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Application Period Open to Help Your Your Small Business Get an “EDGE”

Small business owners often struggle to get funding that will help them grow to the next level. Maybe you aren’t in business yet but want to be – only, you don’t have the necessary capital to get off the ground. The Delaware Division of Small Business (DSB) is helping many small business owners overcome this hurdle through its Encouraging Development, Growth and Expansion (EDGE) Program.

EDGE is a competition for grant funding aimed at helping very small and very young businesses. Those that have been in operation for less than 7 years and have fewer than 10 full-time employees are eligible to apply for the competition. The limits on years of operation are because many small businesses are most vulnerable in the first five years, so this time frame is when funding can have the greatest impact.

DSB awards five STEM-based companies up to $100,000 each for eligible expenses and awards five Entrepreneur Class (other businesses) businesses up to $50,000 each, per round. Two rounds are held each calendar year. Since the program launch in 2019, DSB has awarded $7.25 million to 110 small businesses.

The first round of the 2025 EDGE Competition began accepting applications Feb. 1, and will close Friday, Feb. 28, at 4:30 p.m. The application, and required support materials including the scoring rubric, along with recording of January’s informational webinar, can be found at de.gov/edge.

One of the greatest tools to submitting a successful application is to work with one of DSB’s Regional Business Managers to provide you with guidance and answer your questions about the process, as well as offer feedback on your proposal. All of their services are free.

Small business owners can apply for funding to support expenses that help improve the company’s long-term chances of success and sustainability, such as purchasing needed equipment that can increase production capacity, 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.

The competition requires the owner contribute matching funds if they win and DSB matches a winning business’s investment on a 3-to-1 basis.

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.

If you are interested in learning more about EDGE visit de.gov/edge. If you want to know more about the other services and programs the Division of Small Business offers, visit us at business.delaware.gov.