Delaware Division of Small Business

What Delaware Division of Small Business does

The Delaware Division of Small Business (DSB) is a state government agency under the Delaware Department of State, headquartered in Dover with a regional office in Wilmington. Its functional mandate is to support the formation, growth, and resilience of small businesses throughout the State of Delaware. DSB delivers services through three Regional Business Managers — one each in Sussex, Kent, and New Castle counties — who provide one-on-one consulting and resource matching to small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs. The Division administers the Business Resource Connection, an aggregation layer spanning nearly 100 partner organizations and 300+ programs across nonprofits, government agencies, and community lenders.

DSB's core programmatic products are competitive grant and capital programs. The flagship EDGE Grant Competition provides up to $400K for the Entrepreneur track and up to $750K for the STEM track, targeting young Delaware businesses under seven years old with fewer than 15 employees. The Division also administers the federal State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI), which delivered $60.9 million to Delaware for deployment through loan participation, capital access, accelerator/seed, and early-stage venture capital programs channeled via participating lenders including Del-One Federal Credit Union, True Access Capital, and Community Bank. Additional offerings include the Delaware Grocery Initiative and First State Food System Program, the Site Readiness Fund, Delaware On Main, Foreign Trade Zone #99, and Opportunity Zone support across 25 designated census tracts.

DSB does not generate commercial revenue; it is funded through state appropriations and federal pass-through grants, and all services are provided free of charge to applicants. Go-to-market is direct engagement via field-staffed Regional Business Managers, augmented by an online Business Resource Connection portal, the One Stop Business Registry for licensing, and events including Business 2.0 workshops, Grow America Lunch and Learns, and Small Business Month activities. The Division Director (CJ Bell) concurrently chairs the Delaware Economic Development Authority (DEDA), consolidating state economic development oversight. Sub-brands include EDGE, SSBCI, the Delaware Grocery Initiative, and FTZ #99. DSB does not develop proprietary technology; its technology footprint is limited to government services platforms, a resource finder portal, and a partner-provided analytics tool (SizeUp Delaware).

Name

Delaware Division of Small Business

Legal name

Delaware Division of Small Business

Website

https://business.delaware.gov

Company type

Public

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Delaware Division of Small Business is a state agency under the Delaware Department of State that supports small business formation and growth through Regional Business Managers, grant programs (EDGE, SSBCI, Delaware Grocery Initiative), and a resource network spanning roughly 100 partner organizations and 300 programs statewide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Economic Development Services

NAICS

All Other Business Support Services (561499)

SIC

Services-Services, Nec (8900)

akta.pro primary industry

Economic Development & Business Licensing (Local) (BPAIACAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Entrepreneurship & Small Business Workforce Programs (EDAAAOAM), SBA/Government-Backed & Development Finance Loans (FSAKAGAI)

Keywords

• Small business support
• Economic development programs
• Small business grants
• Business financing programs
• Government business services

Headquarters

HQ city

Dover

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: The Delaware Division of Small Business is a state government agency funded through the Delaware Department of State. It does not generate commercial revenue but administers various federal and state funding programs for small businesses including the SSBCI ($60.9M awarded), EDGE Grants, and other incentive programs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Delaware Division of Small Business is a state government agency that administers funding programs (EDGE Grant Competition, SSBCI, Delaware Grocery Initiative), connects small businesses to partner resources, and provides one-on-one consulting through Regional Business Managers across Delaware's three counties. It does not sell commercial products but delivers free support services, grant administration, and business development resources to Delaware small businesses and entrepreneurs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• EDGE Grant Competition: The Division's flagship funding program helping young Delaware small businesses grow and scale through competitive grant awards.
• State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI)
• Delaware Grocery Initiative and First State Food System Program
• Foreign Trade Zone #99

Products and services

• EDGE Grant Competition
• State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI)
• Delaware Grocery Initiative and First State Food System Program
• Business Resource Connection
• Foreign Trade Zone #99
• SizeUp Delaware Business Analytics Tool
• Site Readiness Fund
• Delaware On Main
• Office of Supplier Diversity Certification

