Delaware’s new small business inspection pilot gives eligible owners one coordinated route through applications and pre-opening inspections. Launched under Section 5 of Executive Order 21, the Small Business Joint Inspection Pilot is designed for businesses that have not opened and need applications with participating state agencies.
Before the pilot, new owners often had to apply for permits and licenses across several agencies, then search separate websites and resources to learn what each required. The state says the new process replaces that patchwork with one path. Governor Matt Meyer said the pilot means “fewer websites, fewer delays, and one clear path from an idea to an ‘open for business’ sign.”
How the Small Business Inspection Pilot Works
The Office of Small Business Access, or OSBA, leads the pilot with participating agencies. Executive Order 21 established the office, which is led by Director Anastasia Jackson. Section 5 also directs agencies to publish a standard list of common new small-footprint businesses and a plain-English checklist of state requirements for each type.
Owners first register through Delaware One Stop. At registration, they are introduced to OSBA’s coordination services and can choose whether to participate. Owners who opt in register through ServiceNow. The system tells them which permits, licenses and applications their business needs, then links directly to each item.
ServiceNow also alerts a liaison at each participating agency when a new business enters the pipeline. OSBA works with those liaisons to identify requirements and speed approvals. Owners can book meetings with agency liaisons, contact local officials with questions or permitting issues, and coordinate inspection visits through OSBA and the agencies.
Eligible Businesses and Agency Reviews
The pilot covers retail stores and markets; art galleries; hair salons, barbershops and spas; non-franchise restaurants, bars and taprooms; coffee shops and cafes; childcare facilities, including home-based businesses; fitness centers; furniture stores; ice cream shops; laundromats; and small-business-owned manufacturing, packaging and distribution facilities.
Only owners who have not opened and need applications with participating state agencies are eligible. Participants must create a my.delaware.gov account. Not every business needs every application. An authorized individual must submit applications, and agencies review them before inspections are scheduled.
The participating agencies are the Delaware Department of Transportation, the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, the Delaware State Fire Marshal, the Division of Public Health within Delaware Health and Social Services, and the Office of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Commissioner. The source announcement describes the coordinated process in a small business inspection pilot.
Owners may also receive local planning, zoning and business licensing contacts based on their business address. The process connects agencies and applicants around requirements and scheduling, while leaving application review with the agencies. Owners considering how to fund operations can also read about a small business financing tool. Businesses seeking public support may review small business grant deadlines, while the wider policy environment is covered in this report on Small Business Administration changes.
For eligible Delaware owners, the next step is to register through Delaware One Stop and decide whether to opt into OSBA coordination. Those who participate then use ServiceNow to identify and submit the applications required for their business.