Opportunity Overview
The Maryland Department of Emergency Management (MDEM), Maryland Department of Information Technology (DoIT), and the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program (SLCGP) Planning Committee have opened a new cybersecurity funding round for Maryland local governments. The current announcement makes more than $4.9 million available through FFY 2024 funding plus additional remaining FFY 2023 funds.
Deadline and Funding Structure
Applications are accepted through September 22, 2026. The official August 24 announcement does not publish a specific closing time, so applicants should submit before the posted date rather than assume an end-of-day cutoff. Maryland received approximately $4.9 million for FFY 2024; at least 80% of SLCGP funding supports local jurisdictions, and 25% is reserved for rural jurisdictions. The State has not published a universal individual award floor or ceiling for this round.
Who Can Apply
Eligible applicants are Maryland local governments. The federal and Maryland definition includes counties, municipalities, cities, towns, townships, local public authorities, school districts, special districts, councils of governments, regional or interstate governmental entities, and agencies or instrumentalities of local governments. Rural communities and other qualifying public entities may also apply. Applicants claiming rural status should include documentation supporting that designation.
What the Funding Supports
Projects must address cybersecurity risks or threats affecting information systems owned or operated by, or on behalf of, eligible public entities. Maryland states that projects should align with CISA priorities and the Maryland SLCGP plan and may support cybersecurity services, technology modernization, governance, resilience, workforce development, and other documented cybersecurity needs. Vendor or contractor use should be supported with the required procurement and budget documentation.
Healthcare and School Relevance
This is not a clinical-care grant, but it is highly relevant to local school systems, school districts, local public agencies, and public-health infrastructure that need to harden networks, protect sensitive data, improve incident response, or modernize cybersecurity controls. Rural jurisdictions have a specific funding reservation, making the program particularly important for smaller public entities with limited internal cyber capacity.
Atlas Analysis
Atlas Opportunity Score: 88/100. The round is current, statewide, well-funded, and unusually relevant to public-sector infrastructure because of the local-government set-aside and rural reservation. Strong applications should define the cyber risk, map the proposed project to state and CISA priorities, document measurable milestones, demonstrate implementation capacity, and explain sustainability after the grant period.
N9+ Direct Vendor Fit: 0/100. This is a cybersecurity infrastructure grant, not a clinical technology or remote-exam funding pathway. Atlas should not position N9+ as a direct solution under this program.
Next Action
Eligible jurisdictions should review the current MDEM application materials, confirm the applicable FFY 2023 or FFY 2024 track, document rural status when relevant, assemble budget and vendor-support materials, and submit before September 22, 2026. FFY 2023 projects must be completed by September 2027 and FFY 2024 projects by September 2028.
Official sources: MDEM August 24, 2026 funding announcement and MDEM Cyber Preparedness Funding.