Frequently Asked Questions

Businesses interested in doing business with the County should check our website frequently for all bidding opportunities.

Harford County currently has 2 programs, Grant-in-Aid and Criminal Justice Coordinating Council grants. Funds are available on a competitive basis. Organizations must meet certain eligibility criteria and must submit requests by a predetermined date, using an application form provided by Harford County. For more information, contact Harford County Department of Community Services at 410-638-3117 or 410-638-3389.

For construction projects only, the County requires companies be pre-qualified in order to ensure that a company has the experience and skill necessary to perform each construction project valued at $100,000 or more. A Pre-qualification Application can be downloaded from the County's website. The application is completed detailing a company's qualifications and examples of the type of work performed as it relates to the various type of pre-qualification categories. The application is submitted to the Procurement Office where it is reviewed and evaluated. A Certificate of Pre-qualification is issued based on the company's qualifications and work history. If approved, a Certificate is issued for a 2 year period only. All pre-qualified companies must resubmit their application prior to the expiration of their current Pre-qualification Certificate in order to continue to be pre-qualified to do business with Harford County.

For information on zoning and permitted uses on a property, visit Harford County Planning and Zoning or call 410-638-3103.

Bids and proposals currently being solicited are posted on our online bids, eMaryland Marketplace, and on the bulletin board located outside of the Procurement Department's entrance on the 3rd floor of the Harford County Administrative Office Building, at 220 South Main Street, Bel Air, MD.

Bid results may be obtained by using our online bid results or by calling the Department of Procurement at 410-638-3550. Bid results are also posted on the bulletin board outside of the Department of Procurement.

Workforce Technical Training Applications can be obtained by contacting the Office of Economic Development at 410-638-3059.

The Office of Economic Development offers many valuable resources including Site Location Services, Fast Track Permitting Assistance, Enterprise Zone Tax Credits and Financial and Workforce Assistance including Workforce Technical Training Grants. For more information, visit the Business Toolbox section of the website or contact 410-638-3059.

Enterprise Zones are areas designated by the State of Maryland which insure the retention and spur expansion of resident businesses, encourage the creation of well paying jobs, promote development and occupancy of vacant, underutilized land and buildings and support the county's commitments to revitalizing older industrial areas of Harford County. For more information contact the Office of Economic Development at 410-638-3059.

The Harford County Green Business Network was designed to foster a networking environment for businesses to collaborate and discover innovative, sustainable business practices. For more information call the Office of Economic Development at 410-638-3059 or join the Harford County Green Business Network online.

For the most up-to-date Workforce Technical Training Grant schedule, see the Workforce Technical Training Grant Application online or contact the Harford County Office of Economic Development at 410-638-3059.

Harford County offers a wealth of information for starting your new business. To get started, you can contact the Office of Economic Development at 410-638-3059 or visit the Small Business Technology Development Center online.

For information on the Harford County Opportunity Fund, contact the Office of Economic Development at 410-638-3103 or Financial Services.

If your business is located in Aberdeen, Havre de Grace, Edgewood or Joppa, you may be located within an Enterprise Zone. For more information, contact the Office of Economic Development at 410-638-3059.

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Technical assistance is provided by the Department of Community Services, Local Grants Office, 410-638-3117. This includes general, written information on grant writing as well as assistance in developing proposal concepts and review of proposals. In addition, many libraries have books on grant writing and groups such as the Association of Baltimore Area Grantmakers or Harford Community College often offer courses, seminars, and workshops on grant related topics.

The Maryland Small Business and Technology Development Center provides counseling and support to entrepreneurs and small to mid-size businesses with business plans, identifying sources of capital and the entire loan process. Additional information can be obtained by contacting the Office of Economic Development at 410-638-3059.

Property Management should be contacted at 410-638-3213.

Property Management should be contacted at 410-638-3213.

Under certain criteria, a business may be operated from the home with a valid permit. The business must be incidental and subordinate to the residential use. Some uses are prohibited (i.e.dancing or karate schools, medical clinics, gift stores, construction businesses.)