The Compass Grant Turns $1 of State Funds into $117 for Delaware Small Businesses
WILMINGTON, Del. — When a small business in Delaware wants to grow by selling to customers in other countries, the costs can add up fast, especially with trade shows, international travel, insurance, and market research. The Compass Grant helps cover those costs.
Administered by Export Delaware, a division of the Delaware Department of State, the Compass Grant offers Delaware small businesses up to $10,000 per year for international business development activities. In the last fiscal year, the State awarded $85,355 across 29 grants. The return was extraordinary: participating companies report $10 million in new international sales as a direct result — that’s $117 in new revenue for every $1 invested by the State.
The results go beyond sales figures. Companies hired 21 new employees to keep up with the growth, and retained 166 more. And because international sales cycles are long, participating companies project an additional $21 million in new sales over the next 18 months.
Grant-funded activities ranged from exhibiting at trade shows to overseas customer visits to purchasing EXIM Credit Insurance, which helps protect businesses against the risk of not getting paid by foreign buyers. Here is a look at what some Delaware companies accomplished:
- A Georgetown-based aviation company used the grant to cover EXIM Credit Insurance premiums and reports $4.6 million in new international sales.
- A Wilmington manufacturer exhibited at a trade show in Germany and reports $100,000 in new sales.
- A Delaware accounting firm attended a trade show in Japan, signed new client agreements, and reports $15,000 in new sales.
“Delaware small businesses depend on this program,” said David Máthé, Director of International Business Development for the State of Delaware. “In just the first few weeks of the new funding year, applicants have already requested nearly half of what was awarded in all of last year. That tells you how much this program matters to them.”
The Compass Grant launched in 2023 and has grown steadily, with many companies returning each year to apply for additional funding. Stephen Zwidler of Accudyne Systems summed it up simply: “Keep up the great support of First State Businesses.”
A new round of Compass Grant funding opened July 1, 2026. Delaware small businesses are encouraged to apply at export.delaware.gov.
About Export Delaware
Export Delaware is the State of Delaware’s official resource for small businesses looking to sell their products and services internationally. A division of the Delaware Department of State, Export Delaware provides personalized guidance, market expertise, and access to funding programs like the Compass Grant to help companies of all sizes reach new customers around the world. For more information, visit export.delaware.gov.
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