SMYRNA, Del. (August 11, 2021) – A company working to alleviate symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, a maker of wearable cooling protective gear, a specialty running store, and a meadery were among the 15 Delaware small businesses recognized Wednesday as awardees of the third round of Encouraging Development, Growth and Expansion (EDGE) Grants from the state Division of Small Business.

Gov. John Carney and Division of Small Business Director Jordan Schulties announced the companies at an event at Painted Stave Distilling in Smyrna, where EDGE grant recipient Taco Jardin currently has a food truck located.

“We need to make it easy for businesses to start and stay here in Delaware,” said Governor Carney. “That’s why we created the EDGE Grant program to encourage even more small businesses to expand and innovate. The grant recipients in this round span a wide range of industries, but each owner has the drive and determination necessary to start then grow their business. After an incredibly challenging year, we remain committed to rebuilding our economy and supporting Delaware small businesses.”

Businesses who are less than five years old and employ no more than 10 employees are eligible to apply for an EDGE Grant. The grants are awarded through a competitive selection process. STEM-based companies can receive up to $100,000 for eligible expenses while Entrepreneur Class (non-STEM) businesses can receive up to $25,000.

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.

“EDGE Grants are helping to level the playing field for promising Delaware small companies as they compete with more established, larger businesses and as they recover from the coronavirus pandemic,” Secretary of State Jeff Bullock said. “Small businesses are the backbone of Delaware’s economy, and this program is just one of the many ways the Division of Small Business has made a strong, positive impact on the state’s economy by assisting hardworking business owners.”

Since EDGE launched in 2019, more than $2 million has been awarded to 35 promising Delaware small businesses in industries ranging from wearable technology to agribusiness to craft brewing.

“Despite the challenges of the last year, Delaware’s entrepreneurs continue to find innovative ways to ensure the success of their businesses by developing new products, changing how they interact with their customers, or thinking creatively about their future goals,” Division Director Jordan Schulties said. “The EDGE Grant offers us the opportunity to recognize this innovation by providing much-needed capital assistance at a time when our state’s small businesses need it most.”

This is the third round of funding for the program since it launched in 2019. In this latest round, which opened in April, 282 businesses applied for funding. Twenty-three finalists gave public presentations before a panel of expert judges on June 22, 23 and 24 at Delaware Tech in Dover.

Taco Jardin received $25,000 in EDGE Grant funds to purchase a second food truck to expand their reach throughout Kent County.

“This funding from the EDGE Grant program is significant for a small business like ours and will create opportunities for our business that would not be possible without it,” said chef and co-owner Charles Kelchner. “My business partners and I are honored to be selected as a winner of the grant funding. I know it will go a long way in helping our business grow and thrive in the months and years to come.”

EDGE Grant Recipients

STEM class

Desikant (Wilmington)
Founded in late 2019 by Kwaku Temeng, Desikant Technologies created technology that incorporates electronics into protective gear to actively exchange warm, humid interior air with cooler, drier ambient air. The company’s current project is developing and testing a cooling vest that surgeons can wear to prevent heat exhaustion during long surgeries. Desikant will use its grant to add new capabilities (intelligent, automatic operation) to its technology toolkit and pave the way for developing products for demanding, high value, and profitable applications.

Curative Sciences (Newark)
Curative Sciences is an early-stage life science start-up developing a comprehensive treatment platform for Oral Mucositis, tissue swelling in the mouth often caused by cancer treatment. The platform includes light-based therapy as well as oral care products for the management of intermediate to long-term oral side effects of cancer therapy. The grant will allow Curative Sciences to develop the next generation of their light-based therapy device.

Resonate Forward (Newark)
This company was established to commercialize technology to help mitigate the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. The grant will make it possible for Resonate Forward to develop a manufacturable prototype and design for their RMband device that mitigates tremors in patients with Parkinson’s disease. In addition, grant funds will also be used to help the company secure research/office space at the University of Delaware’s STAR campus.

Neggster (Wilmington)
Always looking to solve problems, Newark’s Kasai Guthrie will be utilizing his EDGE funding to enable young adults to learn how to responsibly manage money and eventually hopes to transform his clients into entrepreneurs. Neggster, Guthrie’s new banking app, will teach its users how to better oversee their funds and to guide them to a more prosperous future.

Aqua Science (Newark)
Aqua Science LLC is a biotechnology start-up that supplies high-quality testing solutions for the water quality testing market, including biosensor-based products, lab services, or complementary products sourced from others. The company created a BioLight product line used for toxicity testing of water and soil by municipalities, industrial companies, and utilities who demand high-quality results and adherence to regulation. They will use the grant funding to develop a luminometer to be used with the BioLight kits.

