Federal and state AI mandates have created a funding environment that is purpose-built for what Bowie BIC already does. This playbook shows you how to capture it.
Federal, state, and local priorities have aligned in a way that rarely happens. When policy mandates at every level point to the same outcome, funded programs follow. Bowie BIC is positioned at the exact intersection — but only if you move now.
Trump's July 2025 AI Action Plan calls for workforce development, AI literacy pipelines, and rapid retraining as cross-cutting national priorities. Two April 2025 Executive Orders specifically target AI education and high-skill job preparation. Federal procurement is being reshaped around AI-capable contractors.
Announced February 18, 2026. Three grant programs running simultaneously: $1.5M Lighthouse AI Internship Program, $1M Upskilling & Reskilling grants (up to $200K each, due April 24), and $1.5M Cyber Maryland clinics. BIC qualifies for multiple programs at once.
Bowie State University NSF EPIIC program, PG County economic development priorities, and BIC's existing 8(a) contractor network create a built-in deployment ecosystem. No one else in this geography is connecting these three layers.
The table below maps federal and state AI priorities directly to BIC programs and the proposed THINK Agentic AI Intern Program. This is your funding narrative — translate mandate language into program language, and doors open.
| Level | Initiative / Authority | What It Calls For | BIC Program Alignment | THINK Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FederalEO 14179 (Jan 2025) | Remove barriers to AI innovation; establish American AI dominance | Workforce AI adoption in private sector; reduce friction for SMBs to deploy AI | 8(a) Accelerator + Capital Readiness businesses adopting AI | Digital Employee deployment for BIC portfolio businesses |
| FederalAI Action Plan (Jul 2025) | Expand AI literacy; rapidly retrain workers; pilot new AI workforce innovations | Structured AI education pipelines from institutions to employers | Bowie BIC as delivery vehicle; BSU as talent pipeline | THINK Foundations curriculum — 7-module practitioner training |
| FederalEO 14277 + 14278 (Apr 2025) | "Advancing AI Education for American Youth" + "High-Paying Skilled Trade Jobs of the Future" | College-level AI career pathways; employer partnerships for skilled job prep | Intern cohort from BSU + area HBCUs placed with BIC businesses | THINK certification pathway; Digital Employee practitioner credentials |
| FederalSBA 8(a) Modernization | AI-capable contractors win more federal work; BD differentiation through technology | 8(a) firms need demonstrable AI capability for competitive proposals | 8(a) Accelerator cohort businesses as primary host sites | Custom Digital Employees for proposals, business development, marketing, accounting, financial reporting, operations, or sales processes |
| StateMD Lighthouse AI Internship ($1.5M) | Fund experiential AI learning for college seniors/graduates in lighthouse sectors | Up to $150K per applicant; rolling/first-come; intern wages + admin costs covered | BIC as lead applicant; businesses as host sites; BSU as talent source | Workforce infrastructure — curriculum, DE build kits, deployment oversight |
| StateMD Upskilling & Reskilling ($1M) | Workforce partners train workers; must partner with 3+ employers; due April 24 | Up to $200K; nonprofit/higher ed eligible; employer-aligned training | BIC as lead applicant; 8(a) firms + BIC businesses as employer partners | THINK Foundations as the training program; AI skills curriculum delivery |
| StateMD AI Enablement Strategy (DoIT) | Whole-of-state AI adoption; no MD worker left behind; PoCs to production | Community organizations as AI adoption bridges for underserved populations | BIC serves SEDBs — socially/economically disadvantaged businesses | AI adoption documentation creates future grant data and case studies |
| StateCyber Maryland / TEDCO | Cyber + AI clinics in Prince George's County; defense industrial base training | TCecure PG County clinic targeting defense orgs and under-resourced students | BIC 8(a) defense contractors as clinic participants/partners | THINK agentic AI layer adds differentiated capability beyond base cyber training |
| LocalBSU NSF EPIIC | HBCU innovation ecosystem; AI workforce development for underserved communities | Research-to-practice pathways; student talent to community businesses | Bowie State as HBCU talent pipeline for THINK intern cohort | THINK Foundations as pre-internship credentialing; DE skills as career differentiator |
BIC doesn't have to pick one grant. A well-structured program activates multiple funding streams simultaneously — and the outcomes from early programs fund the next round.
Up to $150,000 per applicant. Covers intern wages ($10K/intern) + admin costs + supportive services. BIC as lead, BSU as talent source, 8(a) businesses as host sites. Submit to: [email protected] · Contact: Brittney Hansen, MD Dept of Labor
Up to $200,000 for workforce partners (nonprofits, higher ed, industry associations). Must partner with 3+ employers. Training must align with Maryland lighthouse sector needs. Pre-proposal conference has passed. Grants begin June 1. Contact: Brittney Hansen — register interest now.
