DSB Partners with SBDC to Support Small Business Loan Program

DOVER, DE – The state’s Division of Small Business (DSB) is partnering with the Delaware Small Business Development Center (SBDC) to provide additional support to small business owners seeking loans from a federal program that DSB oversees in Delaware. DSB has given the SBDC $675,423 in funding to provide Technical Assistance to small business owners for the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI). SSBCI is a federal program aimed at supporting both small and early-stage businesses who are having challenges obtaining a traditional bank loan, as well as those that are owned by socially and economically disadvantaged persons.

“We selected the SBDC to receive these technical assistance funds because they are uniquely qualified to broaden our reach to small business owners and provide intense individual support to them,” said DSB Director Regina Mitchell. “We are looking forward to seeing this program grow rapidly and getting more funding in the hands of entrepreneurs who need a little extra help to start or grow their business.”

In early 2023, Delaware was awarded $60.9 million from the U.S. Treasury Department to be used over a 10-year period. DSB is distributing the funding across four programs; two of which support small business loans: the Delaware Loan Participation Program (DELPP), and the Delaware Capital Access Program (DCAP).

SBDC will use its Technical Assistance funding to work one-on-one with small business owners and get them better prepared, and in a stronger position to qualify for one of the loan programs.

“Delaware SBDC is committed to helping entrepreneurs gain access to funding through one-on-one technical advising and trainings, emphasizing the importance of understanding financials, accounting best practices, and common legal requirements. We are looking forward to creating access to a program that supports Delaware’s small and/or socially and economically disadvantaged businesses,” noted Sarah Mailloux, SBDC Associate State Director.

DSB and SBDC are co-hosting a webinar for small business owners about the SSBCI loan programs on April 30, from 11 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. Register for the webinar at: State’s Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) Information Session (delawaresbdc.org). Participating program lenders Del-One Federal Credit Union and True Access Capital will also provide information about their roles.

Under the SSBCI initiative, small business owners will meet with one of DSB’s Regional Business Managers to review the loan programs. Based on each owner’s individual situation, they will either be provided a list of our participating lenders to connect with directly, or they will be referred to the SBDC for additional assistance.

More information about the SSBCI program can be found at de.gov/ssbci.

Are you looking to start or grow your own small business? Check out DSB’s free services, programs, and funding opportunities at business.delaware.gov. Not sure where to start or go next? Connect with one of our four Regional Business Managers listed on the DSB homepage today!

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Div. of Small Business – Announces Fall 2023 EDGE Grant Winners

The Delaware Division of Small Business recognized 10 small businesses Tuesday Feb. 6, as winners of the seventh round of the Encouraging Development, Growth and Expansion (EDGE) competition. Awardees in the latest round of the competition include a company looking to develop residential electric vehicle chargers, one developing an improved hand/arm prosthetic that’s easier to use, one developing an adapted mobility device for getting into bed, and one looking to purchase cutting edge computers and streaming equipment for its e-sports events and camps.

Gov. John Carney, Deputy Secretary Kristopher Knight, and Division of Small Business Director Regina Mitchell announced the companies at an event at Delaware Dynamix in Harbeson, located in Sussex County along Rt. 9. Delaware Dynamix is one of the EDGE award recipients for this round.

“Building a strong economy starts with supporting our small business community,” said Governor Carney. “The EDGE grant program provides young businesses with much-needed capital assistance that they may not have access to otherwise. I’m excited to see how this round of EDGE grant recipients use this funding to grow their business.”

“Helping small businesses succeed in Delaware is so important to maintaining a healthy economy,” said Deputy Secretary of State Kristopher Knight. “With the assistance of the EDGE grants, the state is fostering innovation by giving them a much-needed financial boost to make their dreams become a reality.”

Businesses that are less than seven years old and employ no more than 10 full-time employees (or FTE equivalents), are eligible to apply for an EDGE grant. The grants are awarded through a competitive selection process. After thorough internal review, 16 finalists are selected to pitch their proposals to an outside expert panel of judges. Ten companies are selected for awards. Five STEM-based companies will each receive up to $100,000 for eligible expenses while five Entrepreneur Class (non-STEM) businesses will each receive up to $50,000.

“The EDGE competition allows our division to do what it was created to do – help small businesses start and grow,” said Division of Small Business Director Regina Mitchell. “The quality of the fall applications was so strong, it made it more challenging to select the finalists. Each EDGE round continues to show progress in terms of the quality of submissions.”

