Page Last Updated: June 2024
Economic Development Districts (EDDs) are multi-jurisdictional planning and economic development agencies federally designated by the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA). There are over 400 EDDs across the country that encourage economic development planning and project implementation in distressed urban, suburban, and rural regions.
With the support of EDA, the NADO Research Foundation (NADO RF) manages the Economic Development District Community of Practice (EDD CoP). Through the EDD CoP, NADO RF and its partners provide tools, resources, and networking opportunities for EDD staff to strengthen organizational capacity and better guide regions towards becoming more competitive, resilient, and equitable. Programming offers useful and responsive resources through a mix of educational platforms and delivers up-to-date training and networking services to EDDs, guiding them on a path to support regional resilience and prosperity.
As part of the EDD CoP, NADO RF has created this interactive EDD map that provides information about each EDD’s service area, website, contact information, CEDS link, and EDA regional office. It also includes two search functions: one that allows the user to quickly identify which EDD serves any address or location and one to search the map by the name of the EDD. Click here to access the map.
Webinar Briefing: The State of the EDDs and CEDS Content Guidelines Updates
In the spring of 2023, the U.S. EDA designated its 400th Economic Development District and also released updates to its Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) Content Guidelines. This webinar briefing provides a reflection on the state of the national network of EDDs and information about the updated CEDS Content Guidelines that highlight equity, climate resilience, and workforce development. Click here to view the recording and download presentation slides.
Build Innovation and Entrepreneurship into the CEDS
SSTI and NADO RF jointly sponsored this webinar that explored how EDDs can better incorporated tech-based economic development (TBED) into the CEDS and other regional economic development efforts. The webinar included background information on the CEDS from EDA staff, and included examples from the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission and TBED partner Rev1 Ventures. Click here to view the recording and download presentation slides.
Integrating CEDS and Hazard Mitigation Planning
Integrating CEDS and hazard mitigation plans can ease plan “silo-ing” between EDD departments, make identified strategies easier to implement, reduce uncertainty around economic downturns, and, most importantly, make your region more resilient and responsive to hazardous events. Learn basic practices and more from our webinar recording, tip sheet, and tips from a planner resources.
CEDS Resource Handbook
NADO RF has created an online CEDS Update Resource Handbook with resources and examples to support Economic Development Districts as they engage with stakeholders in their regions around the new topic areas added to the CEDS Content Guidelines. Click here to access the Handbook.
CEDS Central
CEDS Central is a free resource curated by the NADO Research Foundation to share resources and information including reports, case studies, videos, webinars, and presentation materials on planning, developing, and implementing the CEDS. Click here to access CEDS Central.
The EDDs in Action Case Studies Series demonstrates the wide breadth of programs, projects, and initiatives EDDs support and implement to improve their regions, making them more resilient, prosperous, and better prepared for the future. Click here to access the growing library of short case studies, written to inspire and show the possibilities for how EDDs can leverage federal and state funding to support a variety of initiatives across the regions they serve.
Solving the Housing Puzzle: EDDs As Regional Housing Changemakers
This online resource highlights how EDDs have identified regional and local housing challenges and established what role they can play in improving housing outcomes in their region. It showcases EDD best practices from across the country in a variety of regional market contexts and provides implementable strategies for different roles that EDDs have taken including Planner, Financier, Land Manager, and Developer. Click here to view the report.
How to Build a Regional Housing Land Bank
Regional Development Organizations (RDOs) and Economic Development Districts (EDDs) have used regional housing land banks as a tool for targeted neighborhood revitalization and redevelopment. This resource provides an overview of regional housing land banks and considerations for how organizations can implement these programs into their regions. Click here to view the guide.
Incorporating Workforce Development and Upskilling into the CEDS
This 15-minute video tutorial and accompanying brief shares ideas for how EDDs can best incorporate workforce development and upskilling strategies into the CEDS process and document. Topics include: Workforce Development as Infrastructure; Data-Driven and Targeted Upskilling; and Holistic and Inclusive Economic Strategies. Click here to view the tutorial and download the brief.
Investing in Rural Downtowns: What Role are EDDs Playing?
This report explores what it means to be investment ready for engaging in downtown development and showcases the varied downtown revitalization work that EDDs are doing in their communities. It highlights EDD best practices from across the country in a variety of geographies and provides an idea of the types of roles that EDDs have taken including: Downtown Planning, Brownfields, Facilitation, Funding and Implementation, and EDD-produced Resources. Click here to view the report.
Wealth Creation Resources for EDDs
A special wealth creation page for EDDs now hosts training materials, reports, blog posts, and other resources all in one location. Specific resources to note are a Wealth Creation Primer, Looking Through the Lens of Wealth Creation, Focusing on Regional Assets Using the Wealth Creation Approach, blog posts from mobile workshops during NADO’s Annual Training Conference, and a variety of wealth creation training materials. Click here to view the page.
Resilience Workshop Planning Guide
Regional development organizations are using local and regional resilience workshops to identify community climate and economic resilience needs, connect local leaders with funding opportunities, and create action plans for future sustainable growth. This resource provides a walk through of how organizations can bring these resilience workshops to their own regions. Topics covered include workshop goalsetting, stakeholder engagement, and post-workshop implementation, evaluation, and follow-up. Click here to view the guide.
