One Grant Award of up to $125,000 available.
The Maryland Agricultural Resource-Based Industry Development Corporation (MARBIDCO) recognizes the importance of the forests products industry from economic, environmental and consumer perspectives, and thus seeks to assist in growing a strong and diversified wood products industry in Maryland. MARBIDCO aims to assist Maryland’s forestry businesses with improving operations and efficiency, increasing productivity and employment opportunities, and supporting new market development.
By helping to sustain and grow a healthy forestry industry, investment now will yield substantial longer-term benefits for Marylanders. Recognizing this, the State of Maryland authorized $125,000 in funding for FY 2026 for MARBIDCO to offer the Maryland Wood Products Industry Equity Incentive Program (WPIEI).
“In FY 2026, MARBIDCO aims to incentivize one large-scale high impact project focused on value-added production and job creation/expansion. A competitive review will involve higher priority towards a project meeting these criteria.” said MARBIDCO Executive Director, Steve McHenry.
Applicants should specify if their project will be “value-added”. A value-added product is defined as: “a basic wood product manipulated in such a way so as to command additional market value.” In addition, applicants should specify in their application and business plan the number of jobs expected to be created by their proposal and the type of job (job type/title, full-time/part-time, permanent/temporary employment, etc.).
The WPIEI Program offers up to a 25% matching grant, up to the maximum amount allowed, for the purchase of equipment or facilities improvement. An ancillary objective of this program is to complement the financial services offered by private commercial lenders by leveraging funds to facilitate larger scale projects which will enable industry growth. This program will help a Maryland wood fiber processor or manufacturer engage in increased production and utilization of locally sourced wood fiber, improve business operations, and pursue new market opportunities with a focus on value-added production.
Eligible applicants include primary or secondary wood products processors. Applicants can include sole proprietorships, partnerships, cooperatives, corporations, and LLCs. Grant funds and matchingfunds must be used for equipment and capital asset purchases that have a useful life of seven years or more. MARBIDCO seeks applications for projects or purchases that will improve operations, increase productivity and/or workforce expansion, support the production of value-added wood products, or aid in the pursuit of new markets.
For one project, MARBIDCO will match up to 25% of total project cost, with a maximum grant award not to exceed $125,000. All equipment purchases must be made (and facility improvement contracts let) by no later than May 31, 2026. (Please note too that any equipment or capital asset purchase made before September 1, 2025, are ineligible for this program.)
The application submission deadline is November 14, 2025. Applicants will be notified by January 15, 2026, if they have been approved. Electronic submissions of applications are encouraged. Applications received in the U.S. Mail and postmarked no later than November 14, 2025, will also be accepted.
For more information, please contact Brian Cadden at 410-267-6807, or by email at: bcadden@marbidco.org. Send electronic applications via email to bcadden@marbidco.org or mail applications to MARBIDCO, WPIEI, c/o Brian Cadden, 1410 Forest Drive, Suite 21, Annapolis, MD 21403. Applications are available at www.marbidco.org.