The first EDGE Grant Competition for 2024 began accepting applications on Feb. 1. They will continue to be accepted until Friday March 1, at 4:30 p.m. Visit de.gov/edge for access to the application and other resources.

EDGE is a matching grant program. The Division of Small Business matches a winning business’s investment on a 3-to-1 basis. The business can spend EDGE grant funds on expenses that help improve the company’s long-term chances of success, such as a marketing campaign to help acquire more customers or purchasing a needed piece of equipment that can increase production capacity.

Including this round, $5.6 million has been awarded to 90 promising Delaware small businesses since EDGE was first launched in 2019 in industries ranging from wearable medical devices to farming to restaurants.

This is the eighth round of funding for the program. Approximately 115 businesses applied for funding in September. Sixteen finalists gave public presentations in November at the University of Delaware’s FinTech building on the STAR Campus. From those, the below recipients were selected.

EDGE Grant Recipients

STEM class

Marin’s Med (Georgetown)
Marins Med is a pioneering prosthetics innovations company, distinguished by their woman-owned status and their Chief Technical Officer (CTO), an amputee and accomplished engineer. Marins Med’s goal with EDGE grant funding is to move through the final stages of research and development prototyping through final design and manufacturing to ensure the innovative ProHensor reaches those with limb loss. Funding will be used to purchase manufacturing equipment and for marketing assistance.

Omni Potential Energy Partners (Wilmington)
OmniPotential Energy Partners will use funding to build a proof-of-concept pilot program of curbside, residential electric vehicle (EV) chargers and install them on Delaware properties. They will use it to finalize their supply chain, identify final business partners, solicit seed customers and tool-up to build and deploy a pilot program of approximately 10 Curbstar devices in the state of Delaware over 12 months. Curbside, residential EV chargers are a potential solution to EV owners who live in multi-family units with street or lot parking only.

RunDNA (Wilmington)
ACE Running LLC (doing business as, “RunDNA”) brings running gait analysis to all levels of runner. Their service leverages innovative camera and software technologies at a competitive price point to provide real time analysis of running gait. This powerful tool is used by running professionals throughout the world to effectively modify a runner’s form to prevent injury and optimize performance. RunDNA’s flagship product is their Helix 3D running gait analysis device. The company’s EDGE award will allow them to expand their motion capture capabilities to walking gait. Funding will be used for purchasing equipment, software licenses, and covering research and development staff costs.

Sindri Materials Corp. (Wilmington)
Sindri Materials is a manufacturer and product development company dedicated to delivering ultra-high quality (UHQ) graphene (carbon) materials and products to market. Sindri can produce graphene that is a completely continuous, large-area sheet that yields electrical performance. With the EDGE grant Sindri will develop a high-capacity graphene manufacturing system. Its product can accelerate drug and vaccine development by optimizing the speed and resolution structural biologists image macromolecules using a ground-breaking new method called cryogenic electron microscopy (the “cryo-em” market). The graphene grids essentially hold the macromolecules in place for imaging.

Studio Charter (Wilmington)
Studio Charter has begun making virtual studios that eliminate the need for costly video productions. These studios can be installed in any 10×15 or larger room at a customer’s home or office. They are permanent studio installations with true cinema cameras that can be run remotely, without a crew, for simple, repeatable genres like podcasts and testimonials. The studios allow recording of cinematic medium-closeups in any location, real or imagined. The goal of Studio Charter is to make video production accessible to anyone. Nonprofits, schools, and government will all finally be able to produce video at a high level and volume. EDGE funding will be used for staff, design, prototyping and materials costs.

Entrepreneur class

Baybird Orthodontics (Smyrna)
Baybird Orthodontics is a minority women-owned business located in Smyrna run by Dr. Sita Patel. The clinic offers a range of orthodontic treatments, including orthodontic appliances, traditional braces, and clear aligners. However, the one service they currently do not provide is 3D printed aligners in house. The EDGE grant funding will be used to purchase a 3D printing system to allow them to produce clear aligners on-site, reducing the cost of orthodontic care for their customers. Funds will also be used to support the aligner machine by providing additional equipment, supplies, and a computer. Marketing and advertising expenses are also included.

