Baltimore Innovation Initiative (BII)

About this program

TEDCO’s Baltimore Innovation Initiative (BII) Pilot Program supports technology commercialization, technology-based startup creation, and entrepreneurship infrastructure within participating higher-education institutions in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson MSA. Grants provide up to $50,000 for technology advancement projects or entrepreneurship programs, up to $75,000 for qualifying joint university applications, with project periods of up to nine or 12 months, respectively.

Applicants must be collaborating, opted-in eligible institutions and may include qualifying faculty, students, staff, or technology-based startups partnering with participating institutions; full-time faculty at MII-qualifying universities cannot lead Technology Advancement applications. Applicants must engage an institutional onsite Project Lead at least 30 days before submission, obtain a signed approval letter, submit an Indication of Interest by September 23, 2026, and complete the full application by November 5, 2026, at 5:00 p.m.