Congressional Delegation hosts free grant fair and workshop in Dover

DOVER, Del. — More than 200 people visited Delaware State University on Monday for a free grant fair and workshop hosted by U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons, and U.S. Representative John Carney (all D-DE). The event was to help Delawareans better understand the process for finding and securing grant opportunities, as well as put them in contact with 25 funders from state and federal agencies, private businesses, and the non-profit community. In addition, participants could attend two workshops offered during the day focused on grant writing, the grant evaluation process, and best practices for securing funding.

“Today’s fair gave grant seekers an opportunity to ask questions and get answers to help them with the grant application process,” said Sen. Carper. “It’s our job to ensure that the hard working organizations seeking funding to help their communities, as well as our state, get access to the best information possible so they can compete and hopefully win critical federal grant money. Going forward, I hope these organizations continue to utilize our Congressional Delegation’s offices as a helpful resource for the grant application process.”

“This grant fair and workshop succeeded at forging connections between grant seekers and grant writers,” Sen. Coons said. “Researching, writing and applying for grants can be a daunting process, and I’m hopeful that this event made the system easier and more accessible for small business owners, entrepreneurs and non-profits. I look forward to hearing success stories where connections were made, applications were filed, and ultimately grants were awarded.”

“Today’s grant fair was about helping Delawareans who are doing great work in our community get better access to the resources and support they need to be successful,” said Congressman Carney. “The state and federal grant process can be very competitive and complicated. I’m hopeful that the lessons shared and connections made today will result in more grants awarded to deserving Delaware organizations.”

Dr. Harry L. Williams, president of Delaware State University, said that this is just another example of the teamwork of the Delaware Congressional Delegation as they continually strive for the success and prosperity of the residents of the First State.

“As our faculty here at Delaware State University has learned, there is a lot that goes into successful federal grant writing,” said Dr. Williams. “And just as this University has been able to obtain millions of dollars in federal grants, this unique opportunity has provided others with valuable information and insight that could bring more federal dollars into Delaware.”

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