Opportunities for Small Business

The State of Maryland is committed to the growth and success of small businesses. In 2004 the Small Business Reserve Program was established. With this program, small businesses will be able to bid for State contracts without competing with larger, more established companies.

The program requires that twenty-four designated state agencies award a minimum of 10 percent of their total dollar value of goods, supplies, services, maintenance, construction, construction related, architectural service and engineering service contracts to qualified small businesses.

The designated agencies are as follows:

• State Treasurer
• Department of Budget and Management
• Department of Business and Economic Development
• Department of the Environment
• Department of General Services
• Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
• Department of Housing and Community Development
• Department of Human Resources
• Department of Information Technology
• Department of Juvenile Services
• Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation
• Department of Natural Resources
• Maryland State Department of Education
• Department of State Police
• Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services
• Maryland Department of Transportation
• University System of Maryland
• Maryland Port Commission
• State Retirement Agency
• Maryland Insurance Administration
• Maryland Stadium Authority
• Maryland Transportation Authority
• State Lottery Agency
• Morgan State University

Only qualified small businesses may participate in the Small Business Reserve Program. The program defines a small business as follows:

• The business is independently owned and operated;
• The business is not a subsidiary of another business;
• The business is not dominant in its field of operation;
• The wholesale operations of the business did not employ more than 50 persons, and the gross sales of the business did not exceed an average of $4,000,000 in its more recently completed 3 fiscal years;*
• The retail operations of the business did not employ more than 25 persons, and the gross sales of the business did not exceed an average of $3,000,000 in its most recently completed 3 fiscal years;*
• The manufacturing operations of the business did not employ more than 100 persons, and the gross sales of the business did not exceed an average of $2,000,000 in its most recently completed 3 fiscal years;*
• The service operations of the business did not employ more than 100 persons, and the gross sales of the business did not exceed an average of $10,000,000 in its more recently completed 3 fiscal years;* and
• The construction operations of the business did not employ more than 50 persons, and the gross sales of the business did not exceed an average of $7,000,000 in its most recently completed 3 fiscal years.*
• The architectural and engineering operations of the business did not employ more than 100 persons, and the gross sales of the business did not exceed an average of $4,500,000 in its most recently completed 3 fiscal years*.