Small Business Grants in Delaware
Delaware has four small business grants open right now. None is the one the state is famous for.
Delaware has four small business grants open right now. None is the one the state is famous for. The EDGE Grant Competition closed its autumn round on 11 September 2026. No new round has been posted. What is left is narrower. The Technical Innovation Program pays a transition grant after a federal SBIR or STTR Phase I. The Modernization Investment Support Initiative funds a Delaware site that must update to stay in the game. Brownfield Assistance and the Site Readiness Fund pay toward land and buildings. Those two suit property owners more than a service business. All four go before the Council on Development Finance. Start with your DSB Regional Business Manager.
Which Delaware grants fit your business?
Answer 7 quick questions and we sort the 13 programs on this page into likely fits and long shots. Nothing personal is asked or stored, and final eligibility is always decided by the granting agency.
Delaware Small Business Grant Programs
State-administered funding programs available to Delaware small businesses. Verify deadlines directly with the granting agency before applying.
Delaware Technical Innovation Program (DTIP)
Delaware Division of Small Business
Varies (transition grants)
RollingA transition grant for the gap between federal SBIR and STTR phases. You qualify once you have finished Phase I and applied for Phase II. It keeps the work moving while you wait on the federal decision. That wait is where a lot of Delaware technology firms stall. Applications go before the Council on Development Finance. DSB publishes a fact sheet and no application window, so it takes applications on a rolling basis.
Modernization Investment Support Initiative (MISI)
Delaware Division of Small Business / Council on Development Finance
Varies by project
Rolling, applications go before the Council on Development FinanceGrant money for a Delaware site that has to modernise or lose out. It is aimed at firms facing competition that would cost local jobs unless the site is updated. That competition can be local, national or global. Applications go before the Council on Development Finance. The Division of Small Business handles payment and checks. DSB publishes a fact sheet but no award range. Ask your Regional Business Manager what a fair request looks like.
Delaware Site Readiness Fund
Delaware Division of Small Business
Up to $10,000,000 (fund total)
RollingGrants, loans or other help for building or improving commercial and industrial sites that bring in jobs. Businesses and local governments can both apply. This one pays for infrastructure. It fits a developer, or a firm building its own premises, more than a service business. DSB puts the form on its site readiness page and takes it all year.
Brownfield Assistance Program
Delaware Division of Small Business
Matching grant, DSB publishes no award figure
RollingMatching grants to property owners and developers who clean up and reuse contaminated land. DSB publishes no award figure, so ask your Regional Business Manager what to request. It suits a business that owns its site, not one that rents. Applications go to the Council on Development Finance. There is no deadline.
Delaware Strategic Fund
Delaware Division of Small Business / Council on Development Finance
Varies by project (FY 2026 allocation: $34.7M)
RollingNot a grant programme on its own. Delaware bundles customised grants with low interest loans under one fund. It does not publish a split. What you get depends on how your project is negotiated. It is the state's main tool for keeping and growing businesses. It backs projects that lift Delaware's economy in a measurable way. Applications go before the Council on Development Finance. DSB publishes a fact sheet.
State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI)
Delaware Division of Small Business
Up to $1,000,000 (Accelerator/Seed Capital Program)
RollingNot a grant programme. This is $60.9 million of federal SSBCI money that Delaware puts to work as equity and as lending. It runs through four sub programmes. The Accelerator and Seed Capital Program buys a stake in high impact startups after their seed round, up to $1 million. The Early-Stage Venture Capital Program does the same job earlier. The Loan Participation Program and the Capital Access Program both back bank lending. You go to a lending partner, not to the state.
EDGE Grant Competition
Delaware Division of Small Business
Scaled awards from a $400,000 Entrepreneur pool and a $750,000 STEM pool
Deadline Sep 11, 2026Delaware's flagship grant, awarded by a pitch in front of expert judges. The autumn 2026 round closed on 11 September. No new round has been posted. Learn the bar now, because rounds open and close quickly. Up to ten Entrepreneur Class winners share a pot of $400,000. Up to eight STEM winners share $750,000. That is 18 awards at most, each scaled to the pitch. Your business must be majority in Delaware and under seven years old. It must have 15 or fewer full-time staff and under $700,000 in assets. The money is a 3 to 1 match, $3 of state funding for every $1 you put in. Finalists also get in-kind support after the pitch.
Delaware Grocery Initiative (First State Food System Program)
Delaware Division of Small Business
$5,000 - $12,500 per grant ($700,000 total pool for 2026)
March 2026Grants for food businesses in or near a food desert. The money covered operations, equipment, capital costs and supply chain work. Cycle 5 closed in March 2026. Delaware announced the awards in May, $700,000 shared among 28 organisations. No new cycle has been posted.
Workforce Training Grant
Delaware Division of Small Business
Up to $100,000 per project
ClosedA matching programme that pays for specialist staff training. It is paused. DSB is checking it against other state schemes so the two do not overlap. Ask DSB when it reopens.
Federal Grant Programs
These federal programs are available to small businesses in every state.
SBA 7(a) Loan Program
The SBA's primary lending program guarantees loans through participating lenders. This is a loan, not a grant. But the terms favor small businesses that may not qualify for conventional financing.
Learn moreSBA Microloan Program
Loans up to $50,000, not grants. You borrow from a nonprofit lender near you, not from the SBA itself. The money can cover working capital, inventory, supplies or equipment. Most people get far less than the cap. The average microloan is about $13,000.
Learn moreSBIR/STTR Grants
Competitive federal grants for small businesses doing research and development with commercial potential. Eleven federal agencies take part. Phase I funds proof of concept. Phase II funds full development.
Learn moreMinority Business Development Agency (MBDA) Programs
Help for minority owned businesses that need capital, contracts or new markets. MBDA runs business centers around the country. They give advice, help with bids, and point you toward lenders.