Delaware Dynamix (Harbeson)
Delaware Dynamix LLC, which just opened for classes, provides gymnastics instruction and associated activities for children up to age 17, as well as similar opportunities for adults. A market analysis determined a lack of services like theirs within a convenient drive to the Milton, Lewes, and Rehoboth Beach area, thereby supporting the need for such a facility. The owners boast more than 30 years of experience in gymnastics and youth sports instruction. They will use EDGE grant funds for equipment and staffing at their 7000 square foot facility for a Little Ninja program aimed at young boys, and gymnastics and trampoline programming for special needs children.

Futures First Gaming (Middletown/Wilmington)
Futures First Gaming LLC (FFG), is a STEM.org™ Accredited Educational Technology, Media, and Esports Entertainment Company. FFG brings together gamers and esports enthusiasts to compete, build community, and engage in educational opportunities to explore career pathways in STEM and relevant esports disciplines. The company is known for its accreditation in educational technology, media, and esports entertainment. EDGE Grant funding will be used to acquire cutting-edge gaming and streaming computers, software, and furniture for their esports technology workforce training facility. Funding will also allow the company to organize more workforce development trainings, esports events, and esports camps.

The Hive on Loockerman (Dover)
The Hive is a minority-owned member-based business and event center that aims to support entrepreneurs and non-profit founders by providing them with the space, equipment, and resources necessary for their business growth and long-term success. The Hive primarily offers hourly space rentals and a range of business-building services, including corporate event planning, marketing, basic brand development, document printing, and secure shredding. EDGE grant funding will be used for facade improvements and construction to meet code requirements and for design, technology, and equipment upgrades to better serve customers.

The LeGrand Company (Hockessin)
Bed Ledge is an adaptive mobility product designed to assist individuals with decreased strength, coordination, or balance safely lift their legs into bed. The inability to safely navigate in and out of bed leads to increased risk for injury and falls and can be the determinate as to whether someone can safely live in his/her home without assistance. Bed Ledge is the first leave-in-place device that allows the user to move from a sitting position to reclining through incremental movements, thereby decreasing risk of injury and promoting independence. EDGE funding will be used to fund the creation of plastic injection molds and a first production run of 500 units, packaging, and third-party product testing.

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The Division of Small Business is a service-focused state agency committed to helping small businesses start and grow in Delaware. 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.


Div. of Small Business Awards EDGE Funding to 10 DE Companies

DOVER, Del. – The Delaware Division of Small Business recognized 10 small businesses Wednesday as winners of the seventh round of the Encouraging Development, Growth and Expansion (EDGE) competition. Awardees in the latest round of the competition include a drone company in need of an indoor facility, a company developing a new product for next generation silicon solar cells, and owners looking to bring a printing and artist co-working space to Kent County.

Gov. John Carney, Department of State Deputy Secretary Kristopher Knight, and Division of Small Business Director Regina Mitchell announced the companies at an event at the Chase Field House in Wilmington, where Hx Innovations, LLC, one of this round’s winners in the STEM category, is located.

“The EDGE grant program helps small businesses get the ‘edge’ they need to expand and innovate by providing much-needed capital assistance that these businesses may not have access to otherwise,” said Governor Carney. “This program has been very successful over the last few years, and we look forward to seeing how these companies and business owners grow their businesses with their grants.”

“Small businesses in Delaware are job creators, innovators, help create economic diversity, and reduce environmental impacts,” said Deputy Secretary of State Kristopher Knight. “The EDGE grants are driven by creativity and innovation—which is reflected by the diverse array of entrepreneurs and STEM-related businesses this round. With the help of the EDGE grants, we are fostering innovation with the necessary capital to help individuals start or expand their small business.”

Businesses that are less than seven years old and employ no more than 10 staff, are eligible to apply for an EDGE grant. The grants are awarded through a competitive selection process. After thorough internal review, 16 finalists pitch their proposals to an outside expert panel of judges. From there 10 companies are selected for awards. Five STEM-based companies will each receive up to $100,000 for eligible expenses while five Entrepreneur Class (non-STEM) businesses will each receive up to $50,000.

“The EDGE competition allows our division to support small business owners in Delaware who are making significant scientific advancements, creating unique products, and helping strengthen their local communities,” said Division of Small Business Director Regina Mitchell. “We are really pleased with the quality of applications received. For the next round, which will open September 1, we are working to increase the number of STEM applications we get, particularly from Kent and Sussex Counties.”

EDGE is a matching grant program. The Division of Small Business matches a winning business’s investment on a 3-to-1 basis. The business can spend EDGE grant funds on expenses that help improve the company’s long-term chances of success, such as a marketing campaign to help acquire more customers or purchasing a needed piece of equipment that can increase production capacity.