Economic Development Administration. BIC as lead applicant, Compound Leverage as AI implementation partner. Lighthouse internship outcomes become proof of concept for this larger ask. Requires demonstrated ecosystem impact — build that story with the MD grants first.
Extension of existing BSU NSF EPIIC relationship. Workforce-focused programs; HBCU pipeline angle. THINK practitioner cohort outcomes from Internship Program become the research dataset and impact narrative for this application.
A four-way value engine: students get AI practitioner credentials, BIC businesses get deployed Digital Employees, Adjunct Professors, CL Partners, or Certified THINK Strategists provide program oversight, and BIC gets funded to run it. Compound Leverage provides the workforce infrastructure — curriculum, build kits, and deployment oversight.
"We don't teach people about AI. We train them to build and deploy Digital Employees — autonomous AI agents that run real business workflows. Then we send those practitioners into your ecosystem to do it live."
— Marvin Harris, THINK Creator & Founder, Compound LeverageTHINK Foundations (7 modules): strategic AI deployment framework covering Task, Hypothesis, Invest, Network, Knowledge.
Digital Employee architecture: how to design, build, and deploy autonomous AI agents for real business operations.
Agentic workflow design for the lighthouse sectors most relevant to Maryland's economy: tech, A&D, life sciences, manufacturing.
A dedicated team of 2 THINK Strategists and/or Builders embedded in their operations for the internship term.
THINK Mandate Diagnostic + custom playbook scoped to their highest-priority workflow. Examples include proposals, business development, marketing, accounting, financial reporting, operations, or sales processes.
At least one custom Digital Employee built and deployed during the engagement — theirs to operate independently after the program ends.
On-demand access to certified THINK Strategists for ongoing project work — hire the talent your Digital Employees were trained alongside.
State and federal funding to run the program — up to $350K across two simultaneous grant programs.
A signature AI workforce offering that no other accelerator in Maryland has — fundable, replicable, and scalable to future cohorts.
Documented AI adoption outcomes across your portfolio. That data unlocks the next grant cycle and positions BIC as the proof point for Maryland's AI workforce strategy.
Program oversight is provided by Adjunct Professors, Compound Leverage Partners, or Certified THINK Strategists — ensuring every engagement is supervised by someone who has deployed AI in the real world.
They validate practitioner progress, ensure the experience meets academic and grant documentation standards, and translate real-world outcomes into credentialed learning records.
A flexible oversight model that draws from institutional faculty, seasoned CL partners, or advanced practitioners — matched to each cohort's needs.
THINK Foundations curriculum — the same framework behind $6M+ in government contract wins.
Digital Employee build kits and templates for BIC's business verticals: government contracting, professional services, financial services.
Program design, Mandate Diagnostics for host businesses, and deployment oversight across the cohort.
Adjunct Professors, CL Partners, or Certified THINK Strategists serve as embedded program oversight — credentialing the practitioner experience, bridging institutional requirements, and ensuring program rigor meets both grant and academic standards.
Host businesses pay a single participation fee to Bowie BIC. That fee funds the full program — intern wages, program administration, and the strategic implementation infrastructure Compound Leverage provides. One invoice. One relationship. No complexity.
Structured discovery session that maps your organization's highest-leverage AI opportunity. Produces a scored mandate brief and prioritized implementation roadmap.
Documented execution playbook built for your specific workflow — proposals, business development, marketing, accounting, financial reporting, operations, or sales processes. Yours to own and operate.
At least one fully built and deployed Digital Employee — an autonomous AI agent running a real workflow inside your business by the end of the program term.
Businesses that complete the program also gain direct access to the THINK Strategist talent pool — certified practitioners available to hire for ongoing AI projects, roadmap execution, and Digital Employee expansion.
TBD
Invoiced through Bowie BIC as a single program participation fee. Covers the full implementation stack — diagnostic, playbook, deployed Digital Employee, and practitioner access. Contact us to discuss your organization's scope.
Four opportunity quadrants defined by urgency and strategic impact. The top-right is where BIC should be operating now.
Rolling application + April 24 deadline. Both grants align directly with Moore's $4M AI investment. BIC qualifies for both simultaneously. Federal AI Action Plan creates the political environment that makes these grants non-negotiable for the state to fund. Apply now.
Internship program outcomes become the impact narrative for these larger federal applications. Build the story with MD grants first. EDA program ranges from $500K–$3M. NSF EPIIC extension adds HBCU research layer via Bowie State relationship.
TCecure is the PG County-anchored Cyber Maryland clinic targeting defense industrial base. BIC's 8(a) defense contractors are the exact audience. THINK agentic AI layer differentiates this from basic cybersecurity training. Pursue partnership with TCecure.
