Annapolis, MD — Governor Wes Moore today announced a major expansion of the funding database on the Maryland Community Business Compass, the state’s free online tool that helps entrepreneurs start and grow essential-service businesses in the communities that need them most. The enhanced database now connects users to nearly 2,500 funding and support programs such as business grants and loans from across Maryland — a tenfold increase that builds on the first-of-its-kind directory the Compass pioneered at launch, which featured roughly 250 state and local programs. The expanded database now stands as one of the most comprehensive directories of assistance ever assembled in the state.
“Maryland’s residents and entrepreneurs shouldn’t need an insider’s network or a team of consultants to find the resources available to them,” said Gov. Moore. “By bringing nearly 2,500 funding and assistance programs into one place, we’re closing the information gap that has held too many small business owners back — and making sure every Marylander with a good idea has a fair shot to build, grow, and create jobs in their community.”
Developed by the Maryland State Innovation Team in the Office of Governor Wes Moore, the Compass helps small business owners identify neighborhood demand for goods and services, connect to expert support, and find funding — starting with the child care and fresh food businesses that families depend on.
The newly enhanced funding database goes well beyond grants and loans, adding training programs, rebates, tax credits, and technical assistance. For the first time, it also reaches beyond government to include private sector resources. The database now draws from over 100 sources statewide including Maryland counties, municipalities, and private sector sources such as foundations, community development financial institutions, and universities.
Built in partnership with Anthropic, the Compass uses Claude to read more than 72,000 web pages — identifying assistance programs, gathering details such as eligibility, deadlines, and contacts, and translating complex requirements into plain-English summaries. Results are manually reviewed for consistency before any update goes live to the public.
“This platform expansion started with listening — and what we heard from entrepreneurs and residents was that support existed, but a clear path to it didn’t,” said Francesca Ioffreda, Maryland’s Chief Innovation Officer. “New technology has allowed us to change that, making the full suite of resources and programs visible in one place. This initiative is a model for how innovative, cross-sector partnerships can accelerate and scale our work to build the infrastructure of economic mobility Maryland needs to thrive.”
Launched in 2024, the Maryland State Innovation Team is charged with designing and implementing bold new solutions to the state’s most challenging issues, particularly child poverty and economic mobility. As part of that work, the team partners across state agencies to increase data capacity and develop AI-powered tools to support families, businesses, and community economic growth. The Innovation Team’s partnership with Anthropic is part of the State’s broader efforts to increase deployment of responsible AI — integrating the technology to drive positive outcomes and improve services for Marylanders.
This builds on a strong foundation of responsible, applied AI across state government, anchored in Maryland’s 2025 Responsible AI Policy and the governor’s recent launch of the Maryland AI Innovation Lab. Housed within the Maryland Department of Information Technology (DoIT), the Lab provides state agencies with the tools, infrastructure, and expert consultation needed to scale AI adoption and experimentation. It supports key strategic initiatives — including the state’s partnership with Anthropic — to harness artificial intelligence to address child poverty and modernize Maryland’s government.
The Compass is part of the Moore-Miller administration’s broader agenda to strengthen Maryland’s economic competitiveness and expand access to capital and opportunity for entrepreneurs and residents in every community. It is the latest in a series of strategies toward that goal: Last month, Governor Moore announced $3 million in financial assistance to support small and minority-owned business growth to help make Maryland more competitive.
The enhanced funding database is available now at https://compass.maryland.gov/incentives/.