Including this round, $5.0 million has been awarded to 80 promising Delaware small businesses since EDGE was first launched in 2019 in industries ranging from wearable medical devices to farming to restaurants.

This is the seventh round of funding for the program. Approximately 130 businesses applied for funding in March. Sixteen finalists gave public presentations in May at Delaware State University. From those, the below recipients were selected.

To learn more about EDGE, visit: de.gov/edge.

EDGE Grant Recipients

STEM class

Connect2Co, Inc. (Wilmington)
Connect2Co is a cutting-edge business to business startup software tool that will revolutionize the digital workspace for businesses and organizations of all sizes. Its all-in-one platform seamlessly integrates external solutions, eliminating the need for toggling between various applications (ex. Send an email with Gmail, download or share a document from Google Drive/Microsoft OneDrive, close an opportunity with Salesforce). The grant money enables Connect2Co to ramp up its initial operations by funding co-working space at the Mill in Wilmington, along with marketing and speeding the platform’s development timeline.

Doubly, LLC (Middletown)
Doubly is a minority and women-owned startup founded in 2023. Doubly is an innovative application that integrates seamlessly with enterprise messaging platforms like Teams and Slack to help boost productivity, and connectedness as a result of remote work conditions. EDGE funding will be used to finalize the application’s development and conduct extensive user testing as well as hire software engineers and designers to expedite the application’s development.

TX Electromagnetic Materials, LLC (Wilmington)
TX ElectroMagnetic Materials LLC is a science-driven company committed to advancing the development of cutting-edge electro and magnetic materials for the solar cell and semiconductor industries. The company is developing a new metallization silver paste specifically designed for future silicon solar cells. The EDGE grant will be used to accelerate product development efforts, expand sales and marketing initiatives, develop product samples, and successfully bring the product to market.

Hx Innovations (Wilmington)
Hx Innovations is a biomechanics testing and technology company with a patented assessment technique related to the stability and joint movement of the knee, ankle, and foot. This led them to develop a neuromuscular predictive model for sports teams to help them create safe training regimens and recovery strategies for athletes. Hx Innovations is currently located in the Chase Field House and is using its technology with athletic teams there. The EDGE funding will be used to expand the company’s presence at the Fieldhouse, build a more robust database for its platform, and make the software for real-time injury monitoring, mobile.

Leadership Excellence Academy for Non-Profits (LEAN) (Wilmington)
Leadership Excellence Academy for Nonprofits, or LEAN, aims to make a transformational impact in the nonprofit sector. Instead of focusing on short-term gains, LEAN adopts a long-term approach to prioritize creating sustainable solutions. LEAN’s expertise helps nonprofits identify and address gaps in their operations, thereby making them more effective in achieving their goals. EDGE funding will be used to develop innovative app technology to provide a vehicle for encouraging next-gen donors to support nonprofits through giving.

 

Entrepreneur class

Droneversity, LLC (Wilmington)
Droneversity hopes to revolutionize the aviation and STEM industries through comprehensive drone-related workforce development programs. A diverse range of offerings includes drone pilot ground and flight school for federal certification, STEMulation programs for hands-on education, international eSport drone soccer programs, professional development for educators, and consulting services. EDGE funding will help them secure a permanent indoor facility as opposed to temporary site hosts where internet connectivity and weather conditions can be challenging. The company’s planned location is in a downtown development zone.

G & R Industries, LLC (Smyrna)
G & R Industries is a start-up manufacturing company, located in Smyrna, that is bringing an innovative construction hanger to the market. The GRO Hanger provides a safer, faster, stronger, and more cost-effective solution for installing piping and fixtures in steel joist construction. EDGE funding will support startup costs including the purchase of assembly equipment, trade show marketing, testing and certifications, and the initial production run of GRO Hangers.

Paraklete Properties & Design, LLC (Viola)
Paraklete Properties is a woman-owned and family operated business that seeks to provide locally grown baled pine straw. Established in 2019, Paraklete Properties is committed to Delaware’s growth while preserving its natural beauty. EDGE funding will be used to purchase a proprietary pine straw baler as well as to construct a storage location for the straw. The funds will assist in providing an increased volume of densely packed pine bales, with minimally handled straw as well as provide a protected area for storage before the sale.

