The Maryland Horse Industry Board is now accepting grant applications for research, educational and promotional projects that support horses or the equestrian community, or develop new opportunities for the Maryland horse industry. Application deadline is October 2.
Among the organizations eligible for grants are non-profit organizations, clubs and associations, businesses, licensed farms and stables, government entities, schools and educational institutions. Projects of interest to the Board include (but are not limited to) those that develop new opportunities for the Maryland horse industry.
Projects will be evaluated for their value to the industry, degree of industry promotion, size and scope of activity, financial need, potential for matching funds, benefits and quality of the written presentation. Grant requests should not exceed $3,000. The average grant amount is approximately $1,000. In 2017, 28 projects received $30,000 in grant allocations.
Funding for these grants and for the Maryland Horse Industry Board is provided by the Maryland Feed Fund, which collects $6 on every ton of horse feed sold in Maryland. Since the fund was established in 2002, MHIB has awarded over $400,000 in grant monies to over 300 projects throughout Maryland.
“Horses are a critical component to Maryland’s agricultural industry. The Maryland Horse Industry Board and The Feed Fund do a terrific job in helping to stimulate growth and opportunity in Maryland’s equestrian community—without using any government funding,” said Horse Industry Board Chairman Jim Steele. “As a completely self-funded commodity marketing entity, MHIB is a model for how industry groups can help themselves without relying on taxpayer dollars.”
Grant recipients will be announced no later than January 1, 2018. Funding will be available after that date. Projects should be completed by June 30, 2018.
The Maryland Horse Industry Board was established in 1998 to promote and develop the equine industry in Maryland and is housed at the Maryland Department of Agriculture.
Click here for grant guidelines, grant applications, to read about prior grant recipients and their projects or for more information on MHIB or the Feed Fund.
