Delaware Business and Commerce Grants

This funding opportunity provides financial support to nonprofit organizations, community groups, and homeowners' associations in Delaware for projects that improve water quality in developed areas through innovative and sustainable practices.

The American Lung Association in Delaware, through a contract with the Delaware Division of Public Health, is seeking applications from organizations to conduct tobacco/e-cigarette prevention programs, and/or implement policy, systems, or environmental (PSE) changes related to tobacco. Donor Name: Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) State: Delaware County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: (mm/dd/yyyy) 08/14/2024 Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000 Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: Grants may be awarded to communities and organizations that exhibit a strong commitment to tobacco prevention and control programs in Delaware and enhance or expand access to tobacco education and prevention opportunities for children, families, and communities. Funds for the program are made available from the Delaware Health Fund.  The goals for the 2023-2027 “A Plan for A Tobacco-free Delaware” include: Prevent the initiation and use of tobacco and emerging products among Delawareans. Increase quitting and quit attempts among Delawareans who use tobacco products. Eliminate exposure to secondhand smoke, vapors, and other emissions. Advance health equity by identifying and eliminating commercial tobacco product-related inequities and disparities. Strengthen and cultivate Delaware’s leadership and build partnerships and connections at all levels in comprehensive tobacco prevention and control. Funding Information Mini-grant applicants may receive a one-time (per year) mini-grant up to $25,000.00. Requested budgets must be between $15,000 and $25,000.  Eligibility Criteria Delaware community-based and non-profit organizations with a strong commitment to tobacco and nicotine control and prevention programs Municipalities, cities, and towns in Delaware Any organization looking to strengthen their capacity to positively inform social norms regarding all forms of tobacco use as well as build relationships among multiple sectors of the community, such as housing, education, business, and transport For more information, visit DPH.

The Excellence in Education Fund (EIE Fund) is now accepting grant applications for the 2024 cycle, aimed at supporting programs that promote workforce development and drive economic growth within Kent County. Donor Name: CenDel Foundation State: Delaware County: Kent County (DE) Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: (mm/dd/yyyy) 06/28/2024 Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000 Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: The Excellence in Education was created in 2019 through a generous contribution by –Statewide Workforce Development, as well as support of members of the Kent Economic Partnership, Greater Kent Committee, Delaware State News and the Kent County community. The Fund’s assets are managed by the Cendel Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, and are administered by the Excellence in Education Advisory Board. EIE Fund invites public institutions, nonprofits, and civic/community organizations to submit their proposals. The Excellence in Education is interested in: Enhancing the workforce throughout the region: This includes quality and impact of the program. How many will be impacted? What is the duration of the program? Educating and broadening perspectives: What is the educational component to the program? How many will be impacted? What will those impacted learn? Economic and Community Development: Will this program serve or create a special skill set? Will this program generate some measurable economic impact? Will this promote employment opportunities in Kent County or possible relocation? Clarity of Application – The panel reviews dozens of applications each year. Applications which do not clearly outline the program, answer the questions, or are difficult to score may not be considered. Objectives and Outcomes – Does this program provide strong evidence to support achievement of stated goals? Funding Information The EIE fund will award up to $50,000 to eligible institutions and organizations. These include entities focused on educating and training individuals to fulfill the demands of present and future businesses in Kent County. Eligibility Requirements Must be a public institution or 501c3 organization with proper IRS documentation. Grant requests must be submitted on a 2024 Excellence in Education application form. For more information, visit CenDel Foundation.

