Maryland Secretary of General Services Atif Chaudhry took center stage at the Startup Bazaar conference on April 12 at the University of Maryland, outlining a bold and inclusive vision for how the state is opening its doors to startups and small businesses through innovative procurement strategies and targeted support.
Speaking on a panel focused on startup-government collaboration, Chaudhry laid out a compelling vision for how Maryland is working to ensure innovative startups have real opportunities to grow—by getting access to the state’s multi-billion dollar contract marketplace.
“The Department of General Services—under my purview, the Office of State Procurement—handles the contracting for the state,” Chaudhry told the audience. “We spend somewhere in the neighborhood of around $8 billion a year on goods and services.”
READ: Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller to headline Startup Bazaar at University of Maryland on April 12 (April 10, 2025)
But Chaudhry was quick to point out that much of that spend has historically gone to major firms like Accenture, EY, and Deloitte. His office is working to change that dynamic by opening the door wider for startups and small firms through strategic subcontracting opportunities and dedicated programs.
“We build up the subcontracting community through different initiatives,” he said. “A lot of what we do is outreach and collaboration to make sure that small, minority-, women-, and veteran-owned businesses have a seat at the table.”
A key initiative highlighted by Chaudhry is the Small Business Reserve (SBR) program, which restricts certain state contracts exclusively to small businesses. Traditionally, these contracts ranged from $50,000 to $500,000—but a new piece of legislation passed just last week will now raise that cap to $1 million, greatly expanding the playing field for smaller firms.
“This is going to be a game changer,” he said. “The larger firms are not allowed to bid on these. Only small businesses can. That opens the door for startups and homegrown firms to scale up while doing business with the state.”
Chaudhry also provided practical guidance for startups interested in entering the procurement space. After forming a legal entity and getting registered with the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation, businesses should head to the eMaryland Marketplace Advantage, the state’s online procurement portal.
“Within a very short period of time—we’re talking just a couple of days—we can get you certified as a small business,” he said, encouraging new founders to explore the benefits of state certification, particularly for minority- and veteran-owned businesses.
When asked about the areas Maryland is prioritizing for innovation investment, Chaudhry emphasized alignment with the Moore administration’s strategic goals.
“We’re focused on industries like aerospace, quantum computing, and cybersecurity—areas where Maryland already has a competitive edge,” he said. “But it doesn’t stop there. IT services and construction are huge right now. I’m currently managing between $1.5 to $2 billion in construction projects across the state.”
Importantly, Chaudhry drew a strong contrast between Maryland’s inclusive approach and recent rollbacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in other parts of the country.
“While the federal government may be changing things and DEI may be ‘bad words’ in some places, that’s not how we do business in this state,” he said. “Under Governor Moore, we are fully committed to supporting small, minority-, women-, veteran-owned, and socioeconomically disadvantaged businesses.”
He concluded with a passionate call to action for founders: “You are the backbone of our economy. We want you to grow—and not only grow, but stay in Maryland. Whatever we can do to keep you here, we will do that.”