Entrepreneur class

Doña Maria’s Pupuseria (Seaford)
Making Seaford a better place, one storefront at a time is exactly what Craig de Mariana Aleman and his family are all about. With their EDGE funding, Doña Maria will be expanding their restaurant outside and offering hand-dipped ice cream services to locals. While dining outside, customers will also be able to enjoy a beautiful new mural that Craig will commission, highlighting a local artist.

Elite Feet (Middletown)
Elite Feet is a local, family-owned and operated retail specialty running store that sells high quality footwear and apparel for the entire family. The company will use grant funds to create a mobile retail store in a climate-controlled trailer. The mobile trailer will allow customers to be fitted for and purchase athletic shoes while attending races or other events, increasing the company’s profits and return on investment.

Taco Jardin (Smyrna)
Charles “Cheeks” Kelchner and his business partners are passionate about great things – specifically, street tacos served from their food truck, Taco Jardin, located at the Painted Stave Distilling in Smyrna. Chef Cheeks will be utilizing his newly obtained EDGE funding to purchase another food truck to take his fare on the road throughout Kent County.

Paragon Life and Fitness (Wilmington)
Vickie George, co-founder of Paragon Life and Fitness, believes that engaging in exercise should not be just for the elite or the able-bodied, and inclusiveness should have a place in the fitness industry. Paragon Life and Fitness plans to use its EDGE grant funding to open a fitness facility for adults and people with physical disabilities that will include wheelchair/dual accessible equipment.

Grail Sports (Elsmere)
Founder Eugene Delle Donne launched Grail Sports LLC during the summer of 2018 with aspirations to penetrate the sports media world. After evolving from specializing in online blogging and podcasts, in January 2021, Grail Sports entered into a lease agreement to acquire a 24,000 square foot gymnasium to create an elite training facility for youth programs called the Grail Sports Complex. EDGE grant funding will be used to renovate the lower level of the sports complex to allow Grail Sports the opportunity to offer indoor training in multiple sports.

1440 Film (Wilmington)

1440 Film Co. is a full-service video production company located in Wilmington that specializes in commercials, documentaries, and branded content. The company will use grant funding to purchase a cargo van and various grip filmmaking equipment in order to continue delivering high-quality work that is creative, engaging, and makes an impact on its clients.  

Tempest Risk Management (Wilmington)

Tempest Risk Management provides world class business continuity and disaster recovery solutions to businesses and communities enabling them to survive and thrive. EDGE grant funding will be used to build and launch the Tempest Risk Management Portal giving Delaware’s small and medium business owners instant access to critical resources when they are needed during a business emergency or disruption.

Brimming Horn Meadery (Milton)

When Jon Talkington and JR Walker opened the Brimming Horn Meadery in Milton, Delaware in 2017 they had no idea how quickly their niche corner of the market would grow. Fast forward to 2021 and now the meadery is yet again expanding their horizons into the food truck industry. With their newly acquired EDGE funding, Jon and JR will be opening a Viking-themed food truck to complement their meads and serve their hungry clientele.

Gingham + Grace Clothing (Harbeson)

Jami Jackson has grown her once small online boutique shop to a brick-and-mortar storefront in Harbeson, Delaware where her clients receive excellent customer service and one-of-a-kind pieces. With her EDGE funding, Jackson plans on investing in new inventory to grow sales, with hopes to bring on a new employee who can help her better serve her patrons in Delaware and the 29 other states that she ships to currently.

Delaware Tool Exchange (Newark)

This veteran-owned company acquires tools and equipment on a consignment basis and offers them for sale at fair market prices from a brick-and-mortar industrial facility in Newark. The company will use its grant to lease, build out, and open a second location in or near Newark, and equip their existing location with an integrated system to receive, inspect, clean, and repair tools more efficiently.

Over 200 small businesses will receive up to $5,000 for programs to incentivize customers to get vaccinated

WILMINGTON, Del. – Governor John Carney and the Delaware Division of Small Business on Monday announced that more than 200 Delaware small businesses will receive state grants up to $5,000 to reimburse them for the cost of providing incentives for vaccinated customers.

The small business grants are part of DE Wins! – a public education and incentive campaign to encourage all eligible Delawareans to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Participating small businesses come from across Delaware and represent a wide range of industries, including restaurants, retail and personal care businesses.