The First State Food System Program (Program) provides funding to entities that grow, process, store, transport, distribute, or sell food in the State of Delaware. Donor Name: Delaware Council on Farm and Food Policy State: Delaware County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: 05/10/2024 Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000 Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: The Delaware Department of Agriculture through its advisory group – the Delaware Council on Farm & Food Policy (Council) strives to facilitate and support a local food system where farmers can access viable markets; Delaware households can access nutritious and wholesome food options within their own communities; and where the impacts of supply chain disruptions can be diminished. Through this Program funding is available to a diverse range of entities, operating at various points in the food supply chain. This Program enables local entities to overcome challenges and build resilience in food system. The First State Food System Program is funded through the Federal American Rescue Plan Act. Projects designed to support or provide benefit to more than one entity or producer within Delaware’s food system will be prioritized. The objective is to strengthen the local food system through wide-reaching and complementary efforts, rather than isolated and narrowly focused projects that serve to benefit only one individual operation.  Funding Information Using a standardized review process, the Council will award grants from $2,500 up to $150,000. Eligible Projects Applications will be evaluated based on the viability of the entity; its function and reach as part of the food system; and its demonstrated or potential capacity to do at least one of the following: Add to the volume of food production in Delaware. Add to the direct-to-consumer sale or availability of food products through retail or charitable outlets in Delaware. Add to activities used to transform food products from their harvested state to a consumable state for end users. Processing activities include: freezing, chopping, fermenting, packaging, washing, cooking, pasteurizing, canning, and more in Delaware. Add to the transportation or distribution of food products to consumer/end user outlets in Delaware. Improve efficiency and reduce costs of distribution systems. Improve capacity of food retail outlets including restaurants, to meet local demand. Improve flexibilities of food retail and distribution outlets to better align with consumer needs like online purchasing or food delivery. Address challenges to proximity through transportation solutions. Increase emerging agricultural practices by bringing food production into busy, populated areas – such as vertical gardens, shipping container farms, rooftop farming, hydroponics, community gardens, community composting, and food waste reduction. Eligibility Criteria General  Applicants that have been awarded funding during Cycle 1 or Cycle 2 may apply. The project must be new and distinct from an awarded project, or an addition or complement to an awarded project. (can include adding new partners, or new sites, or expanding market reach, etc.) Applicants must describe how the project positively impacts or creates measurable outcomes for Delaware’s food supply chain, including the entity and other entities or operations. The applicant must demonstrate/describe that the entity has the infrastructure in place and capacity to successfully implement the project. The applicant’s entity must be in operation for two or more years. Start-up entities will be considered when the operator provides a description of industry experience or when the start-up budget includes a contribution from the owner. The applicant’s entity must be a legal entity and have the legal capacity to enter into a project agreement with the Delaware Department of Agriculture. Eligible entities must be owned and operated in the State of Delaware and include small to mid-sized, for-profit producers and nonprofit organizations; aquaculture/fishery operators; food distributors or transporters; food processing operators. The Council reserves the right to consider applications from non-Delaware entities that directly provide product or services to Delaware. Applicants may submit more than one proposal. If more than one proposal is submitted, please prioritize the submissions. Producers  For the purposes of this Program, small to mid-sized producers are defined as having operations with 1) An annual value of sales between $20,000 and $300,000; and 2) Acres in active production in fruits, vegetables, specialty crops, or other products for human consumption; of up to 300 acres. Larger scale producers are eligible to apply and are encouraged to demonstrate collaboration with other producers or entities. Supply Chain Entities  The following are eligible supply chain operations, this list is not all inclusive, some examples are listed: Storage: food hubs Transportation: fleet coordinators, logistics Processing: incubator facilities, commercial kitchens Distribution: retail outlets, pantries, food trucks Single or multi-site grocery stores, Cooperative grocers, Corner stores, Mobile markets, restaurants, farmers markets, on-farm stores For more information, visit Delaware Council on Farm and Food Policy.

This funding opportunity supports collaborative bioscience research projects between Delaware academic institutions and businesses, aimed at fostering innovation and economic growth in the state.

ARC supports bioscience research projects that involve collaboration between Delaware academic institutions and business partners. It is designed to enhance applied research collaborations, and single PI proposals may request up to $100,000; multi-PI proposals may request up to $150,000 for one year. The program requires matching funds from the collaborating industry partner. Grant renewed every year.

EPoC – Entrepreneurial Proof of Concept o Supports proof of concept research towards establishing a new Delaware-based business by the end of the grant period. o Up to $75,000 for 1 year . Proposal must be submitted as a single electronic PDF document at the link provided on the CAT website https://cat.dbi.udel.edu. Please note that submission and award processes have changed.Proposal must be submitted as a single electronic PDF document at the link provided on the CAT website https://cat.dbi.udel.edu. Please note that submission and award processes have changed.

This funding opportunity provides up to $75,000 to researchers in Delaware to develop innovative ideas into marketable products or services, fostering the growth of new businesses and high-tech jobs in the state.

TAP provides Delaware bioscience businesses access to high-end research technologies at reduced rates. Eligible facilities include Bioimaging, DNA Sequencing & Genotyping, Bioinformatics, NMR, and Mass Spectrometry. This program supports the technological advancement of Delaware's bioscience sector by making cutting-edge resources more accessible, with funding up to $5,000 per year per core facility.