Maryland small business owners can now apply for Round 3 of a grant program funded by BGE in partnership with Hello Alice.
Launched in January 2021, the BGE Energizing Small Business Grants will distribute $15 million to Maryland small business owners seeking COVID-19 relief. Eligible businesses located in BGE’s central Maryland service area can apply for a grant of $20,000 each. Applicants will need to demonstrate financial need, and preference will be given to New Majority business owners disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.
Dozens of recipients have been announced as part of Round 1 and Round 2; Round 3 applications are now open until October 13, 2021.
Applicants must be a for-profit business and an existing BGE electric and/or gas customer with positive BGE credit history. Other eligibility criteria include:
- Must have between 1-25 employees
- Have annual gross revenues in 2020 of less than $7 million
- Demonstrated need of funding to support business and serve customers
- Preference will be given to minority-owned and woman-owned businesses
If you applied and were not selected for Round 1 or 2 of the program, you are welcome to submit a new application. We will evaluate your application based on any new information and judge it against a new pool of applicants!
“Our hope is that the BGE Energizing Small Business Grants will provide much-needed help to hundreds of small businesses in our community, especially historically underrepresented minority and women-owned businesses,” said BGE CEO Carim Khouzami. “This is part of a multi-layered plan to provide direct assistance to energy customers, area nonprofits, and government partners to help put Maryland back on its feet for the long-term, as the public health crisis begins to lift.”
Specifically, BGE has come to Marylanders’ aid through millions funneled toward nonprofits, including the Fuel Fund of Maryland and county-administered business pandemic relief funds. The company has also expanded the BGE Workforce Collaborative program that will train roughly 600 local workers for job placement and extended flexible payment terms for customers struggling to pay for their electric or gas service.