Maryland Department of Social and Economic Mobility

Office of Small, Minority & Women Business Affairs

together with our partner

Calvin Ball 
Howard County Executive

Cordially invite you to our

Are you looking for a new opportunity to do business with your state and local government?

The Maryland Department of Social and Economic Mobility (DoSEM), the nation’s first cabinet- level agency dedicated to advancing social and economic mobility, will host its next Ready, Set, GROW! Procurement Connections Expo on October 21, 2026, at Howard County's Opportunity and Economic Mobility Center. The free, in-person expo is designed to help small, disadvantaged, minority-owned, women-owned, and veteran-owned businesses from across Maryland access government contracting opportunities through networking with  agencies and procurement officers responsible for billions of dollars in annual state contracting activity.  This expo is part of DoSEM’s broader mission to build an inclusive economic mobility ecosystem that expands access to opportunity, removes barriers to growth, and helps entrepreneurs and small businesses achieve long-term economic stability.

Hosted in the Central Maryland region, the October expo is expected to draw  entrepreneurs and business leaders from Howard County, Prince George's County, Montgomery County, Anne Arundel County, with participation welcomed across the state.

Participants will meet directly with state procurement officers, learn how Maryland’s Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), Small Business Reserve (SBR), and Veteran-Owned Small Business Enterprise (VSBE) programs position businesses for growth. Participants will also learn about federal certifications including Small Business Enterprise (SBE), Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE), and Airport Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program (ACDBE). They will also gain practical strategies for identifying upcoming opportunities through public data sources, including the Maryland Procurement Forecast for FY 2027 with over 1300+ Opportunities for Fiscal Year 2027!

Who should attend?

 Small, disadvantaged, minority-owned, women-ownded, and veteran-owned businesses that are interested in doing business in the state & local contracting arena as a prime contractor or subcontractor in Maryland.

When:

Wednesday, October 21, 2026
9:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

What to Expect:

9:30 a.m.
Attendee Check-in and Refreshments

10 a.m.
Program Promptly to Begin 

11:30 a.m.
Open Networking

Where:

Howard County Opportunity and 
Economic Mobility Center
9755 Patuxent Woods Drive
Columbia, Maryland 21046

We will share further details through an official reminder closer to the date of the Expo.

What You Need to Know

• There is no cost to attend.
• Advance registration is required. 
• You will have plenty of time to connect and network.
• Don't forget to bring business cards and capability statements.
• Parking is free. 
• Refreshments will be provided.
• Special accommodation requests should be made 14 days in advance to eduardo.hayden@maryland.gov.