Delawareans can see the full list of businesses offering incentives to customers who show proof of vaccination at DEwins.org/partners.

“These grants give Delawareans another great reason to roll up their sleeve as we push toward our goal of having 70 percent of adult Delawareans vaccinated by July 4,” said Governor Carney. “A healthy economy requires a healthy community and getting as many Delawareans as possible vaccinated is the best way we can ensure both.”

As of Sunday, June 6, 67.4 percent of Delaware adults had received at least one shot, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Delaware is aiming to meet President Biden’s goal of vaccinating 70 percent of adults with at least one shot by July 4.

“Small business is a huge part of Delaware’s economy,” said Secretary of State Jeff Bullock. “We have sought ways throughout the economic struggles of the pandemic to support them. This program is a great example of how the State can support their efforts and they can support ours right back by stepping up to encourage more Delawareans get vaccinated.”

“Delaware’s small business community has shown a real enthusiasm for participating in the program” said Jordan Schulties, Director of the Division of Small Business. “The Division is administering the grant program, including evaluating the proposed promotions. The number of businesses that want to offer incentives, as well as the creativity the business owners have shown in designing promotions that appeal to their customers, is impressive. Small businesses stepped up during the pandemic to serve their customers. Now they’re helping once again by giving their customers another reason to get vaccinated.”

The promotions are part of DE Wins!, a public education and incentive program announced May 25, which aims to increase vaccination rates statewide. In addition to offerings from small businesses, the program also includes twice-weekly prize drawings conducted by the Delaware Lottery and a final drawing with grand prizes including $302,000 and two low-digit Delaware license plates.

Delawareans vaccinated in Delaware will also receive a $10 gift card when vaccinated.

The DE Wins! Vaccine Incentive Program runs through June 29. More businesses will be announced as part of the program in the coming days.

More information can be found at DEWins.org/partners

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Governor to visit Delaware Small Businesses and Tourism locations

WILMINGTON, Del. – In recognition of Small Business Week and National Travel and Tourism Week (May 2-8), Governor John Carney will join the Delaware Tourism Office to visit small businesses and attractions in Kent, New Castle and Sussex counties this week.

Note to media: An advisory is included at the end of the release. Media planning to cover tour, please RSVP to Hailey Valerio (Hailey.Valerio@delaware.gov) with which day(s) and locations you will cover. Please prepare to be outdoors.

“We want to take this week to salute the folks who pour their heart and soul into running Delaware’s small businesses,” said Governor Carney. “These have not been easy times for our small business owners, especially those in the tourism and hospitality industry. But they have gone above and beyond for their customers. They understand you can’t have a healthy economy without a healthy community. Aside from buying local, the most important thing Delawareans can do to help our small businesses and economy is to get vaccinated so we can beat COVID-19.”

Each location will share how resilience, creativity and passion, as well as assistance from the State of Delaware’s DE Relief Grant or HELP programs, have supported them through the pandemic.

“The inventiveness of Delaware’s small business owners has never been more on display than during the pandemic,” said Secretary of State Jeff Bullock. “While the state provided financial assistance through DE Relief Grants and HELP loans, it was the creativity businesses used to pivot and adjust their models that really helped them make it through these difficult times.”

In addition to the Governor’s visits, the Division of Small Business hosted webinars for small business owners on crowd investing and pitching prospective investors. The Division also will feature on its website and social media three forward thinking small business owners who made improvements to their businesses that will continue long after the pandemic.

“The ways our small business owners have adapted has been tremendous,” said Jordan Schulties, Director of the Division of Small Business. “To better serve their customers, they have added new products and services. They have added outdoor dining or curbside pickup. They have made it easier for their customers to shop online.”

The Delaware Tourism Office will highlight on social media various aspects of Delaware’s tourism industry from what to see in Delaware and how to visit safely, to celebrating the diversity of the state’s culinary scene by ordering food on #TakeoutTuesday and thanking the industry and its frontline workers.

“Tourism is a vital part of Delaware’s economy – contributing billions to the state’s GDP and employing tens of thousands of Delawareans,” said Liz Keller, Director of the Delaware Tourism Office. “After the most difficult year for the industry, the attractions, restaurants, hotels and many other destinations are looking forward to the summer season as visitors explore our state’s discoveries safely and once again help drive Delaware’s economy.”

