Tri-County Council for Western Maryland

06/11/2026

Help Shape the Future of Rural Maryland Needs Survey Available; Appalachian Regional Commission Invests in Strengthening Western Maryland; SBDC Webinars in this week's newsletter.

06/11/2026

A Garrett County business owner is bringing national attention to the region’s growing agricultural innovation sector after taking first place in a new statewide Amazon Web Services AI Pitch Competition. GAP Trail Foods co-owners Cory Heyman and Justin Tippen captured the top prize during the inaugural AI pitch competition at Western Maryland Works in LaVale, Maryland. Heyman and Tippen earned the grand prize package valued at $50,000 in AWS and PREDICTif AI services for their vision of integrating artificial intelligence into small-scale indoor mushroom farming operations.

A Garrett County business owner is bringing national attention to the region’s growing agricultural innovation sector after taking first place in a new statewide

06/08/2026

The Patriot Pitch competition deadline is in 2 DAYS!

Don't miss this chance for your business to win a portion of the $1M cash prize pool.

Submit your pitch: https://www.sba.gov/freedom250

06/04/2026

Governor Moore Announces Maryland Community Investment Venture Fund Awards and Maryland Opportunity Accounts to Expand Financial Opportunity in Maryland Communities; Day-Use Reservations Required for Several Maryland State Parks Through Labor Day Weekend; SBDC Webinars in this week's newsletter.

05/29/2026

The U.S. Small Business Administration just launched the Patriot Pitch Competition, a nationwide celebration of 250 years of American free enterprise.

Featuring a $1 million cash prize pool donated by Clover, the competition is open to eligible small businesses that have used qualifying SBA capital products.

Do you have a small business that’s driving innovation, shaking up your industry, and helping build America's economic future?

https://preview.sba.gov/freedom-250/?utm_source=sfmc&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=The+Patriot+Pitch+Competition+is+open!+Submit+your+business+pitch+for+your+share+of+%241M&utm_term=Patriot+Pitch+graphic+&utm_id=239918&sfmc_id=80391823

05/14/2026

Take the Survey: Respond to Western Maryland Entrepreneurial Landscape Survey Now Available Through May 31; Maryland Heritage Areas: A Tool for Local and Regional Planning Webinar May 20, 2026; Tri County Council Shares Impact of Work in the Region in the 2025 Annual Report in this week’s newsletter

05/13/2026

Barton Business Park: A Shovel-Ready Industrial Opportunity
New Site Work Readies Business Park for Growth

Aerial Photo of Available Parcels at Barton Business ParkAllegany County Economic and Community Development (ACECD) is continuing to invest in the future of Barton Business Park, preparing additional industrial acreage for new development and long-term job growth.Located in Cumberland near key trans...

05/07/2026

Tri County Council Shares Impact of Work in the Region in the 2025 Annual Report; Take the Survey: Respond to Western Maryland Entrepreneurial Landscape Survey Through May 15; Free Webinar Available for Those Ready to Do Business with the State of Maryland in this week’s newsletterhttps://www.tccwmd.org/wp-content/uploads/tccwmd_newsletter_20260507.pdf

05/04/2026

Western Maryland Entrepreneurial Landscape Survey
The TCCWMD is committed to strengthening our regional economy by better supporting the entrepreneurs and organizations that make it thrive. To do this effectively, we need to hear directly from you.

We have partnered with an independent nonprofit organization, Bridging Innovation Institute, to conduct a comprehensive survey of our entrepreneurial ecosystem. Your feedback is essential to helping us understand current challenges and inform a broader strategy to ensure our community has access to accurate, actionable information.

Your Privacy is Our Priority: To ensure an objective and impartial assessment, this survey is being managed entirely by our independent partner. All results will be provided back to the TCCWMD only as aggregate, non-identified data. Your individual responses will remain confidential and will not be linked to your identity.

Take the Survey Here
https://form.jotform.com/Bridging_Innovation/2026-western-maryland-entrepreneurs

The survey will take approximately 15-20 minutes to complete and will close on May 15.

Whether you are an active business owner or a support organization, your voice is a critical foundation for our future strategy. Thank you for your time and your dedication to our community.

04/30/2026

Amazon Web Services AI Pitch Competition
May 14, 2026 10:00am-1:00pm at Western Maryland Works
Entry Deadline is April 30, 2026 at 11:59pm
Email full application materials to [email protected]

In front of a panel of AWS industry experts, showcase participants receive real-time feedback, guidance, and up to $50,000 in AWS and PREDICTif services to help bring their vision to life.
Full details and Free Registration details available below.