Business Financing

The Delaware Economic Development Office offers a wide array of business financing programs to meet the needs of virtually any business. Whether you are thinking of locating or expanding a business in Delaware, starting up a small technology-based firm, enhancing a seasoned 100-employee manufacturing company, or focusing on Clean Energy initiatives or Brownfield redevelopment, we stand ready to respond to your individual needs.

Use the links below to access more information on all of our financing program eligibility guidelines, the application process and the necessary applications.

• Delaware Strategic Fund: The Delaware Strategic Fund: The DSF is the state’s primary funding source to provide low-interest loans and grants to businesses for job creation, relocation, expansion and Brownfield redevelopment.
• The Delaware Capital Access Program: A private-public match program that provides portfolio insurance to participating financial institutions to enable the financial institution to expand small business lending.
• State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI): The program was designed to enhance access to capital and lower interest rates provided to small business. The plan dedicates $12.1 million to create a new participation program between DEDO, lending institutions and their small business clients and dedicates $1 million to the Delaware Capital Access Program.
• Delaware Rural Irrigation Program (DRIP): A revolving loan fund, administered collaboratively through the Delaware Department of Agriculture and the DEDO, is available to qualified Delaware farmers to add new irrigation systems in an effort to increase the amount of irrigated cropland in Delaware.
• Tax-Exempt Bond Financing: The Delaware Economic Development Authority (DEDA) provides statewide financial assistance to new or expanding businesses, governmental units and certain organizations that are exempt from federal income taxation (collectively, “assisted persons”) by issuing tax-exempt bonds and lending the proceeds of such bonds to these assisted persons.
• Brownfield Assistance Program: Funded from DSF, the program encourages the redevelopment of environmentally distressed sites within the state by helping to reduce related capital expenditures. DEDO administers the program in collaboration with the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control.
• Delaware Technical Innovation Program (DTIP): The DSF also supports business research through funding transition grants that will bring innovative new products, jobs and revenue to Delaware. SBIR/STTR transition grants provide funds to businesses located in the State of Delaware that have been awarded assistance from the federal program.