 

*MEDIA ADVISORY*

SMALL BUSINESS & TOURISM TOUR: Dolce Bakery and Coffee Shop 

WHAT: Governor Carney will visit Dolce Bakery and Coffee Shop in Milford. Dolce, a previous EDGE Grant winner, is also a partner to other small businesses and nonprofits in the Milford area. More than half of its products comes from area businesses and its used coffee grounds are recycled to nourish the soil at Milford Community Gardens.

WHO:

Governor John Carney

Jeff Bullock, Secretary, Delaware Department of State

Jordan Schulties, Director, Division of Small Business

Liz Keller, Director, Delaware Tourism Office

Stephenie Tatman, Co-owner of Dolce Bakery and Coffee

WHEN:

Wednesday, May 5, 2021

3:00-3:15 p.m.

WHERE:

Dolce Bakery and Coffee Shop

36 N. Walnut Street

Milford, DE 19963

 

SMALL BUSINESS & TOURISM TOUR: Crooked Hammock Craft Brewery

WHAT: Governor Carney will visit Crooked Hammock craft brewery in Middletown. Crooked Hammock’s beINVOLVED program supports local communities through fundraising, outreach and donations of meals that have benefited about 1,000 people in need.

WHO:

Governor John Carney

Liz Keller, Director, Delaware Tourism Office

Josh Grapski, La Vida Hospitality

WHEN:

Thursday, May 6, 2021

11:30-12:15 p.m.

WHERE:

Crooked Hammock Craft Brewery

316 Auto Park Drive

Middletown, DE 19709

 

SMALL BUSINESS & TOURISM TOUR: Delaware Botanic Gardens

WHAT: Governor Carney will visit the Delaware Botanic Gardens in Dagsboro. Delaware Botanic Gardens is one of the state’s newest tourist attractions and a recent addition to Delaware Tourism Office’s Delaware Discoveries Trail.

WHO:

Governor John Carney

Liz Keller, Director, Delaware Tourism Office

Raymond Sander, Delaware Botanic Gardens, President

Sheryl Swed, Delaware Botanic Gardens, Executive Director

Stephen Pryce Lea, Delaware Botanic Gardens, Head of Horticulture

WHEN:

Friday, May 7, 2021

11:45 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.

WHERE:

Delaware Botanic Gardens

30220 Piney Neck Road

Dagsboro, DE 19939

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Delaware Division of Small Business and Delaware Black Chamber of Commerce Announce Partnership

Dover, DE (Nov. 18, 2020) – More small businesses will have help in applying for DE Relief Grants through a new relationship between the Delaware Division of Small Business (DSB) and the Delaware Black Chamber of Commerce (DEBCC).

The two organizations have formed a partnership under which the Chamber will assist small businesses in applying for DE Relief Grants, a key economic relief program administered by the Division of Small Business.

“We are thrilled to announce this partnership,” said Ayanna Khan, DEBCC President and Chief Executive Officer. “Our goal is to increase the number of minority-owned businesses applying and approved for DE Relief Grants. This will advance the Chamber’s mission to serve the needs of minority-owned businesses across Delaware, provide economic opportunity and support to business owners as well as to the communities they serve.”

Through Nov. 12, 1,904 applicants had accepted and/or been approved for more than $61 million in grants, with requests for another $31.2 million undergoing the review process.

The median grant award has been a little more than $20,000. The typical recipient had a median annual 2019 gross revenue of just under $500,000.

“DE Relief Grants have been a source of vital financial assistance to Delaware small business owners,” said Division of Small Business Director Damian DeStefano. “The Division’s partnership with the Delaware Black Chamber of Commerce will ensure that more small businesses, particularly those we know have been hit hardest by COVID-19, such as minority-owned firms and microenterprises, have access to the assistance they need to secure the most relief funding possible.”

DE Relief Grants are a joint effort between the state of Delaware and New Castle County. Under the rules of the federal CARES Act, from which the program money comes, the State and County must use available funds by Dec. 31, 2020.

Applications for the current round of grants are due by December 4, which provides time for all applications to be reviewed and funds to be dispersed prior to the end of the year.

Information about DE Relief Grants can be found at delbiz.com/relief, including an extensive Q&A document, demonstration videos and a full explanation of eligible expenses.

Business owners interested in assistance from the Delaware Black Chamber of Commerce can email the Chamber at email@debcc.org or call (302) 709-1708.