Quantifiable outcome

• Delaware awarded $60.9 million through SSBCI for small business financing
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Delaware Tourism OfficecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Division collaborates with the Delaware Tourism Office on joint initiatives including downtown tours during Small Business Week and marketing efforts to support Delaware businesses.
• Delaware Council on Farm & Food PolicycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership administering the Delaware Grocery Initiative and First State Food System Program to expand access to healthy foods in Delaware food deserts.
• Senator Darius BrowncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Senator Darius Brown (D – New Castle, Wilmington, Edgemoor) who sponsored legislation establishing the Delaware Grocery Initiative in 2024.
• DE Small Business Development Center (SBDC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing free support services to small business owners applying for SSBCI loan programs, helping them meet lender requirements.
• Del-One Federal Credit UnioncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorParticipating lender in SSBCI programs (DELPP and DCAP) providing loans to small businesses in Delaware.
• True Access CapitalcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorParticipating lender and Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) in SSBCI loan programs.
• Community BankcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorParticipating lender in SSBCI programs providing small business loans in Delaware.
• Delaware Black Chamber of CommerceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization hosting events such as Grow America Lunch and Learn and Minority Supplier Diversity workshops.
• Delaware Small Business ChambercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner hosting Business 2.0 Help for Entrepreneurs events at their Newark, Delaware location.
• Delaware Main Street ProgramscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDelaware On Main is the umbrella organization for Delaware's many active main street communities, operating under the Division and representing Delaware within the national Main Street America Coordinating Program.
• U.S. Small Business AdministrationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal partner hosting the annual National Small Business Week virtual summit and providing small business development resources.
• Business Resource Connection PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNearly 100 organizations including nonprofits and government agencies offering more than 300 programs for Delaware small businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives): Nonprofit SBA resource partner offering free mentoring and education to small businesses nationwide. Comparable in mentorship and resource-connection mandate, operating nationally as a volunteer-driven counterpart to DSB's paid state staff.

Broad incumbents

• U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA): Federal agency providing nationwide small business development resources, loan programs, and training. DSB is a federal/state partner and mirrors SBA's mandate at the state level, making it the closest functional analogue though federally chartered.
• Empire State Development (New York): New York's primary economic development agency offering small business services, capital programs, and incentive administration. Similar mandate to DSB at the state level but broader scope including large-scale attraction.

Direct peers

• Delaware Small Business Development Center (SBDC): Federal-state partnership hosted by the University of Delaware delivering free consulting and training to Delaware small businesses. Listed as a DSB partner but operates an overlapping mandate, making it the most directly comparable service-delivery peer.
• Maryland Department of Commerce - Office of Small Business Resources: Mid-Atlantic state agency administering small business development, financing, and technical assistance programs. Regional peer comparable in scale and charter with overlapping SSBCI partnerships.
• Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development (DCED) - Small Business Assistance: State agency operating small business development centers, financing programs, and resource matching. Direct functional peer to DSB and fellow SSBCI recipient administering SSBCI-funded programs.
• California Office of the Small Business Advocate (CalOSBA): State-level small business support office within the California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development. Like DSB, it administers grant programs, partners with resource providers, and serves as a one-stop hub for state small business services.

Others

• True Access Capital (CDFI): Community Development Financial Institution partnering with DSB on SSBCI loan programs (DELPP and DCAP) in Delaware. Not a direct competitor but a closely adjacent capital-access peer serving overlapping small and diverse business segments.
• SelectUSA: Federal investment promotion program within the U.S. Department of Commerce attracting foreign direct investment. Comparable to DSB's Foreign Trade Zone #99 and export/import assistance offerings at the federal level.

Regional players

• National Main Street Center: National nonprofit coordinating the Main Street America program for commercial district revitalization, with which DSB's Delaware On Main directly affiliates. Operates at national scale while DSB runs the Delaware chapter.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/delaware_gov
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCUKziW6tPCKIUVtdn0_zi0A
• Facebookfacebook.com/DelawareSmallBusiness
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/de-smallbusiness
• Instagraminstagram.com/delawaresmallbusiness

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments21 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Delaware Division of Small Business