Whatever size your business, whatever industry, whatever development stage, the state of Delaware may have an incentive or tax credit that can help you secure new capital or keep more revenue. Learn more below about the state’s various programs to grow the state’s economy through helping companies, like yours, succeed.

Incentive Programs

Delaware Strategic Fund is the Division’s primary funding source to support business retention and expansion through grants and low-interest loans to projects that grow the state’s economy in a significant way. Learn more about program requirements here in the Strategic Fund Fact Sheet.*

EDGE Grants provide matching grants to young Delaware small businesses through on-going rounds of a competitive selection process. STEM-based companies can receive up to $100,000 for eligible expenses, and other businesses can get up to $50,000.

Delaware’s State Small Business Credit Initiative-Funded Programs (SSBCI) is aimed at providing access to capital for small and early-stage businesses, particularly those in underserved areas.  The Division will work with financial lending partners to distribute SSBCI funds through four programs:

• The Accelerator and Seed Capital Program – DSB will contract with up to two fund managers to distribute funding to eligible very early or idea-stage start-ups. 
• The Early-Stage Venture Capital Program –DSB will contract with a private, non-profit, or experienced fund manager, that would provide seed and early-stage venture capital to Delaware-based companies. 
• The Loan Participation Program – DSB will partner with banks, credit unions, etc. to provide access to additional funding. When a lending institution may not cover the full amount of the requested loan, the lender may ask DSB to assist with the remainder.
• The Delaware Capital Access Program (DCAP) – This program is a flexible spending tool for lending institutions. DCAP is designed to give lenders a tool to make business loans that may not normally qualify for a conventional bank loan, in a manner consistent with safe and sound lending practices.

The Modernization Investment Support Initiative (MISI) – To provide grant funds to qualified businesses that face regional, national, or global competitive forces that could disrupt or negatively affect local operations (employment and activity) unless investments are made that can update or ‘modernize’ the Delaware location.  View the Fact Sheet here.

The Delaware Technical Innovation Program (DTIP) offers transition grants for companies that have completed Phase I and applied for Phase II of the federal Small Business Innovation Research or Small Business Technology Transfer programs as they work to bring new products to market. Learn more in this Fact Sheet. *

Workforce Training Grant is a matching program that funds specialized training for companies of up to $100,000 per project. View the program Fact Sheet here, and the Grant Application here.  Want to see how the grants are scored? View the evaluation rubric and scoring sheet here.

Graduated Lab Space Funding – The Delaware Graduated Lab Space Incentive Program is designed to support existing companies and attract new companies requiring lab space. View the Fact Sheet to learn more about the program and minimum qualifications.

Brownfield Assistance Program offers matching grants to property owners and developers to encourage redevelopment of environmentally stressed sites.*

Transportation Infrastructure Investment Fund (TIIF) grants are available to new or expanding job-generating businesses in the state to help offset their transportation improvement costs. Grant funds are disbursed as reimbursement for completed transportation infrastructure work. 

Tax-Exempt Bond Financing allows the Division to act as the conduit issuer on bond for tax-exempt, non-profit organizations. (click the link to access current TEFRA notices)

Click here for more information on applying for an incentive.

*Applications for this program must go before the Council on Development Finance.

Tax Credits

The Division of Revenue administers tax credits related to economic development (list below). Click here to contact Revenue for more information and here to apply for a credit.

• New Business Facility Tax Credit
• New Economy Jobs Tax Credit
• Research and Development Tax Credit
• Green Industries/Brownfield Tax Credit
• Land and Historic Resource Conservation Tax Credit
• Historic Preservation Tax Credit
• Neighborhood Assistance Tax Credit
• Business Finder’s Fee Tax Credit
• Vocational Rehabilitation Hiring Tax Credit