The Nest Play Cafe (Middletown)
The Nest Play Cafe is an innovative establishment for parents to take their young children, to explore a fun, exciting play area, while they relax or interact with other parents in an upscale café lounge and seating area. With a holistic, eco-friendly and Montessori-inspired approach the Nest Play Café offers programming including baby sign language, Spanish, Mandarin, sensory play, arts & crafts, and milestone development classes taught by a pediatric occupational therapist. EDGE funding will enable to owners to do phase 2 of their construction plan for an additional restroom and add plumbing and buy equipment for an organic coffee and smoothie bar area.

Studio B. (Harrington)
Studio B seeks to establish a unique fusion of commerce and art by serving as an ultra-fast turnaround print-on-demand hub and a supportive community workspace. The company will offer convenient access to top-notch print work such as restaurant menus, business cards, flyers, banners, and more. Additionally, Studio B will extend its services to artists and individuals, providing access to professional assistance, a supportive creative environment, and high-end tools and equipment that are typically out of reach for independent creators. EDGE funding will help the company acquire equipment and professional website assistance for effective outreach, marketing, and online sales potential.

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The Delaware Division of Small Business (DSB) is a state agency committed to helping small businesses start and grow in Delaware. DSB’s Regional Business Managers assist small business owners and budding entrepreneurs by helping them navigate government processes, connecting them to partner organizations with valuable resources and helping identify potential sources of funding.

 

MEDIA CONTACT:
       Andrea Wojcik (302) 554-0060
       Andrea.Wojcik@delaware.gov
      Rony Baltazar (302) 857-4633
      Rony.Baltazar@delaware.gov

 


DHSS Secretary Walker Sends Health Care Spending and Quality Benchmark Recommendations to Governor Carney

NEW CASTLE (Aug. 27, 2018) – Culminating nearly a year of outreach to and feedback from health stakeholders across the state, Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) Secretary Dr. Kara Odom Walker today sent her recommendations for establishing health care spending and quality benchmarks to Governor John Carney. The work on the benchmarks began last summer when the General Assembly passed House Joint Resolution 7 authorizing DHSS to develop a health care spending benchmark. The Governor signed that legislation in September 2017, just months after an analysis by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) showed Delaware had the third-highest per-capita health care spending rate in the country. That fall, DHSS and Secretary Walker began a series of summits to explore how a spending benchmark could work in Delaware. While the overall health of Delawareans has been improving – Delaware is ranked 30th among the states, according to America’s Health Rankings – the pace of that improvement is trailing the growth of health care spending across the state.

As a way to increase transparency and to tie health care spending to improved outcomes for Delawareans, Governor Carney signed Executive Order 19 in February 2018, creating an advisory group of health care leaders and other key stakeholders to provide feedback to Secretary Walker on strategies for developing spending and quality benchmarks. The advisory group provided its summary report in June 2018.

Based on months of feedback, research and deliberations, Secretary Walker’s recommendations to Governor Carney include:

* The health care spending benchmark should be expressed as a rate using a calculated measure of the per-capita potential gross state product (PGSP) growth, that the Governor should set the initial benchmark for 2019 and that the initial benchmark should remain in place for five years.

* The Delaware Finance Advisory Committee (DEFAC) should establish a new Health Care Spending Benchmark Subcommittee to review the inflation component of the benchmark and the methodology of calculating the benchmark for 2024 and beyond.

* The Health Care Commission should be responsible for setting the health care spending benchmark in the future and consider changes to the benchmark target between 2020 and 2023 if the DEFAC Health Care Spending Benchmark Subcommittee so recommends.

* The Health Care Commission should collect timely and accurate data from licensed health insurers – using the Health Care Claims Database – to inform setting the spending and quality benchmarks, and assessing performance.

* The quality benchmarks should be established to “monitor and establish accountability for improved health care quality that bends the health care cost growth curve.”

* The quality benchmarks should be focused on high-priority areas, including ambulatory care-sensitive emergency department visits; opioid-related overdose deaths and co-prescribed opioid and benzodiazepine prescriptions; and cardiovascular disease prevention.

* That there should be aspirational benchmarks along with more incremental annual benchmarks, and that the Health Care Commission (HCC) should convene a time-limited advisory group to inform the HCC on whether the quality measures should change to reflect new priorities or improved performance.

“I want to thank the hundreds of health care leaders, advocates and consumers across our state who provided feedback on the spending and quality benchmarks,” said Secretary Walker, a board-certified family physician. “They understand the need for our health care system to change in order to be sustainable and to meet the ongoing needs of the patients we serve.”

