ELLICOTT CITY, MD – Howard County Executive Calvin Ball today announced there will be three upcoming events to further support federal workers and contractors who have been negatively impacted by Elon Musk’s drastic Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cuts to the federal government, including mass firings. Photos from the event can be found online on the County's Flickr page.
Judging from the nearly 1,000 distressed attendees from last month’s Federal Workers Forum and Federal Workers Career Fair, I understand the urgent need to provide our hardworking civil servants and contractors useful resources as many of them are desperately seeking other avenues. I am excited to announce our next major initiative, the Business Resource Expo's From Federal Worker to GovCon Entrepreneur - Your Next Starts Here event. With our Howard County Economic Development Authority (HCEDA), this event is designed to empower federal workers with the tools and resources needed to start their own business. By leading with love we are investing in workforce development, supporting new businesses, and tapping into the talent of our federal workers to actually support their needs, hopes, dreams, aspirations, and our economy. We are working to meet cruelty with compassion; pain with purpose; and through division, we can make a difference.
This Business Resource Expo event will take place from 9:30 a.m. to noon on Wednesday, March 26th at the Maryland Innovation Center in Columbia. Participants will have direct access to County and State programs that provide training, mentorship, and funding opportunities for small business owners and government contractors. The event will bring together economic development, procurement, and legal advisors to share insights on breaking into the industry. To reserve your spot, visit HCEDA's Business Resource Expo Eventbrite webpage.
We are dedicated to working alongside County Executive Calvin Ball, Howard County Government, and our partners to support federal workers and contractors impacted by recent layoffs. Our upcoming Business Resource Expo on March 26, 2025, is designed to help individuals—including federal workers looking to transition into entrepreneurship—start and grow their businesses. This semi-annual event offers valuable resources, networking opportunities, and expert guidance to empower our community during this period of change.
HCEDA has several programs that support new and seasoned business owners:
HoCo Higher Growth Accelerator
- 7-week in person program
- This innovative program will offer expert coaching, effective ways to develop a market strategy, generate customers, create a growth plan, identify actionable priorities, find funding pathways and produce a compelling business pitch.
- Next cohort begins March 26, 2025.
Loans and Funds
Catalyst Fund
- For Federal workers who may have an existing start-up, HCEDA offers the Catalyst Fund.
- This fund is a source of capital used to finance expanding businesses statewide whose projects will create permanent jobs and leverage private sector investment.
- Loan funds can be used for normal business uses such as working capital, equipment, expansion and inventory purchases.
- Loan amounts may be up to half a million.
LIFT Fund
- For federal workers who may already have started a business within a year, the Leveraging Investment for Future Transformation Fund, or “LIFT” Fund provides microloans ranging from $10,000 to $30,000 to small businesses for a 3–5-year term.
- EDA leverages resources at our Maryland Innovation Center (MIC) to supplement the funding, with the goal of better positioning the loan recipient for success.
- If you are an impacted worker and your business can use funds for working capital, inventory purchase, equipment purchases, improvement costs, or build-out/expansion costs or similar expenses.
Howard County is home to thousands of federal contractors, many of whom will be impacted by the current actions of the federal government. Between 2000 and 2020, Howard County companies were awarded more than 38,000 defense contracts, totaling more than $33 billion. While data from the last five years is not currently publicly available, in 2020 alone, defense contractors in the county received approximately $2.2 billion across 2,790 contracts.
In addition, Ball announced that he is partnering with Senators Van Hollen and Alsobrooks and Congresswoman Elfreth to host a Howard County Federal Workers Town Hall on Tuesday, March 11th at 7:30 p.m. in the Smith Theater of Howard Community College’s (HCC) Peter & Elizabeth Horowitz Visual and Performing Arts Center.
Nearly 600 people attended the County’s first Federal Workers’ Career Fair on February 25th, which was Ball’s response to the Elon Musk initiated mass firings that have upended many federal workers’ lives. A second Career and Resource Fair will be held on Tuesday, April 8th at 6:00 p.m. in HCC’s Dwight E. Burrill Galleria.
Since the Executive Orders and DOGE cuts have been implemented, Howard County has actively worked to soften the blow for residents who work for the federal government. The email address, hocohelp@howardcountymd.gov, was created in response to the many questions residents have following the flurry of actions stemming from the White House. Since its launch, nearly 250 impacted people have been assisted by Howard County.
Additionally, the County has expanded its Office of Workforce Development (OWD) services to directly help federal workers tailor their resumes and give job searching advice. In the last month alone, OWD has helped nearly a thousand impacted federal workers and contractors.
The County's Department of Recreation & Parks is working on expanding before and after childcare at its 23 Howard County Public School System public school sites. Ball emphasized the need to hire more childcare professionals to reach this goal. Interested childcare providers can reach out to RLCchildcare@howardcountymd.gov.
A media kit of graphics can be found online on the County's Dropbox page.