Learn moreGet Grant-Ready
Before you apply, most Delaware grant programs expect these basics to be in place.
Form your business entity
Most Delaware grant programs require applicants to be a registered LLC, corporation, or nonprofit. If you haven't formed yet, that's the first step.
$39 + state fee. Includes registered agent, business address, and more.
Get your EIN
An Employer Identification Number is free from the IRS and required on nearly every grant application. You can apply online and receive it immediately.
Open a business bank account
Grant funds need to go into a dedicated business account, not your personal checking. Most agencies will ask for your banking details on the application.
Mercury is a fintech company, not an FDIC-insured bank. Banking services provided through Choice Financial Group and Column N.A., Members FDIC.
Grants by Business Type
Targeted programs for specific business owners in Delaware.
Women-owned Business Grants
Delaware runs no women-only grant. Certification through the Office of Supplier Diversity is free. It helps with state contracts rather than with these grants. The EDGE Competition judges the pitch, not the owner.
- ›Office of Supplier Diversity
- ›EDGE Grant Competition
Minority-owned Business Grants
There is no minority-only grant here either. Free OSD certification helps with state contracting. Delaware's SSBCI programmes do favour owners who have had less access to credit. That is settled with the lender, not with a form.
- ›Office of Supplier Diversity
- ›Delaware SSBCI
Veteran-owned Business Grants
Veteran and service-disabled veteran owned firms can get free OSD certification. That helps with state procurement. The SBA Delaware District Office runs veteran support. Neither one is a grant.
- ›Office of Supplier Diversity
- ›SBA Delaware District Office
Technology/Innovation Business Grants
This is the strongest category in Delaware. The Technical Innovation Program pays a transition grant after federal SBIR or STTR Phase I. You must have applied for Phase II. The EDGE Competition runs a STEM track. Up to eight winners share $750,000, and it publishes no cap per award. The SSBCI Accelerator and Seed Capital Program invests up to $1 million after a seed round.
- ›Delaware Technical Innovation Program (DTIP)
- ›EDGE Grant Competition
- ›SSBCI Accelerator and Seed Capital Program
Rural Business Grants
DSB gives Kent and Sussex their own Regional Business Managers. That is the best first call. The Grocery Initiative used to serve food businesses here. Its round closed in March 2026 and the awards went out in May. USDA's Rural Business Development Grant bars for-profit applicants, so it is not a route either.
- ›DSB Regional Business Managers
Tips for Applying in Delaware
Increase your chances of approval with these state-specific tips.
- 1Create your own account on the DSB portal at business.delaware.gov using your business email. If you use a grant writer, you still need to be the authorised account holder.
- 2For the EDGE Grant, check you clear the bar before you write anything. Your business must be majority in Delaware, under seven years old, with 15 or fewer full-time staff and under $700,000 in assets. You must also fund a 3 to 1 match.
- 3Contact your DSB Regional Business Manager before you apply. Delaware has one for New Castle, one for Kent and one for Sussex. The help is free and one to one.
- 4Get certified through Delaware's Office of Supplier Diversity at de.gov/osd. It is free. You qualify if the firm is minority, women, veteran or disabled owned. It raises your visibility for state contracts.
- 5The Delaware SBDC at delawaresbdc.org gives free advice on grant applications, business plans and SBIR or STTR bids. Book a session before you apply.
State Economic Development Agency
Delaware Division of Small Business (DSB)
The Delaware Division of Small Business is a service-focused state agency committed to helping businesses start and grow in Delaware through one-on-one counseling, grant programs, incentives, and connections to resources.
Funding While You Wait
Grant applications in Delaware can take weeks or months to process. These options can bridge the gap.
Grants in Other States
All state grant guidesFrequently Asked Questions
Yes, four are open. The Technical Innovation Program pays a transition grant after a federal SBIR or STTR Phase I, once you have applied for Phase II. The Modernization Investment Support Initiative pays a Delaware site to modernise. Brownfield Assistance matches what you spend cleaning up land. DSB publishes no figure for it. The Site Readiness Fund backs commercial site work. The EDGE Competition is the big one. Its autumn round closed on 11 September 2026.
The EDGE Grant Competition, when a round is open. It is the Division of Small Business flagship and it runs as a pitch contest. Up to ten Entrepreneur winners share a $400,000 pot. Up to eight STEM winners share $750,000. That is 18 awards at most. Awards are scaled to the pitch. You need a 3 to 1 match, $3 of state money for every $1 you put in. The autumn 2026 round closed on 11 September.
No. The EDGE Competition and the Strategic Fund are open to any eligible small business, whoever owns it. Certification through the Office of Supplier Diversity is free. It helps with state contracts. It also helps with the SSBCI schemes that favour owners with less access to credit. It is not a grant requirement.
It depends on the programme. EDGE runs on fixed rounds, and the autumn one closed on 11 September 2026. After a deadline comes a review, then a pitch, then awards a few months later. The Strategic Fund, MISI, DTIP, Brownfield and Site Readiness all go before the Council on Development Finance. That council meets on a schedule, so allow several months. Ask your DSB Regional Business Manager for current dates.
About the Author
Business Formation Researcher
Eliot leads StartupOwl's state data research. He maintains the site's fifty state records of LLC filing fees, annual costs, processing times, and small business grant programs, checking each figure against the state office that publishes it and logging the date it was verified. Based in New Jersey, he has spent his working life in and around small businesses, and he writes for the founder who wants the real number rather than the advertised one. Every figure under his byline traces to a named source, and when a state proves a number wrong, the correction is published, not buried.
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Grant programs change frequently. Deadlines, eligibility requirements, and funding amounts listed here may be outdated. Always verify information directly with the granting agency before applying. This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or legal advice.
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