SM ACTION GRANTS ARE BACK!

New Emmitsburg Community Garden funded by $15,000 Action Grant in 2024

Sustainable Maryland is pleased to announce the 2025 Action Grants, our second year of funding for Sustainable Maryland registered and certified municipalities to support a wide range of community-scale sustainability initiatives. With $100,000 in grant funding available, this program aims to bridge the gap between local resource constraints and the need for local action, ensuring communities throughout Maryland can thrive.

Sustainable Maryland strongly encourages applications from municipalities across the state that seek to protect their natural assets, reduce their carbon footprint, and revitalize and improve the long-term quality of life for current and future generations. Prospective applicants are encouraged to consider collaborating with neighboring municipalities and/or local nonprofit organizations to propose projects with regional implications and benefits.

Eligibility: Applicants must be an incorporated municipality that is registered or certified with the Sustainable Maryland program. Check here to check your municipality's SM status. Contact Leo Pierce at opierce@umd.edu to register your town with SM or follow the steps listed here.

Registered Communities

• Awards up to $5,000

• Total of $20,000

• Up to 4 awards expected.

Certified Communities

• Awards up to $20,000

• Total of $80,000

• Up to 4 awards expected.

For more information, please head to our website. You can also download our request for proposals or register for our informational webinar on October 8th, 12-1pm.

Apply for the grants here.

Applications must be submitted using the online application portal by 11:59 PM on Monday, November 10. At that time the portal will close. Only online application submissions will be considered for funding.

Questions? Email SMGrants@umd.edu

These grants are made possible by the State of Maryland, via the SM Program Fund.

SM SUSTAINABILITY TOURS

DURING WALKTOBER

WALKtober is coming! Join the SM Team and local experts on a series of guided tours aimed at elected officials, municipal staff and Green Team members.

You'll get a chance to see up close what a sustainable town or city or project looks like, and hear from the people who run them. Hands on, real world sustainability projects, that you can take back to your community and replicate. Please join us on one or more of the following tours, and please check out MDOT's activities in WALKtober:

Saturday, Oct. 4, 10:30am-12:30pm

Royal Ports of the Eastern Shore Tour:

Town of Chestertown

REGISTRATION/AGENDA

Wednesday, Oct. 8, 4:00-6:00pm

On the Banks of the Patuxent Tour:

City of Laurel (SOLD OUT)



Wednesday, Oct. 22, 4:00-5:30pm

Head of the Chesapeake Bay Tour:

City of Havre de Grace

REGISTRATION/AGENDA

All tours are free. Space is limited; registration required.

SM FALL HAPPY HOUR

BABYCAT BREWERY, KENSINGTON

OCTOBER 30, 5:00-7:00pm

Join us on Thursday, October 30, from 5:00-7:00pm for a Sustainable Maryland Happy Hour at BabyCat Brewery in Kensington.

Network with friends old and new. Share your recent projects, current frustrations and future plans with a supportive group. Excellent collaborations happen most often when we gather around the table.

All are welcome - Green Team members, local elected officials, government staff, state and nonprofit representatives, and engaged citizens.

Note: Cash bar; appetizers provided. RSVP is appreciated.

RSVP

We hope you can join us!

MD SMART ENERGY COMMUNITIES FUNDING SOARS TO ONE-TIME FUNDING AROUND OF $64 MILLION FOR FY26

This year, the Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) will have a one-time offering of up to $64 Million for the Local Government Energy Modernization (L-GEM) program to support local governments’ large-scale efforts to plan and implement energy efficiency and clean energy projects. This will be in place of their annual MD Smart Energy Communities grants.

The application deadline is Dec. 5, 2025.

For more information about the L-GEM FY26 program, contact Lacey Allor, L-GEM/MSEC program manager, at msec.mea@maryland.gov ​or by phone at 410-507-7143.

​Want to meet virtually one-on-one? Schedule a 30 minute meeting here: https://calendly.com/lacey-allor-maryland/30min