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Make Office Vacancy Extinct (MOVE) Grant Program Ongoing
Grantaura Eligibility Checker

Eligibility for Make Office Vacancy Extinct (MOVE) Grant Program

Montgomery County pays $8-$15 per square foot for new or expanded commercial office leases, up to $150,000, first-come first-served.

Amount $150,000
Deadline Ongoing
Location Montgomery County
Category Grants For For-Profit Businesses
Questions 10 total
Required 10 required
View full grant on Grantaura Updated April 2, 2026 on Grantaura.

The Make Office Vacancy Extinct (MOVE) Grant Program from Montgomery County, Maryland pays businesses $8 to $15 per square foot for signing or expanding a commercial office lease. But here is what I found when I dug into the actual program rules: the eligibility conditions are more specific than a one-line summary suggests. Your lease type, your space's third-party software classification, your business category, and the exact date you signed all interact to determine whether you qualify. This checker walks through each condition in sequence. It takes a few minutes and gives you a clear directional answer before you spend time gathering five required documents. Two things worth flagging before you start: the 180-day application window begins on your lease execution date, not your move-in date. And several county-adjacent pages still publish outdated figures ($80,000 cap, 90-day window) - the current program, updated by Bill 11-24 in July 2024, has a $150,000 cap and a 180-day window.

Who This Grant Is Actually For

Two distinct groups can apply, and most secondary coverage still undersells the second one. The first group: businesses signing their very first commercial office lease in Montgomery County. New to the county entirely, or relocating from one county address to another - both qualify on the same terms. The second group, added by the 2024 legislative update: businesses already operating in Montgomery County that are expanding their existing office footprint by at least 500 square feet. If you have been in Rockville for five years and you are signing an expansion lease, this program now covers you too. What does not qualify? A simple lease renewal with no added square footage. The trigger is new square footage committed to, not continued occupancy of what you already had.

The Classification Check Most People Miss

Your lease can say "office" in plain English and your landlord can call it office space. That does not determine your eligibility. What matters is how the space is classified in third-party real estate software - CoStar is the most commonly referenced platform - that the county consults to verify building designations. Flex space, coworking, mixed-use, or industrial classifications in that database create a disqualification risk regardless of how you use the space. I would strongly recommend checking your building's classification before you apply, because you cannot easily change a software label after the fact. If your classification is uncertain, a live 1-on-1 video or phone call with a grant expert can review your specific property details before you commit time to the application.

The Exclusions Worth Knowing Before You Start

Three business categories are explicitly excluded: retail stores, restaurants, and independent financial or insurance agent/broker establishments. Related-party leases - between a business and its own subsidiary - are also disqualified. One exception worth knowing: craft alcohol producers (breweries, cideries, distilleries, wineries) qualify if their primary use of the space is production rather than retail. That exception is in the county code and is often missed by businesses in those sectors. If you fall into an excluded category for the county program but your space is within Rockville city limits, the Rockville MOVE supplement runs separate rules and explicitly includes retail and restaurant businesses.

What Happens After the Checker

If your result comes back clearly eligible, the next practical step is preparing your five-document submission package - and the business plan is where most applications slow down. The county requires it but provides no template, no format guidance, and no stated expectations for financial projection depth. The depth that passes for a $20,000 award looks materially different from what a reviewer wants to see for a $120,000 award. Our team reviews your business plan specifically against what county reviewers have seen at this program, not against generic grant-writing advice. Start your application submission review and we will work through what that preparation looks like for your specific lease size and award tier.

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Make Office Vacancy Extinct (MOVE) Grant Program

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Eligibility Requirements (Source-Based)

  1. Is your commercial office lease for space located within Montgomery County, Maryland? Required
    Confidence: H
    Source
  2. Which of the following best describes your lease situation? Required
    Confidence: H
    Source
  3. Is the term of your signed commercial office lease 36 months (3 years) or longer? Required
    Confidence: H
    Source
  4. Is your leased space classified as Office Space in a third-party real estate database such as CoStar? Required
    Confidence: H
    Source
  5. Is your business primarily a retail store, restaurant, or an independent financial or insurance agent/broker establishment? Required
    Confidence: H
    Source
  6. Is the lease executed between your business and one of its own subsidiaries or related entities? Required
    Confidence: H
    Source
  7. Is your business currently in good standing with the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT)? Required
    Confidence: H
    Source
  8. How long ago did you sign (execute) your commercial office lease? Required
    Confidence: H
    Source
  9. Which of the following best describes your business structure? Required
    Confidence: M
    Source Source
  10. Does the leased space have a real physical property address (not a PO box, mobile trailer, or non-permanent structure)? Required
    Confidence: H
    Source