In 2004, the state of Maryland created the Small Business Reserve (SBR) Program, providing small businesses with the opportunity to participate as prime contractors by establishing a unique marketplace where small businesses compete against other small businesses instead of larger, more established, companies.
Under state procurement law, the SBR Program directs participating agencies/departments to spend at least 15% of its fiscal year procurement expenditures with qualified small businesses.
More information about the Small Business Reserve Program can be found at https://gomdsmallbiz.maryland.gov.
The University of Maryland Eastern Shore supports the Small Business Reserve Program and encourages all faculty and staff to utilize small, minority, and disadvantaged vendors when making purchases.
A list of frequently used certified small businesses is available on this website. Other certified small businesses may be found at https://emma.maryland.gov – click on vendor search.