TEDCO Announces Accepting the Federal and State Technology Partnership Program Grant

The grant comes from the Small Business Administration

COLUMBIA, Md., (October 5, 2026) — TEDCO, Maryland’s economic engine for technology companies, announces accepting the Federal and State Technology (FAST) Partnership Program Grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). Through this acceptance, the organization will expand the current Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs (SBIR/STTR) Proposal Lab. 

The SBIR/STTR Proposal Lab (Proposal Lab) will be divided into several workshops to assist first-time and early-stage applicants prepare responsive and competitive federal funding proposals. These in-depth sessions are designed to help strengthen attendees’ commercialization strategies and prepare their technologies for continued growth. 

“The expanded Proposal Lab is designed to support companies beyond the proposal-writing process,” said Julia Deng, TEDCO’s director of SBIR/STTR Programs. “Participants will receive proposal reviews, individuals coaching and commercialization guidance to help them prepare competitive applications and build sustainable business strategies.”

The Proposal Lab will provide workshops, proposal reviews and one-on-one guidance to help approximately 20 Maryland companies prepare proposals. The program will prioritize first-time applicants, early-stage companies and businesses in communities with historically lower participation in federal research and development programs.

The Commercialization Assistance track will provide workshops and mentoring to 10 to 15 Phase I and II awardees. Participants will receive guidance on customer discovery, market validation, partnerships, follow-on funding and investor presentations. 

TEDCO will deliver the initiative in collaboration with the Maryland Small Business Development Center, the University of Maryland I-Corps Program and OST Global Solutions. The collaborators will provide expertise in business advising, commercialization and federal proposal development. 

From 2018 through 2025, TEDCO’s FAST-supported Proposal Lab assisted more than 190 Maryland small businesses, helping participants to secure more than $33 million through 56 Phase I and II awards while also achieving Phase I success rates approximately twice the national average. 

To learn more about TEDCO’s SBIR/STTR Proposal Lab, visit the website here.

“This grant strengthens TEDCO’s ability to connect Maryland entrepreneurs with the resources, expertise and partnership they need to compete for federal research funding,” said TEDCO CEO, Troy LeMaile-Stovall. “TEDCO’s efforts have generated an estimated $9.9 billion in economic activity and supported more than 38,000 jobs in Maryland, underscoring the value of helping promising technologies move from research to commercialization.”

For more information about the grant and the awardees, read the press release here.

As the state of Maryland’s FAST Awardee, the SBIR/STTR Proposal Lab has been expanded with FAST funding from the SBA to include Commercialization Assistance Support.