DOVER – For the fourth year in a row, the Delaware Department of State has received a State Trade and Export Promotion (STEP) award from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA.) This year’s award totals $268,096 and will be used to support the state’s efforts to assist small Delaware companies in entering and developing markets overseas.

The program’s objectives are to increase the number of U.S. small businesses that export and to increase the value of exports from small businesses. The STEP Grant program makes matching-fund awards to states to assist small businesses in the international marketplace. Delaware will match the SBA grant with $89,365, bringing the total available for export efforts to $357,461.

As with previous STEP grants, a significant portion of the grant will be used to directly reimburse small- and medium-sized companies for eligible, pre-approved export expenses such as international travel, trade show activities, international marketing materials and overseas interpreters.

Companies that have participated in the program in previous years report $16 million in new export sales, and project over $109 million in additional export sales in the next two years.

“The STEP Grant funds from the SBA make our strategic export program possible. It’s proven to be a tremendous asset to our small businesses and a significant new source of growth for Delaware’s economy,” said Delaware Secretary of State Jeffrey Bullock.

Export Delaware, the state’s official export resource for small businesses, will use the grant to finance export-related marketing activities. Delaware small businesses that are interested in applying may learn more about the program at export.delaware.gov.

This year, Export Delaware is offering business trips to Colombia, Ireland and the UK, Australia, Southeast Asia and South Korea. These trade missions are designed specifically for Delaware small businesspersons, and provide the opportunity for them to meet one-on-one with potential customers and distributors overseas.

Delaware’s international trade representatives work with Export Delaware to organize meetings with targeted customers. Delaware’s trade reps have wide networks in their countries, enabling them to secure meetings with high-level decision makers. Often, the trade reps accompany Delaware businesses in their meetings to help facilitate discussion and overcome any cultural barriers.

The STEP Grant covers professional fees for trade reps, translation costs for presentations (if needed) and in-country transportation and interpreters. In addition, Delaware businesses may apply for STEP Grant funds to cover a portion of their travel costs.

“We are excited to continue to build upon our past success and continue to support Delaware’s small businesses as they grow through exporting,” said Beth Pomper, director of Export Delaware.

To date, 50 companies have participated in export events offered by Export Delaware, 40% of which were minority- or women-owned business.

To learn more about the STEP Grant and how to apply, visit export.delaware.gov or contact Beth Pomper at beth.pomper@delaware.gov.

THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS ANNOUNCES FY 2017 GRANTS TO SUPPORT THE ARTS
Two Delaware organizations will receive over $690,000 in federal grants

Wilmington, Del. (June 16, 2017) – As the only funder in the country to support arts activities in all 50 states and five U.S. jurisdictions, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) announced that two Delaware organizations, including the Division of the Arts, will receive $691,100 in federal grants as part of the its second round of funding for FY 2017.

“The arts are all around us, enhancing our lives in ways both subtle and obvious, expected and unexpected,” says NEA Chairman Jane Chu. “Supporting projects like the ones in Delaware offers more opportunities to engage in the arts every day.”

The Delaware Division of the Arts will receive a Partnership (State & Regional) grant in the amount of $681,100 to support activities associated with carrying out its NEA-approved State strategic plan.

“Representing 17% of the Division’s budget, NEA funding is critical in supporting arts programming that directly reaches more than 30 communities throughout Delaware, serving more than one million youth and adults annually,” says Paul Weagraff, Director of the Delaware Division of the Arts. “This investment in Delaware’s creative sector contributes positively to vibrant communities, comprehensive educational opportunities, and robust economic activity.”

The Grand Opera House will receive an Art Works – Presenting & Multidisciplinary Works grant in the amount of $10,000 to support its Summer in the Parks series. In partnership with the City of Wilmington, The Grand will present free arts events for children and families in parks throughout the city. Local and regional artists working in dance, music, theater, and visual arts will create and present interactive performances and hands-on arts activities tailored for each neighborhood. Summer in the Parks staff also will work with schools, day camps, community centers, and teen programs to ensure the programming meets the needs of the community.

“We are honored to see The Grand’s Summer in the Parks program recognized by the National Endowment for the Arts. This funding is critical to our work within our community, and is the first time in nine years that The Grand has received a grant from the NEA. At such a pivotal time for the NEA and NEH, The Grand is honored to be a beacon of what this funding can accomplish in our neighborhoods,” says Mark Fields, Executive Director of The Grand Opera House & The Playhouse on Rodney Square.

The full NEA grant descriptions follow:

State and Regional Partnership Agreements
Through partnership agreements, the NEA translates national leadership into local and regional benefit. States and U.S. jurisdictions have their own arts agency that together receive 40 percent of the NEA’s grantmaking funds each year to support their programs and leverage state funding. In addition to these 55 agencies, six regional arts organizations are funded to manage programs across state, national, and international borders and across all arts disciplines.

Art Works II
Art Works is the NEA’s largest category and focuses on funding the creation of art that meets the highest standards of excellence, public engagement with art, lifelong learning in the arts, and strengthening of communities through the arts.

