De-risk & Re-underwrite complex projects with strategies that unlock value.

Now permanent under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, OZs allow investors to defer and potentially eliminate capital gains taxes by investing in a Qualified Opportunity Fund within 180 days. A 10-year hold yields tax-free appreciation on the OZ investment itself. Rolling deferral and enhanced rural fund terms added by the OBBBA. New enhanced reporting requirements apply for tax years after December 31, 2026.

The NMTC Program provides a 39% non-refundable federal tax credit to investors in Community Development Entities, spread over 7 years. Made permanent by the OBBBA. Targets investments in Qualified Active Low-Income Community Businesses. The CDFI Fund opened the CY 2026 application cycle following the $10 billion 2024–2025 award round.

The Federal Historic Tax Credit provides a 20% income tax credit for the certified rehabilitation of buildings listed on the National Register. Delaware also offers a state HTC. The combined federal/state stack is one of the most powerful tools for adaptive reuse — especially when layered with NMTC on a building in a low-income census tract.

EPA Brownfields provides assessment grants (up to $300K hazardous / $200K petroleum), cleanup grants up to $500K, and revolving loan funds. Assessment grants require no match; cleanup grants require a 20% cost share. Sites enrolled in Delaware’s Voluntary Cleanup Program may qualify for expedited eligibility.

The U.S. Economic Development Administration accepts rolling applications for Public Works and Economic Adjustment Assistance grants, funding infrastructure, facilities, planning, and site readiness for projects with strong regional economic impact. Applications require a CEDS alignment and a public-sector co-applicant. EDA gives preference to Opportunity Zone projects.

TIIF reimburses the road and transportation improvement costs that job-generating Delaware projects require to get built. Administered by DelDOT, it turns infrastructure that would otherwise kill a pro forma into a public contribution. Applications are reviewed quarterly — next deadline August 31, 2026. Economic impact case (jobs, wages, capital investment) is the core of the scoring. South Pond has built these cases from the inside.

Delaware’s DDD program rebates a share of qualified real-property investment in 15 designated downtown areas statewide — historically leveraging roughly $15 of private capital for every $1 of state funds. Large projects (over $1M qualified investment) enter a competitive reservation process; smaller projects use a simpler pathway. Key jurisdictions include Wilmington, Dover, Newark, Milford, Middletown, and Seaford.

DNREC certifies properties as brownfields, opening eligibility for state Brownfield Assistance Program grants and the New Business Facility Tax Credit brownfields enhancement ($900 per employee and $900 per $100K capital investment). Certification also activates Voluntary Cleanup Program enrollment for sites with known contamination. Works directly alongside EPA brownfield assessment grants.

The Delaware Strategic Fund is the state’s primary discretionary economic development tool, administered by the Division of Small Business. Under the Meyer administration, $5M was allocated in FY2026 with $3M directed to EDGE. Awards are negotiated based on job creation, wages, and capital investment commitments. Reserved for transformative projects with a strong public-sector economic case.

The Encouraging Development, Growth and Expansion grant is a competitive small business grant program. STEM-based companies can receive up to $100K; other businesses up to $50K. EDGE 2.0 returned in 2026 with a Pitch Competition format. Relevant for startup-scale users of redevelopment spaces or innovation-anchored mixed-use projects seeking to attract tenants.

Delaware’s Site Readiness Fund provides grant funding for infrastructure installation, environmental remediation, and site preparation activities that bring a development site to a market-ready condition. Targeted at sites that can deliver near-term job creation. Pairs well with brownfield programs when the site has legacy contamination alongside infrastructure deficits.

TIF districts freeze the assessed base value of a defined area and redirect the incremental property tax revenue generated by new development into a special fund for public improvements. Delaware TIF is authorized by state statute and created at the county or municipal level. New Castle County and Wilmington have used TIF to finance infrastructure in redevelopment corridors including the Riverfront.

New Jersey’s UEZ program designates 32 municipalities where qualifying businesses receive sales tax exemptions, investment tax credits, and priority NJEDA lending. Combined with NJ’s Brownfields and Contaminated Site Remediation Tax Credit (up to $4M), UEZ is a meaningful stack for cross-border deals near Gloucester or Salem counties adjacent to Delaware.

The Maryland Economic Development Assistance Authority and Fund provides discretionary loans up to $10M and grants up to $2M for businesses and local governments within Priority Funding Areas. Awards tied to job creation thresholds, wage levels, and capital investment. Maryland’s Strategic Demolition Fund ($10M in 2026) targets catalytic redevelopment in existing communities.

The Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance act allows Pennsylvania taxing jurisdictions to exempt from real property taxation the assessed valuation of new construction or improvements to deteriorated industrial or commercial property for up to 10 years. Adopted locally, so availability varies by municipality. Particularly useful for adaptive reuse and industrial repositioning in southeastern PA communities near Delaware.

Delaware On Main is a state technical assistance and grant program supporting commercial corridor revitalization — providing facade improvement funding, business development resources, and placemaking support in designated main street communities. Complements larger redevelopment strategies by activating street-level retail and stabilizing the commercial base that anchors mixed-use projects. Works alongside DDD in overlapping designated areas.