Guest feature: Alison Tavik is the communications director at the Governor’s Office of Small, Minority & Women Business Affairs. Follow along with the agency on Facebook and Twitter.

Small businesses have access to over $400 million in prime contracts through Maryland's Small Business Reserve (SBR) Program. This race- and gender-neutral program is open to all small businesses that meet the eligibility standards, and there is no cost to participate. State-funded contracts designated for this program can only be awarded to certified SBR vendors.

Certification takes place online within the state's new e-Procurement platform, eMaryland Marketplace Advantage (eMMA). eMMA is a critical element of the procurement process for all companies interested in doing business with state agencies and departments. Registered vendors receive email notifications when a contracting opportunity matches their interests. The platform allows vendors to view open solicitations, respond to solicitations, view awarded contracts, search vendors, and much more.

When eMMA launched in July 2019, vendors registered on the former platform were not automatically carried into eMMA or the SBR Program. We encourage all interested parties to re-register their business today to take advantage of new opportunities.

If you have not yet registered in eMMA or updated your SBR certification, you’re missing great opportunities in the state contracting arena. Read the Quick Reference Guides for step-by-step instructions (with screenshots) on how to register in eMMA, and complete the SBR certification process today.

For eligibility standards, click here. To register in eMMA, click here.