About the Division of Small Business
The Division of Small Business is focused on making Delaware the number one state in the nation to start and grow a small business. We provide support to businesses of fewer than 100 employees to help them maximize their potential. Small businesses account for 98 percent of businesses in Delaware and employ 55 percent of Delaware’s workforce. To help them succeed, the Division offers grant and loan programs and customized services and support, ranging from assistance navigating governmental regulations to connecting them to an extensive network of resource partners.  For more information visit delbiz.com

About the Delaware Black Chamber of Commerce

The DEBCC works to ensure that minority and other disadvantaged entrepreneurs are not left behind due to a lack of support to help them achieve success. The DEBCC provides the necessary assistance and support systems to ensure that minority-owned businesses advance their economic footprint across Delaware. DEBCC serves as a vital hub for connecting minority business owners and entrepreneurs with the resources needed to assist them in growing their enterprise and creating new economic opportunities and job growth throughout the First State.  Most importantly, the DEBCC is an all inclusive Chamber, dedicated to economic advancement and equality for all. For more information visit www.DEBCC.org

 

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WILMINGTON, Del. – Today, Delaware Governor John Carney, U.S. Sens. Tom Carper and Chris Coons and Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester (all D-Del.) announced a $1.5 million grant award from the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Economic Development Administration (EDA) to Delaware Innovation Space to create a Hard Science Startup Accelerator. The grant was awarded through the national Build to Scale (B2S) competition run by the Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (OIE) at EDA.

Delaware Innovation Space is a nonprofit incubator and accelerator at the Experimental Station where scientists, business leaders, community members, investors, and service providers in the industrial biotech, advanced materials, chemical ingredients, renewable energy, nutrition and healthcare fields can build business concepts together and accelerate the path to commercialization. It is the result of a public-private partnership between the State of Delaware, DuPont and the University of Delaware. This grant award will provide mentorship and training to entrepreneurs to help them develop and grow their business.

Delaware Innovation Space was awarded the top amount of $1.5 million in the competition placing it in the top 10 percent of more than 600 applications that were submitted from across the United States.

“We want innovators and entrepreneurs to start in Delaware, stay in Delaware, and grow in Delaware,” said Governor John Carney. “The accelerator program funded by this grant will assist emerging science-based startups to grow and thrive right here in Delaware. The world has changed. We have to continue being nimble and supporting our entrepreneurial ecosystem. We’ve already seen success out of the Delaware Innovation Space from companies like Prelude Therapeutics, and I look forward to seeing the Delaware companies that this program will launch and grow.”

“The lack of physical lab space with expert business mentorship and training is a road block to the ultimate success of emerging entrepreneurs in the hard sciences,” said Bill Provine, Delaware Innovation Space President & CEO. “The Hard Science Startup Accelerator will provide science entrepreneurs with access to structured programs and a customized learning experience that will improve their business concepts and plans, making them more attractive to investors. This combined with the physical assets of the Delaware Innovation Space which includes a more than 130,000-square-foot physical and virtual collaboration ecosystem will assist and equip scalable startups with the tools and expert insights that they need to transform the markets in which they operate.”  

“The Delaware Innovation Space was born out of Delaware’s long history of scientific innovation. As we push through this pandemic, the Innovation Space will continue to be an important part of research and discovery – and economy recovery,” said Senator Carper, ranking member on the Environment and Public Works committee in the U.S. Senate, which has jurisdiction over EDA. “The Delaware Innovation Space will leverage this federal investment and use the resources of the University of Delaware and DuPont to mentor entrepreneurs through its Hard Science Startup Accelerator. We must continue to find ways to grow our economy for the long-term, and this grant will help foster that innovation.”

 “The Hard Science Startup Accelerator program aims to help startup companies and science entrepreneurs be competitive in today’s global economy,” said Senator Coons. “The Delaware Innovation Space has helped companies like Yushan Yan’s W7 Energy to spin out of the University of Delaware their fuel cell technology, and this $1.5-million grant will continue advancing innovation and economic development with other startups in the First State. This federal funding, combined with investments from other partners, helps make sure that Delaware – the birthplace of Nylon, Kevlar, Teflon, and Oliver Evans’ Automated Flour Mill – can provide capital-intensive wet lab space and world-class mentorship well into the future to many more promising technologies.”

“In the midst of our national period of economic hardship, we must continue to help our emerging entrepreneurs innovate and succeed,” said Rep. Blunt Rochester. “The Delaware Innovation Space represents the best kind of partnership that we must continue to utilize and leverage. I’m excited to see how this federal investment will help catalyze some truly exciting results.”

The Hard Science Startup Accelerator will be offered at no-charge to startup companies and the application window for the first cohort class along with other supporting programs will open in late 2020; with the first cohort class beginning work in 2021.

 

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