Dover, DE– Calling all small business owners! If you want to start your own small business or have been in business for less than seven years and need funding, we have an opportunity for you! The Delaware Division of Small Business (DSB) is now accepting applications for the first EDGE Grant Competition round of 2025. EDGE stands for the Encouraging Development, Growth and Expansion (EDGE) program.
EDGE is a competition for grant funding. Five STEM-based (science/technology/engineering/math) companies can each be awarded up to $100,000 for eligible expenses, while five Entrepreneur Class (all other) businesses can each receive up to $50,000. The competition requires the owner to contribute matching funds if they win, and DSB matches a winning business’s investment on a 3-to-1 basis.
To be eligible to apply for the EDGE competition, your small business must have been in operation for less than seven years, have 10 or fewer full-time employees, and be majority (at least 51%) located in Delaware.
The application period opened Feb. 1, and will close Friday, Feb. 28, at 4:30 p.m. The application and required support materials such as proposal templates and scoring guidelines, along with a recently recorded informational webinar, can be found at de.gov/edge.
Small business owners can apply for funding to support future expenses such as purchasing needed equipment, improving building infrastructure, obtaining rental space (purchasing property is not an eligible expense), or contracting for website design or a marketing campaign to help acquire more customers.
Past awardees include a drone company in need of an indoor facility, a company developing a new product for next generation silicon solar cells, owners looking to bring a printing and artist co-working space to Kent County, and restauranteurs looking to to purchase a food truck or other vehicle to expand sales.
Currently, DSB is focused on increasing the number of applicants from Kent and Sussex Counties, particularly in the STEM category.
After each round’s application closing date there are several rounds of internal evaluation. Within six weeks up to 16 finalists are selected to pitch their grant proposals to a panel of outside, expert judges. From these finalists, 10 winners are selected. A public awards ceremony takes place in the weeks after, though the winners names are kept tightly under wraps until then. The time from submission period through the awards ceremony is approximately four months.
One of the greatest tools to submitting a successful application is to work with one of DSB’s Regional Business Managers to provide guidance and answer questions about the process, as well as offer feedback on an owner’s proposal. These services are free.
Two rounds of the EDGE Grant Competition are held each calendar year. Since the program launch in 2019, DSB has awarded $7.25 million to 110 small businesses.
Visit de.gov/edge for more information.
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The Division of Small Business is a state agency committed to helping small businesses start and grow in Delaware through a variety of services it provides. From start-ups to experienced business owners looking to expand, our team of Regional Business Managers can provide you one-on-one assistance and counseling to help you succeed. They can assist with a variety of needs, including: navigating government processes, connecting owners with our many resource partner organizations, and identifying funding opportunities for which you may qualify. See all of the programs and services we offer at business.delaware.gov.