About the National Endowment for the Arts
Established by Congress in 1965, the NEA is the independent federal agency whose funding and support gives Americans the opportunity to participate in the arts, exercise their imaginations, and develop their creative capacities. Through partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies, and the philanthropic sector, the NEA supports arts learning, affirms and celebrates America’s rich and diverse cultural heritage, and extends its work to promote equal access to the arts in every community across America. For more information, visit www.arts.gov.

About the Delaware Division of the Arts
The Delaware Division of the Arts is an agency of the State of Delaware. Together with its advisory body, the Delaware State Arts Council, the Division administers grants and programs that support arts programming, educate the public, increase awareness of the arts, and integrate the arts into all facets of Delaware life. Funding for Division programs is provided by annual appropriations from the Delaware General Assembly and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. For more information about the Delaware Division of the Arts, visit arts.delaware.gov or call 302-577-8278.

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Contact: Leeann Wallett, Program Officer, Communications and Marketing
302-577-8280, leeann.wallett@delaware.gov

Two Organizations Receive Federal Grants to Help Delawareans Get Covered Through the Health Insurance Marketplace

NEW CASTLE – Chatman LLC and Westside Family Healthcare were awarded federal grants today to help Delawareans learn about their options and sign up for coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace. Open enrollment for coverage beginning Jan. 1, 2016, starts Nov. 1 and ends Jan. 31, 2016.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the following grants to fund the work of certified enrollment assisters known as navigators:

• Chatman LLC, $339,096
• Westside Family Healthcare, $260,904

The awards announced today cover the first year of a three-year grant that runs until Sept. 1, 2018. The funds will support outreach efforts designed to help Delawareans understand the coverage options and financial assistance available at HealthCare.gov.

Chatman, whose Delaware office is at Widener University Law School on U.S. 202 near Wilmington, has employed navigators in Delaware during each of the first two open enrollment periods. Chatman will serve underserved populations statewide, with particular outreach to minorities, special needs individuals, Latinos, African Americans, young adults, immigrants, those with limited English proficiency, and rural residents.

Westside, a federally qualified health center with several locations in New Castle and Kent counties, will primarily serve individuals and families in those counties and will expand its current outreach and education program, which works with existing Westside patients and conducts outreach in the community.

Westside also employed federal navigators last year and was one of four organizations that employed Marketplace guides, who performed similar outreach and education roles during the first two years of Delaware’s Health Insurance Marketplace. Contracts for all four Marketplace guide organizations ended last spring.

Navigators provide free, objective information about health coverage to consumers to help them make the best possible choice. They are knowledgeable about the qualified health plans available in Delaware’s Health Insurance Marketplace and public programs including Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

Through the first two years of the marketplace, 25,036 Delawareans enrolled for private health insurance coverage, with enrollment increasing 74 percent from Year 1 to Year 2. As of March 2015, a total of 22,297 Delawareans were paying their monthly premiums and had active coverage.

“The Affordable Care Act is expanding access to health coverage for thousands of hard-working people in Delaware, but picking the right plan and understanding the benefits it offers can be confusing,” said U.S. Senator Tom Carper. “Health care navigators help make that task a little easier. These federal grants will help to spread the word about resources available to consumers who have questions and need assistance enrolling in health plans through Delaware’s marketplace. This crucial federal investment will go a long way toward getting every person in our state the health coverage they deserve.”
Added Congressman John Carney: “More Delawareans are enrolling in health insurance than ever before. They need help to make smart, informed choices for themselves and their families. The navigators supported by this federal grant have already helped thousands of Delawareans. They’ll continue to be an important resource as we get closer to the next enrollment period.”
Federally funded navigators were a key part of Delaware’s enrollment assistance efforts during the first two years of the Health Insurance Marketplace, and they are expected to play an even more critical role now that the state’s contracts with Marketplace guides have ended. Navigators will join agents and brokers, certified application counselors and staff from federally qualified health centers to provide enrollment assistance in Delaware.
“Navigators are in-person, community-based resources for those who need help understanding their health coverage options and how to sign up for a plan,” said Secretary Rita Landgraf of the state Department of Health and Social Services. “We look forward to working with the experienced, trusted partners at Chatman and Westside to help Delaware’s remaining uninsured residents get coverage that fits their needs and that connects them to quality care. We will especially rely on the navigators as we continue to engage traditionally hard-to-reach populations such as Latinos and young adults.”
Delawareans who need health insurance before Jan. 1, 2016, can still get covered if they qualify for a special enrollment period due to a life change like getting married, having a baby, or losing other coverage, or through Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, which provide coverage to families and individuals with limited income or other circumstances.
For information about Delaware’s Health Insurance Marketplace and how to contact navigators for assistance, go to www.ChooseHealthDE.com or call the federal Marketplace help center at (800) 318-2596.

For more information, contact Jill Fredel, Director of Communications, (302) 255-9047 (office) or (302) 357-7498 (cell).

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Delaware Health and Social Services is committed to improving the quality of the lives of Delaware’s citizens by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable populations.