BGE awards $1.8 million in Energizing Small Business Grants to

90 small businesses in central Maryland

In total, 831 local businesses have received grants of $16.66 million since 2021

BALTIMORE, MD (September 16, 2025) – BGE awarded Energizing Small Business Grants totaling $1.8 million to 90 small businesses in the latest round of support that continues to help economic and community anchors across central Maryland thrive. The full list of awardees is available at helloalice.com.

The Energizing Small Business Grants program prioritizes small businesses often challenged with access to capital. Since 2021, 65 percent of grants have been awarded to minority owned businesses, over 68 percent to businesses owned by women, and 25 percent to businesses that have military affiliated ownership. Grantees represent a diverse group of industries, from food service to healthcare to manufacturing and more.

BGE launched the Energizing Small Business Grants program in 2021 to help local small businesses recover from economic hardship caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Since its inception, the program has supported 831 businesses with a total of $16.66 million.

"Our Energizing Small Business Grants program supports establishments that are the backbone of our community, including minority-owned businesses,” said Tamla Olivier, president and CEO of BGE. “BGE is proud to recognize and celebrate companies that are committed to serving the community, and we want them to thrive."

To administer the grants, BGE has partnered with Hello Alice and the Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN) to administer the grants. Applicants are able to gain access to Hello Alice’s suite of small business tools and resources, and connectivity to a global network through GEN. BGE also collaborates with local economic development offices to promote and review the grant applications. Eligible businesses received grants of $20,000 each. The list of 2025 grant awardees is available at helloalice.com.

Applicants met all of the following eligibility requirements to be considered for a BGE Energizing Small Business Grant:

• For-profit business that has been operating for at least one year at the start of the application;
• Existing BGE electric and/or gas customer in good standing with BGE;
• In good standing with the State of Maryland;
• Maximum of 25 employees;
• Annual gross revenues in 2024 of less than $7 million; and
• Demonstrated need of funding to support business and serve customers.

The Energizing Small Business Grants program, and all nonprofit contributions, are made using shareholder dollars and are not reflected in customer bills.