Delaware Technical Innovation Program (DTIP)

Delaware Technical Innovation Program (DTIP)

Administers research teams and institutions for Delaware Technical Innovation in artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and hardware.

The Delaware Technical Innovation Program (DTIP) is a rolling transition grant administered by the Delaware Division of Small Business (DSB) and funded through the Delaware Strategic Fund. The program provides up to $50,000 per application to Delaware-based companies that have won a federal SBIR or STTR Phase I award and have submitted — but not yet received — a Phase II award. The grant allows recipients to maintain staff and continue research during the gap period between federal Phase I completion and Phase II approval, a critical juncture at which many small companies lose momentum due to funding interruption.

Applicants must have 100 or fewer full-time equivalent employees and must conduct the majority of their business operations in Delaware with a physical in-state presence. The company must be in good standing under Delaware law and in all other jurisdictions where it conducts business, must hold current required business and professional licenses under Titles 24 and 30 of the Delaware Code, and must provide three years of financial statements. A single company may receive up to five DTIP grants within any rolling ten-year period, mirroring the statutory limit on federal SBIR/STTR awards. Awards go before the Council on Development Finance (CDF) for approval before DSB disburses funds.

Eligible expenditures include personnel salaries between Phase I and Phase II, scientific research, facility modifications, patent search and application costs, market research, product planning and development, and business plan development. Capital equipment, construction, and salaries incurred during Phase I or II itself are not eligible. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis with no fixed deadlines and are available on the DSB incentives portal at business.delaware.gov/incentives. The statutory basis is Title 29 Delaware Code, Subchapter III, Section 8735A.