| State economic development agency | Delaware Division of Small Business |
| State SBIR/STTR match or Phase 0 grant | State program (see below) |
| State small-business or supplier-diversity certification | State program (see below) |
| Signature grant programs cataloged | 1 programs |
The Delaware Division of Small Business (within the Department of State) is the state's primary point of contact for small-business assistance. Strategic incentives flow through the Delaware Prosperity Partnership (a public-private partnership) and the Delaware Strategic Fund. Direct cash grants are concentrated in workforce, infrastructure, and small-business sustainability programs. The state's small footprint enables direct relationship-based program access.
Primary site: Delaware Division of Small Business
Competitive grant program for young Delaware small businesses. Two tracks: STEM (technology and life sciences) and Entrepreneur Class (broader small business). Applications scored on growth potential, job creation, and Delaware impact.
Delaware runs its own certification or preference program for state contracting. Certification can open state set-asides, participation goals or preferences; federal SBA certifications (8(a), HUBZone, WOSB, SDVOSB) cover federal contracts.
Delaware supports SBIR/STTR applicants through the Delaware Technical Innovation Program (DTIP), a Phase I to Phase II transition grant. Check the program page for current rounds and eligibility; the federal award itself is still applied for through the agencies listed at SBIR.gov.
Match amount: up to $50,000 per application, up to 5 grants in any rolling 10 years
Program page: Delaware Technical Innovation Program (DTIP), a Phase I to Phase II transition grant
Delaware programs take applications one by one on the administering agency's site; there is no single statewide grants application system. Confirm the application link on each program page before drafting.
Portal: Program-by-program applications
Federal grants reach businesses in Delaware through several pass-through channels: HUD CDBG-State dollars administered by Delaware Division of Small Business that sub-grant to localities for economic development; EDA public-works and economic-adjustment grants, awarded through regional EDA offices to local governments, economic development districts and nonprofits; USDA Rural Development Business and Industry loan guarantees for rural businesses, plus Rural Business Development Grants that go to towns, tribes and nonprofits (not to businesses directly) to support local small businesses; and SBA loan programs (7(a), 504, Microloan) accessed via local lenders, alongside Treasury-certified CDFI lenders. Business eligibility for each channel depends on entity size, location (rural vs urban), and use-of-funds.
CDBG state administrator: Delaware Division of Small Business (CDBG-state administrator)
EDA regional contact: US EDA regional office
State programs cover one half of the picture. Federal grant opportunities are listed on Grants.gov; the eligibility floor often overlaps with state programs. Use the GrantProbe Grant Map to search open federal opportunities by keyword, category and agency, and read our federal grants for startups primer for the framework behind every match.
Need help beyond business grants? The Delaware section of the GrantProbe State Assistance Finder links the official rental, LIHEAP, SNAP, Medicaid and small-business programs for Delaware.
Delaware's economic development agency administers several grant and incentive programs for businesses, but most flagship programs require either an existing operation, a defined hiring commitment, or capital investment milestones. Pure pre-revenue startups should usually pair federal SBIR/STTR (where R&D-eligible) with Delaware's SBIR/STTR support program (see above) and CDFI lending. See the signature programs section above for the named Delaware programs and their eligibility thresholds.
Yes. Delaware supports SBIR/STTR applicants through the Delaware Technical Innovation Program (DTIP), a Phase I to Phase II transition grant: up to $50,000 per application, up to 5 grants in any rolling 10 years. See the program page for current rounds.
The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program flows from HUD to Delaware's state agency (Delaware Division of Small Business (CDBG-state administrator)), which sub-grants to localities. Businesses do not apply directly to the state for CDBG dollars; they apply to participating cities or counties for economic development sub-awards (job creation, blight remediation, low-to-moderate-income workforce). Contact your local economic development office for current sub-awards.
There is no single statewide grants application system; Delaware programs take applications on the administering agency's site. Confirm the link on each program page.