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Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development

NourishMD Resources

Grants and technical assistance

General fresh food retailer resources

  • America’s Healthy Food Financing Initiative: This program offers resources such as grants, loans, technical assistance services, programming, and other forms of support to eligible projects that will improve access to fresh, healthy foods in underserved rural and urban areas.
  • Rural Grocery Store Initiative: Online resource, housed within Kansas State Extension that helps individuals and communities learn about the rural grocery industry. Resources include a Rural Grocery Toolkit for existing and new rural grocers.

Agricultural resources 

  • Maryland’s Agricultural and Resource-Based Industry Development Corporation (MARBIDCO): This program provides financial programs, including agribusiness loans and grants to support and enhance Maryland’s agricultural, forestry, and seafood industries. 
  • Rural Maryland Council: The Council provides grant opportunities to help Rural Maryland be prosperous with thriving resources, vibrant economies, and healthy, connected communities. 
  • Maryland Market Money: Maryland Market Money is a statewide food access program that feeds Marylanders and supports farmers. This program provides a dollar-for-dollar match for purchases made using federal nutrition benefits at participating farmers markets, farm stands, and community supported agriculture (CSAs), in addition to providing technical assistance, training, and marketing, for the vendors.
  • Postharvest Infrastructure Grants: This grant opportunity, administered by Maryland Department of Agriculture, is a vital element of the federally funded Maryland Rural Health Transformation Program. This initiative is designed to strategically establish cold storage infrastructure within Maryland rural communities to expand food aggregation and distribution capacities.
  • Maryland’s Best: Managed by the Maryland Department of Agriculture, this program links consumers directly with local farmers and their goods. Joining is free for farmers and farm stands; registration includes a listing on the Maryland’s Best website and authorization to use the official logo in marketing efforts.

Business financing and microloans

DHCD Business Lending

These programs offer direct, fixed-rate loans of up to $2 million and companion loans of up to $5 million. 

  • $2 million direct loans are offered on a competitive basis with rounds announced quarterly. 
  • $5 million companion loans are available year-round, subject to availability of funds. 
  • All small business loans have fixed interest rates of 4% with terms of up to 30 years.

Business lending

Featured microlenders

There are flexible lending options available from Maryland lending institutions. Please note these are external resources, any questions should be directed to the listed lending organization.

Latino Economic Development Center (LEDC) Food Impact Fund

This initiative is LEDC’s new community investment vehicle, created to expand access to flexible, mission-driven capital and business support for food entrepreneurs across the Washington metropolitan area and Baltimore.

Visit Latino Economic Development Center Food Impact Fund for more information.

Healthcare and nutrition initiatives

Medicaid food and nutrition services Request for Information (RFI): The Maryland Department of Health (MDH) is seeking public input on plans to offer medically tailored meals and produce prescriptions through Medicaid by 2028. 

Note: This RFI is for planning and information gathering only, no contracts or grants will be awarded on the basis of responses.

Minority business and women-owned business certifications

The Department of Social and Economic Mobility is the State’s Official Certification Agency. 

Federal nutrition program designations

  • Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): Applying to be a SNAP retailer is done online through the USDA Food and Nutrition Service website.
  • WIC Retail Vendors: WIC is a specialized supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children. Apply to be a WIC retail vendor, providing healthy supplemental foods for women, infants, and children.