What it is

The Prince George's County Economic Development Corporation (PGCEDC) is the county's economic development agency. It works on business attraction, retention and expansion, site selection and small business support. The agency notes that 95 percent of businesses in Prince George's County are small businesses, and much of its programming is built for them. Its offices are at 1801 McCormick Drive, Suite 350, in Largo.

What it offers founders

  • Small Business Services: business plan assistance and review, marketing plan review, loan package development, introductions to financiers and resource partners, workspace site selection support, networking and free education programs. One-on-one counseling is available onsite with counselors from SCORE, the Small Business Development Center and the Procurement Technical Assistance Center.
  • Innovation Station Business Incubator: office suites, virtual offices and co-working in Largo, with coaching, CEO roundtables, procurement training, the Pathways financial management seminars and Pitch Perfect pitch coaching. Published monthly rates run from $175 for a virtual office to $700 for a large private office, on six-month or one-year terms.
  • Incentives: information on the $50 million EDI Fund, the county Enterprise Zone, Opportunity Zones, property tax credits and state programs such as More Jobs for Marylanders.
  • Procurement and cohort programs: bid opportunity listings, a Construction Mentor-Protege program, a Start Up Business Series cohort and Latino Business Services.

Who it is for

Small, local and minority-owned businesses located in Prince George's County, entrepreneurs planning to start a business there, companies looking for sites to expand into the county, and international firms seeking a soft landing. The C-Suite program targets CEOs of established small, minority and women-owned businesses, and Business English Essentials has served non-native English-speaking entrepreneurs.

How to engage

Start with the Small Business Services page or call the main line at 301-583-4650 to request counseling. For incubator space, review rates and the application on the Innovation Station page, where you can also book a consultation with the Director of Incubation and Entrepreneurship. Open cohorts and workshops are listed on Current Programs, and financing and tax programs are summarized on the Incentives page.

Why it matters in the DMV ecosystem

For a founder based in or moving to Prince George's County, PGCEDC is the local front door to county, state and federal resources. It connects businesses to SCORE, the SBDC, PTAC, the Maryland Department of Commerce and area universities such as the University of Maryland and Bowie State, and it is a practical source of procurement leads, incentives and affordable incubator space close to Washington, DC.