Delmarva Peninsula Entrepreneurship
We are a group of community builders working on making entrepreneurship resources and opportunities more accessible to those in the Delmarva region. Learn more about our initiatives and how you can also get involved.
Online Community
We invite you to join and be part of a vibrant and connected entrepreneurial ecosystem on the Eastern Shore. We have started a Discord community where all new and seasoned entrepreneurs are welcome. There are different channels to share events, ask questions, share resources, find out about local news, and share your success and challenges with others.
Ecosystem Calendar
New events are added to the Eastern Shore Ecosystem Calendar every week. You can check them out in the link below. Make sure you attend the monthly ecosystem call to connect with entrepreneurs in the region.
Funding and
Investment
We suggest you check out the following organizations if you are looking to fund your startup or raise capital to scale. We constantly add more more financing opportunities, so check back often to see if there are new resources.
The F3 Tech Accelerator Program provides funding and support for early-stage companies to prepare them for potential investment from the F3 Tech Seed Fund, industry partners, and investors.
The Shore Hatchery will fund up to $200,000 a year to those applying for grants through the Shore Hatchery program. Shore Hatchery Board of Directors select recipients based on multiround presentations. The goal of the Shore Hatchery is to reward individuals for their entrepreneurial efforts in creating and growing businesses that have a positive potential impact on regional employment. Funding is a maximum of $50,000 with other amounts available for nonprofit, social and emerging entrepreneurs. Submissions to the Shore Hatchery competition are accepted twice a year (generally in March and September).
ESEC is a Community Partner of the Mid-Atlantic Venture Association (MAVA). For more than 25 years, MAVA has served the full community of innovators, companies, private capital, suppliers, and key advisors needed to build successful businesses from startup to exit.
TEDCO is an independent instrumentality of the State of Maryland, established by the Maryland General Assembly in 1998, to facilitate the creation of businesses and support their growth in all regions of the State. TEDCO’s role is to be Maryland’s leading source of funding for earlystage, technology-based businesses; to provide other business assistance to entrepreneurs throughout the State; and to foster technology transfer and commercialization from the State’s universities and Federal labs.
Division of Small Business awards EDGE Grants through a competitive selection process. STEM-based companies can receive up to $100,000 for eligible expenses. Entrepreneur Class (non-STEM) businesses can get up to $50,000. The funds are provided as a $3 (state) to $1 (business) match. And the Division can provide up to 10 grants per application round (5 STEM/5 Entrepreneur).
Other resources
From funding to talent sources and everything in between, explore over 2,000 resources to build your business in Maryland Our mission is to connect all parts of the entrepreneurial community, working together to create a robust ecosystem of healthy, successful businesses. The Maryland Entrepreneur Hub enables innovators, startup founders, and small business owners to find and connect with the right resources for their business, including investors, universities, mentoring programs, networking groups, training programs, and more.
Do you own your own business or are you searching for the possibility to become selfemployed? You are in the right place! Since 1998, Maryland Capital Enterprises, Inc. (MCE), a private nonprofit, has worked to build communities by supporting local small businesses. MCE provides counseling and develops business plans for over 100 entrepreneurs per year within our service area. We assist in finding information; improving skills; and acquiring financing to start, expand, or purchase an existing business. Let us help to make all of your business dreams come true!
If you are an aspiring entrepreneur or an existing business owner in Maryland… the Maryland Small Business Development Center (SBDC) offers FREE individualized consulting, from start up to established businesses. We also offer comprehensive training programs, from those just thinking about starting a business to executive training, with most classes at low to no cost. The Maryland SBDC Network provides Maryland small business owners with access to trusted business advisors who have experience in starting and growing businesses.
The mission of the Chesapeake Agriculture Innovation Center (CAIC) is to provide value-added agriculture and aquaculture producers in Maryland and Delaware with the advice, guidance, technology, and other resources that they need to scale their businesses to a viable level of success. This will ensure a secure living for producers and sufficient nutritious, local food that is readily available to consumers.
RCAP’s Open for Business Hub, is a one-stop-shop for free on-demand, personalized training and assistance to help you launch and grow your business.
