelines (PDF)

Are you a business conducting research in biotechnology, medicine, or life sciences in Montgomery County and thinking of applying for an SBIR/STTR award? Have you recently received an SBIR/STTR Phase 1 or Phase 2 award for biotechnology, medical or life sciences research taking place in Montgomery County?

If your answer is “yes” to either one of these questions, you may be eligible for non-dilutive funding through Montgomery County’s SBIR/STTR Matching Grant Program—the only County SBIR/STTR match program of its kind in the country!

Applications for these grants will be accepted beginning on February 15, 2023, at 9:00 a.m. EST.

Established in 2018, the County’s SBIR/STTR Matching Grant Program recently was updated to enable more young biotech companies in Montgomery County to secure non-dilutive funding to advance their technologies toward commercialization.

The updated program includes:

  • SBIR/STTR Phase 0 - Up to $5,000 reimbursement of technical assistance costs associated with  applying for a first SBIR/STTR award.
  • SBIR/STTR Phase 1 - Up to $25,000 to SBIR/STTR awardees who have received no more than 2 prior Phase 1 awards.
  • SBIR/STTR Phase 2 - Up to $50,000 to SBIR/STTR awardees who have received no more than 4 prior Phase 1 awards and no more than 1 prior Phase 2 award.

See below for additional details about the updated eligibility criteria for each grant Phase and the application process. If you have any questions, please contact Montgomery County SBIR/STTR Matching Grant Program Manager, Derese Bikila at Derese.Bikila@montgomerycountymd.gov or BusinessCenter@montgomerycountymd.gov.

Apply for a Phase 0 Grant

Apply for a Phase 1 or 2 Grant

Eligibility Criteria - Phase 1 or Phase 2

Use of Funds and Application – Phase 0 Awards:

Phase 0 grants are intended to help qualified companies obtain their first SBIR/STTR Phase 1 award.

Phase 0 applicants must submit documentation of their retaining technical assistance to assist them with writing an SBIR/STTR application after December 27, 2022, and of their subsequent submission of that application, and the related expenses. Applications for Phase 0 grants will be accepted on a first-come-first-served basis beginning with submissions to the application portal on the County Business Center website (  www.MontgomeryCountyMD.gov ) after 9:00 a.m. February 15, 2023.

Eligibility Criteria and Application – Phase 0 Awards

A business is eligible to receive the SBIR/STTR Phase 0 matching grant if:

  1. The business is in Good Standing with the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT).
  2. The business has Qualified Reimbursable Expenses related to a submitted SBIR/STTR Phase 1 proposal.
  3. The SBIR/STTR grant will assist the business in conducting research in medicine, biotechnology, or life sciences.
  4. At least 51% of this research and development being conducted is in Montgomery County.
  5. The business has a maximum of 20 employees at the time of the application.
  6. The business has been in operation for less than or equal to five years.
  7. The business has received no prior (0) SBIR/STTR award.

Use of Funds and Application – SBIR/STTR Phase 1 and 2 Awards

Phase 1 and Phase 2 grants are intended to help SBIR/STTR awardees advance their technologies toward commercialization more quickly through successful funding and technology commercialization strategies.

Eligible applicants of a SBIR or STTR Phase 1 grant, may receive a matching grant of 25% of the award, up to a maximum of $25,000. Fifty percent (50%) of the matching grant amount may be used for reimbursement of the awardee’s incurred expenses attributable to technical assistance, investment assistance, or commercialization assistance as defined in Section 2 of this Executive Regulation. The applicant may not use the matching grant for any expenditures reimbursed by other Federal or State funding sources.

Eligible applicants of a SBIR or STTR Phase 2 grant may receive a matching grant of 25%, up to a maximum of $50,000. Fifty percent (50%) of the matching grant amount may be used for reimbursement of the awardee’s incurred expenses attributable to technical assistance, investment assistance, or commercialization assistance as defined in Section 2 of this Executive Regulation. The applicant may not use the matching grant for any expenditures reimbursed by other Federal or State funding sources.

Applications for SBIR/STTR Phase 1 and 2 Award matching grants by qualified companies who have received notification of their SBIR/STTR Phase 1 or Phase 2 in the current fiscal year (as of July 1, 2022), will be made on a first come-first served basis beginning at 9:00 a.m. February 15, 2023.

A business is eligible to receive the SBIR/STTR Phase 1 or Phase 2 matching grant if:

  1. The Business is in Good Standing with the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT).
  2. The business has been awarded an SBIR/STTR Phase I or Phase II grant  in the current fiscal year (as of July 1, 2022).
  3. The SBIR/STTR grant assists the business in conducting research in medicine, biotechnology, or life sciences.
  4. At least 51% of this research and development being conducted is in Montgomery County.
  5. The business has a maximum of 20 employees at the time of the application.

Additional Phase I Criteria

  1. The business has been in operation for less than or equal to five years.
  2. The business has received a maximum of two (2) Phase 1 and zero (0) Phase 2 in prior awards.

Additional Phase 2 Criteria

  1. The business has been in operation for less than or equal to seven years.
  2. The business has received a maximum of four (4) Phase 1 and one (1) Phase 2 in prior awards.