Secretary Walker encouraged stakeholders to provide feedback to DHSS through ourhealthde@delaware.gov. Ongoing updates also will be posted on DHSS’ health care website, www.ChooseHealthDE.com.

Delaware historically has ranked among the top 10 states in per-capita health care spending, including in 2014, when the state had the third-highest per-capita rate, behind only Alaska and Massachusetts. The 50-state analysis by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), released in 2017, found that Delaware’s per-capita rate was $10,254, or more than 27 percent higher than the U.S. average of $8,045. Without changes, the analysis estimated that Delaware’s total health care spending would more than double from $9.5 billion in 2014 to $21.5 billion in 2025. Yet Delaware ranked only 30th among the states for overall health in 2017, according to America’s Health Rankings.


“Lost off Lewes: The British warship DeBraak”

-Tours explore the surviving hull section of an 18th-century shipwreck-

(DOVER, Del.—May 8, 2018)—Beginning on June 14, 2018, the Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs will offer tours that explore the 18th-century history, artifacts and surviving hull section of His Majesty’s Sloop DeBraak, a British warship that was escorting and protecting a convoy of merchant ships en route to the United States when it was capsized and lost off the Delaware coast on May 25, 1798.

DeBraak tours header

During 2018, tours will take place both on Thursday mornings and on selected Saturday evenings. Thursday tours will take place at 9 a.m. on the following dates: June 14, 21 and 28; July 5, 12, 19 and 26; Aug. 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30; and Sept. 6, 13, 20 and 27. Saturday tours will take place at 5 p.m. on June 30, July 28 and Aug. 25.

Tours begin at the Zwaanendael Museum, located at 102 Kings Highway in Lewes, Del., where a lecture on the ship will be presented in conjunction with the exhibit “A Seaborne Citizenry: The DeBraak and Its Atlantic World.” Participants will learn about the history, crew and sinking of the DeBraak through a guided presentation and display of actual artifacts. Attendees will then be transported, via van, to the DeBraak conservation facility for interpretation and viewing of the ship’s surviving hull section. Each tour lasts approximately two hours.

Tickets are available at the Zwaanendael Museum. Admission is $10 per person (cash or check only). For reservations, e-mail hca_zmevents@delaware.gov or call 302-645-1148. Tours are restricted to individuals age 10 and up with space limited to 12 participants per tour. Walk-ups are welcome but space is not guaranteed. Special tours, for groups of 10 to 15, may be arranged in advance by contacting the museum.

Significance of DeBraak …

During the late-18th and early-19th centuries, sloops of war such as DeBraak played an increasingly important role in Royal Navy campaigns. These relatively small vessels combined speed, agility, shallow draft and increased firepower, all of which made them formidable naval vessels. As the only Royal Navy sloop of war from this time period that has been recovered anywhere in the world, DeBraak serves as an invaluable historical resource for a time when Great Britain was the world’s preeminent naval power.

The surviving section of the DeBraak’s hull and its associated artifact collection have been curated by the Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs since they were acquired by the State of Delaware in 1992. Approximately one-third of the hull survives including the keel, keelson and lower framing elements, including a large section of the starboard (right) side.

About the Zwaanendael Museum …

The Zwaanendael Museum was built in 1931 to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the state’s first European colony, Swanendael, established by the Dutch along Hoorn Kill (present-day Lewes-Rehoboth Canal) in 1631. Designed by E. William Martin (architect of Legislative Hall and the Hall of Records in Dover), the museum is modeled after the town hall in Hoorn, the Netherlands, and features a stepped facade gable with carved stonework and decorated shutters. The museum’s exhibits and presentations provide a showcase for Lewes-area maritime, military and social history.

The Zwaanendael Museum is administered by the Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs, an agency of the State of Delaware. The division enhances Delaware’s quality of life by preserving the state’s unique historical heritage, fostering community stability and economic vitality and providing educational programs and assistance to the general public on Delaware history and heritage. The division’s diverse array of services includes operation of five museums which are accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, administration of the State Historic Preservation Office, conservation of the state’s archaeological and historic-objects collections, operation of a conference center and management of historic properties across the state. Primary funding for division programs and services is provided by annual appropriations from the Delaware General Assembly and grants from the National Park Service, Department of the Interior, a federal agency. However, the contents and opinions expressed in the division’s programs and services do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Department of the Interior.

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Contact:
Jim Yurasek
Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs
Phone: 302-739-7787
E-mail: Jim.Yurasek@delaware.gov
Web: http://history.delaware.gov