Business Incubator Created in St. Mary’s
County Seeks Proposals for Management
St. Mary’s County is looking for an entity to manage the county’s new business incubator, which is currently under construction at the St. Mary’s County Regional Airport. The county has issued a Request for Proposals in the amount of $1,350,000.
The county’s commissioners are hoping to diversify St. Mary’s County’s economy away from defense spending and dependence on Naval Air Station Patuxent River. Commissioners are hoping for a more innovation-based economy, and a successful business incubator is a critical component in the growth of new technology firms in the county.
The business incubator will nurture start-up firms in their early months and years. It will be managed by professionals who have expertise in entrepreneurship and growing small firms. The firms served by the incubator will receive affordable office space, mentoring, management training, marketing support, and access to capital resources.
The incubator’s services will be for start-ups or early stage companies that are pursuing commercialization of technologies patented at NAS Pax River or the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Indian Head Division, as well as businesses pursuing research and development of unmanned and autonomous systems. The incubator also will be open to other technology entrepreneurs as space allows.
“I am extremely excited that we’ve crossed this milestone in getting the RFP out,” said Chris Kaselemis, St. Mary’s County Economic Development director. “I am confident that the incubator will be a catalyst for innovation and entrepreneurial enterprises which will expand and diversify the economy of St Mary’s County.”
Funds for the incubator will come from the Technology Transfer Office of NAWC-AD, which has allocated the money to the Maryland Technology Development Corporation. TEDCO has expertise in establishing incubators and helping small firms and entrepreneurs.
Proposals are due by 4 pm Wednesday, May 17, 2017. For more information, go to the eMaryland Marketplace website.
For more about Lexington Park, visit the St. Mary’s County Community Development Corporation’s Leader member page.
46940 South Shangri-La Drive, Suite 7; Lexington Park, MD 20653;
301-863-7700
