About this programme
The Maryland Innovation Initiative (MII) is TEDCO's flagship university commercialization program, run jointly with five Maryland research institutions: Johns Hopkins University, Morgan State University, University of Maryland Baltimore, University of Maryland Baltimore County, and University of Maryland College Park. It exists to move technologies that were discovered inside these universities' labs out into the commercial sector, through technical validation, market assessment, licensing to a commercial partner, or the creation of a Maryland start-up built on the licensed technology.
MII funds two distinct phases. The Technology Assessment phase funds full-time faculty at the five Qualifying Universities to validate a specific university-owned technology and produce a Commercialization Plan for it. The Company Formation phase funds Maryland-based start-ups that have licensed a technology from one of the Qualifying Universities, to help them launch commercially. A technology has to pass through university ownership, disclosure to the school's technology transfer office (TTO), and existing IP protection before an application can be built around it.
The Baltimore Innovation Initiative (BII) is a related MII sub-program: it is the State of Maryland's matching contribution to the Baltimore Tech Hub effort and offers smaller grants (up to $50,000) to a wider set of 21 Baltimore-area institutions of higher education, for technology advancement or entrepreneurship-program development, run alongside MII rather than as a separate award track.
MII is not a program a founder applies to directly out of nowhere. Every application requires a Site Miner, an individual designated by the Qualifying University to work as a liaison between the applicant and the program, and formal engagement with that Site Miner at least 30 days before submission is a compliance requirement, not just a recommendation.
How it works
Technology Assessment phase: a 9-month project for a full-time faculty member at a Qualifying University. A Sole Application (one university) can receive up to $130,000; a Joint Application across two or more Qualifying Universities can receive up to $180,000, provided at least two of the joint universities are each budgeted at least 25% of the award. The project has two scored deliverables — a five-page Technology Validation report and a Commercialization Plan — each with its own separate budget that cannot be intermingled.
Company Formation phase: available to Maryland-based start-ups that have licensed the underlying technology from a Qualifying University within 12 months of the proposal submission. Awards in this phase go up to $300,000 over a 9-month project focused on commercial launch. TEDCO publishes the Company Formation Phase guidelines as a separate RFA document from the Technology Assessment guidelines.
Technology Assessment award payments are staged: 25% on execution of the agreement, 50% on submission and approval of a mid-term presentation and successful completion of approved milestones, and 25% on submission and approval of the Final Report and Commercialization Plan. Any unused funds must be returned to TEDCO, and any change to the approved budget of more than plus-or-minus 10% needs written approval from the Program Manager in advance.
Within the Technology Assessment budget, the Commercialization Plan Development line carries a $15,000 allowance, inside which up to $5,000 may go to a regional or short I-Corps customer-discovery course (not the national I-Corps cohort, which is separately funded) and up to $4,500 may go to company-formation costs or a start-up's attorney fees for licensing the technology. Up to $12,500 of the Technology Validation budget may separately be allocated by the university's TTO to patent expenses. Indirect (facilities and administration) charges are not allowed except for that patent-expense allowance.
Who can apply
Technology Assessment: the applicant (Principal Investigator) must be a full-time faculty member at one of the five Qualifying Universities — Johns Hopkins, Morgan State, UMB, UMBC, or UMD College Park. The proposal must be directed at a technology that is owned by a Qualifying University, has been disclosed to that university's technology transfer office, and already has appropriate intellectual property protection in place.
Company Formation: the applicant must be a Maryland-based start-up that has licensed technology from a Qualifying University within the 12 months before the proposal is submitted.
Every application, in either phase, must be accompanied by a current, dated Site Miner letter of support confirming at least 30 days of engagement between the Site Miner and the applicant before submission — this is a compliance requirement, not optional. TTO approval and a research/grants-administration office approval (a letter is not required for the latter) are also required.
How to apply
- Identify your Site Miner (the university-designated liaison for MII applications) — contact MII@tedcomd.com or your institution's technology commercialization office if you don't already know who this is.
- Engage with your Site Miner at least 30 days before your intended submission date; this interaction is a compliance requirement and the Site Miner must sign a dated letter of support confirming it.
- Obtain a one-time TEDCO ID number by completing TEDCO's intake form before applying (required for the DEI/demographic data TEDCO collects under the Economic Development Article of the Maryland Code).
