State of Delaware × Milken Institute

Why Delaware?

Delaware conforms to the federal Opportunity Zone tax incentive — and stacks state incentives, accelerated permitting and a AAA balance sheet on top of it. Bring your project or your capital; we'll make the match.

Create a CIC account and join the Delaware ecosystem

An initiative of Milken Institute

On this page Eight reasons What stacks How the match happens

Eight reasons capital moves here

Supplied by the Delaware Division of Small Business and the Delaware Prosperity Partnership.

Delaware Conforms

Delaware conforms to the federal Opportunity Zone program — state tax treatment of capital gains invested in a QOZ project matches the federal treatment.

Delaware Accelerates Permitting in Opportunity Zones

Projects funded in whole or in part by OZ Funds within a certified OZ 2.0 census tract are eligible for Delaware's JobsFirst Permitting Accelerator — a single point of contact to guide your project through the process.

Delaware is Fiscally Responsible

All three major credit rating agencies have awarded Delaware with a 'AAA' Bond Rating for over 26 years.

Competitive Tax Environment

No sales tax, personal property tax, inventory tax, equipment tax or value added tax. Fifth lowest U.S. personal tax burden.

Delaware Works

Delaware complements a highly skilled workforce with customized training programs to meet the demands of existing and emerging businesses.

Delaware Stacks Up

Delaware and many of its local communities offer stackable tax credits and incentives to complement your investment in a Qualified Opportunity Zone.

Center of U.S. Political & Financial Capitals

Affordable location at center of I-95 corridor. Direct access to more than 53 million consumers within 250 miles. Key intermodal infrastructure halfway between NYC and DC.

Proven & Reliable Business Climate

Responsive government and collaborative regulatory environment. Precedent-setting business courts. Legal home of over 2.2 million businesses, including over 66% of Fortune 500 companies.

What stacks on an OZ investment

Every program below is tagged in the CIC registry, so an eligible Delaware project surfaces the ones it qualifies for automatically.

Tax Credit

Historic Preservation Tax Credits

State credits for certified rehabilitation of historic structures — stackable with the federal credit.

hptc.delaware.gov
Tax Credit

Research & Development Tax Credit

Delaware Code Title 30, Chapter 20 — credits against qualified R&D expenditures. A fully refundable state tax credit with no annual expenditure cap, covering all R&D activity that qualifies under the federal credit.

delcode.delaware.gov/title30/c020/sc08
Partner

Delaware Prosperity Partnership

Statewide economic development organization — focuses on business attraction, expansion, and support for startups with site selection, project management, research, and connecting with resources.

choosedelaware.com
Rebate

Green Energy Program — Solar on Brownfields

Nonresidential and nonprofit entities are eligible for DNREC rebates of up to $100,000 for installing solar on a certified brownfield. The site must be a certified brownfield and meet the Green Energy Program's existing solar guidelines. Not combinable with the current nonresidential solar incentive.

dnrec.delaware.gov — Green Energy Program

How the match happens

Free to communities. The CIC is philanthropically funded — you're only charged if you engage a provider who bills for their own services.

Step one

Upload your project

Name, project type and subtype, stage, location. Public or private, your choice. Low barrier by design — an idea counts.

Step two

We triage it weekly

Every project is reviewed and routed — to technical assistance if it needs work, to a deal room if it's capital-ready.

Step three

Delaware convenes

The state sees your project alongside the funders and TA providers that fit it, and makes the introduction.