Federal procurement shifting toward AI-capable contractors creates permanent demand for BIC's 8(a) program to include AI deployment. Position BIC as the Maryland 8(a) accelerator that produces AI-ready contractors — this becomes the BD story for every future cohort.
The AI economy has layers. Most organizations fight for the wrong layer. The implementation and workforce layers are where mandate-driven money flows — and where BIC has a natural, defensible position that no tech vendor can replicate.
| Layer | What It Is | Who Plays Here | Policy Signal | BIC's Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Policy | Federal/state AI mandates | White House, MD Governor's Office | EO 14179, AI Action Plan, Moore $4M | Mandate creates the funding environment |
| Financing | Grants, programs, capital | MD Dept of Labor, SBA, EDA, NSF | $150K + $200K available now | Lead applicant for MD Lighthouse grants |
| Infrastructure | AI models and platforms | Anthropic, OpenAI, Google | Federal AI dominance priority | — |
| Vendor | Tools and integrations | SaaS companies | — | — |
| Implementation | Deploy AI into real operations | Compound Leverage | AI workforce development directive | Program design + deployment oversight |
| Workforce | Train people to operate AI | Bowie BIC + THINK | MD Lighthouse Internship; Upskilling grants; AI Action Plan workforce pillar | Core position. Funded by state mandate. Irreplaceable by tech vendors. |
| SMB / Contractor | Businesses deploying AI | BIC portfolio; 8(a) firms | Federal procurement AI-capability shift | Primary beneficiaries; outcome documentation |
The following is an illustrative timeline showing how a cohort might align with the academic semester and summer calendar. Actual start dates are determined through the BIC and program partner planning process.
BIC submits MD Lighthouse AI Internship application. Program curriculum framework and THINK Foundations materials finalized. Host businesses identified from current BIC cohort. Intern recruitment begins through BSU and partner institutions. Upskilling & Reskilling grant application submitted ahead of April 24 deadline.
Selected interns complete THINK Foundations 7-module curriculum — delivered via THINK School platform. BIC hosts program kick-off. Compound Leverage runs Mandate Diagnostics on each host business to identify their highest-value AI deployment opportunity. Oversight provided by Adjunct Professors, CL Partners, or Certified THINK Strategists.
Intern teams of 2 matched to host businesses. Workflow mapping begins. Each team builds and deploys at least one custom Digital Employee for their host business — targeting proposals, business development, marketing, accounting, financial reporting, operations, or sales processes. Business owners receive operations training.
AI adoption metrics documented across portfolio. Outcomes packaged for EDA Build to Scale and NSF EPIIC extension applications. Next cohort recruitment opens. BIC establishes its position as Maryland's premier AI workforce accelerator.
Cohort outcomes narrative supports EDA Build to Scale application ($500K–$3M). Pursue Cyber Maryland and defense industrial base AI training partnerships. Expand THINK practitioner network. Position for NSF EPIIC extension with Bowie State.
Grant applications are won with narrative coherence. Here is how to frame the Bowie BIC program so it speaks the language of every funding source simultaneously.
"Bowie BIC's THINK Agentic AI Intern Program creates AI-ready workers and AI-capable businesses — directly advancing the Administration's goal of building American AI dominance through workforce development and private sector adoption."
"Our program delivers hands-on AI practitioner training to college graduates from HBCUs and Maryland universities, then places them inside socially and economically disadvantaged businesses — ensuring AI opportunity reaches every corner of Maryland's economy."
"Businesses that complete BIC's 8(a) Accelerator now leave with an AI-capable workforce and at least one deployed Digital Employee — making them more competitive in federal procurement and more bankable for growth capital."
These are the events happening right now that make this the right moment — not next quarter, not next year.
The Governor announced this on February 18. The pre-proposal conference for the Upskilling grant was today. Early movers get funded. Late movers write case studies about what they should have done.
No deadline. First-come. Every week you wait is a week another organization can claim a portion of the $1.5M pool. Applications are submitted directly by email — there is no complex procurement process.
BSU and Maryland HBCU seniors are actively seeking positions now through May. The best intern recruiting window aligns perfectly with the program launch timeline. Apply first, recruit simultaneously.
Federal agencies are beginning to score AI capability in contractor evaluations. Every BIC 8(a) firm that completes the THINK program can legitimately claim AI deployment capability in their proposals — a competitive differentiator that compounds over time.
Trump's December 2025 EO is consolidating AI policy at the federal level, challenging state regulations that impede innovation. States that move fast with workforce programs — not regulatory programs — stay in good standing with federal funding eligibility.
Every subsequent grant BIC applies for becomes easier once you have documented AI adoption outcomes from Cohort 1. The first program is the investment. Everything after is the return.
Compound Leverage provides the workforce infrastructure. Bowie BIC brings the ecosystem. Together, we capture the funding, deliver the outcomes, and establish BIC as Maryland's premier AI workforce accelerator.