- Draft the Full Application as a single PDF: a 1-page cover page, a 5-page (scored) Technology Validation section covering technology/IP, market analysis and competition, commercialization pathway and risk, and project milestones with a detailed budget, plus a 1-page (unscored) Commercialization Plan Proposal. Single-sided, one-inch margins, minimum 12-point font (10-point for figures/tables/legends).
- Attach the required supplemental materials: an Economic and Societal Impact Statement, a current signed letter from the Qualifying University's technology transfer office, and the Site Miner's letter of support — none of these count against the 5-page Technology Validation limit, but the full submission (including any optional letters of support or appendix material) cannot exceed 15 pages total or it is rejected without consideration.
- Submit the General Application Information and the Full Application PDF through TEDCO's online portal (accessed via the MII program page) by 5:00 PM on the quarterly deadline — January 15, April 15, July 15, or October 15 (or the first business day after, if the 15th falls on a weekend/holiday). Late submissions are rejected without consideration.
- If invited, present at the MII Review Committee meeting roughly 75 days after submission (your Site Miner presents and fields initial reviewer questions); if rejected, you may resubmit in a later cycle with a written, one-page response to the reviewers' comments.
Documents you’ll typically need
- Site Miner letter of support, dated within 30 days of submission
- Qualifying University technology transfer office (TTO) letter of approval, certifying the technology's disclosure reference number and IP status
- Economic and Societal Impact Statement
- Detailed project budget (Technology Assessment: Personnel-Salaries, Personnel-Fringe, Equipment, Materials & Supplies, Other Direct Costs, and Commercialization Plan Development categories, entered into TEDCO's AmpliFund budget template)
- Technology Validation report (5-page, scored)
- Commercialization Plan Proposal (1-page, unscored, at application stage; a fuller Commercialization Plan is a project deliverable)
- Optional: letters of support from strategic partners, investors, or potential customers; references; figures/tables; IRB or animal-care-committee approvals where relevant
- For resubmissions: a one-page written response to reviewers' comments, plus updated TTO and Site Miner letters
Frequently asked
Who can apply to the Maryland Innovation Initiative?
It depends on the phase. Technology Assessment applications come from full-time faculty at one of the five Qualifying Universities (Johns Hopkins, Morgan State, UMB, UMBC, UMD College Park). Company Formation applications come from a Maryland-based start-up that has already licensed the underlying technology from one of those universities, within the 12 months before applying.
How much can a Technology Assessment award be worth?
Up to $130,000 for a single-university (Sole) application, or up to $180,000 for a Joint Application spanning two or more Qualifying Universities, where at least two of the joint applicants are each budgeted a minimum of 25% of the award.
What is a Site Miner, and why is one required?
A Site Miner is an individual designated by the Qualifying University to help faculty and start-ups build a business-oriented, commercialization-focused application, and to act as liaison to the MII program. TEDCO requires documented engagement with a Site Miner at least 30 days before submission, evidenced by a current dated letter of support — applications without one do not meet compliance requirements.
When are Technology Assessment applications due?
Quarterly, on January 15, April 15, July 15, and October 15, by 5:00 PM (or the first business day after, if the deadline falls on a weekend or holiday). Applications submitted after 5:00 PM are rejected without consideration.
How are Technology Assessment funds paid out?
In three tranches: 25% on execution of the award agreement, 50% on submission and approval of a mid-term presentation and successful completion of approved milestones, and the final 25% on submission and approval of the Final Report and Commercialization Plan deliverable.
Can Technology Assessment funds be used for patent costs or company formation?
Yes, within limits. Up to $12,500 of the Technology Validation budget can be allocated by the university's technology transfer office to patent expenses. Separately, within the $15,000 Commercialization Plan Development allowance, up to $4,500 can go to company-formation costs or a start-up's attorney fees for licensing the technology, and up to $5,000 can go to a regional or short I-Corps customer-discovery course.
How long does the review process take?
Applications go through an initial compliance review, then reviewer scoring, then discussion at the MII Review Committee, with top-scoring applications recommended to the MII Board of Directors approximately 75 days (about two and a half months) after the submission deadline.
What if my application is rejected the first time?
You can resubmit in a later cycle. TEDCO requires a written response (maximum one page) addressing the reviewers' prior comments, along with updated letters from your technology transfer office and Site Miner confirming continued engagement.
Reviewed 2026-08-16. Programmes change — confirm current eligibility, amounts and deadlines on the official page before you apply. CapEasy is a private consultancy and is not affiliated with any government authority.