Tip Sheet: Research, Partnerships, and Technical Assistance Between EDDs and Higher Education Institutions
Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) offer unique resources that help increase the capacity of EDDs to carry out their work, including specialized research, training programs, technology transfer, and commercialization capabilities. Explore this piece, written by EDD CoP project partner University Economic Development Association (UEDA), for tips on initiating, improving, and sustaining partnerships between EDDs and HEIs. Click here to view the tip sheet.
Economic Development Districts & Military Installations: Partnerships for Future Planning and Community Cooperation
EDDs are well-suited to be the regional liaison with military installations across a wide variety of topic areas of mutual interest to military installations and their surrounding communities. This report examines some of the main challenges facing communities with military installations and offers how EDDs can best support these vital economic drivers in their regions. Throughout this report are examples from EDDs successfully managing these relationships and showcasing specific, replicable strategies that can be used at EDDs across the country serving regions home to military installations. Click here to view the report.
Resilient Areas and Equitable Regions: A Case Study of Virginia Tech and New River Valley Regional Commission
The partnership between Virginia Tech’s Center for Economic and Community Engagement and New River Valley Regional Commission inherently strengthens the resiliency of the Southwest Virginia region by increasing the capacity both organizations have, reducing the duplication of efforts, and advancing towards mutual goals. Click here to view the case study.
Research, Partnerships, and Technical Assistance: A Case Study of Utah Post-Secondary Educational Partners and Future Ready Utah
The relationship featured in this case study showcases the opportunities that may arise for an EDD by partnering with a University Center by having greater access to expertise and resources. Gaining awareness of what both an EDD and a University Center can offer to a community can lead to greater benefits to everyone involved. Click here to view the case study.
Tip Sheet: Part-Time Elected Officials
Economic Development Districts (EDDs) often work with part-time elected officials at the municipal and county level that have limited staff capacity and time to engage with EDD programs and services. This tip sheet provides some tips for EDDs in better engaging these valuable partners in regional economic development and building mutually beneficial relationships. View the tip sheet.
Tip Sheet: Achieving, Measuring, and Reporting Results with Data
This tip sheet offers a framework for EDD practitioners to use data to improve organizational practices and offers additional resources and scenarios for using this framework to improve teamwork in the office, tell the region’s story, and secure more funding for regional projects. View the tip sheet.
The NADO Research Foundation manages four virtual Peer Learning Communities as part of the EDD CoP: The Collaborative Learning Group (CLG), NADO Mentor Program, New Executive Directors, and Virtual EDD Chapter Meet Ups. These cohorts are designed to build and strengthen bonds among EDD staff across the national network Economic Development Districts. Each group has a different audience and objective. Click here to learn more.
2024 An Afternoon with the Districts
This event in March 2024 brought together nearly 80 participants representing EDDs, federal partners, and other national organizations for an afternoon of networking, training, and conversations that explored how best to incorporate data and metrics into the CEDS and other regional planning efforts. Click here to learn more and download the presentation slides.
2023 Annual Training Conference Presentation Materials
Nearly 30 sessions at NADO’s 2023 Annual Training Conference in Cleveland, OH were offered through the EDD CoP, covering a range of topics important to EDD staff and partners. Below are links to a few featured sessions; click here to access all conference presentations.
– Making it Count: Achieving, Measuring and Reporting Results with Data Analysis
– Looking through the Lens of Wealth Creation: Doing Economic Development Differently
– RDO and Tribal Partnerships
– Equity and Inclusion Fundamentals
– CEDS Content Guidelines and Best Practices
Wealth Creation Training
In August 2023, Economic Development Districts, tribes, and others gathered in the Dakotas and Minnesota to attend the kickoff meetings for the USDA-funded North Central Regional Food Business Center led by Region Five Development Commission. Melissa Levy, NADO Regional Development Researcher and wealth creation specialist, designed and developed the trainings as a way to share the wealth creation framework with participants. Click here to access training materials and learn more.
2023 Southwest Region Economic Development Association (SWREDA) Conference
Several EDD CoP sessions were offered at this May 2023 conference, which convened staff from EDDs, Tribal Planning Grantees, University Centers, Revolving Loan Funds, and others engaged in economic development across the five-state EDA Austin region. Click here to access presentation materials.
2023 Economic Development Conference for the EDA Denver Region
Several EDD CoP sessions were offered at this April 2023 conference, which convened staff from EDDs, Tribal Planning Grantees, University Centers, Revolving Loan Funds, and others engaged in economic development across the ten-state EDA Denver region. Click here to access presentation materials.
EDA Seattle EDD Regional Roundtable
The NADO Research Foundation and EDA Seattle Regional Office hosted an EDD Regional Roundtable in March 2023 that brought together EDD and EDA staff for training, networking, and sharing opportunities and challenges facing EDDs across the EDA Seattle region. Click here to learn more and download the presentation slides.
2023 An Afternoon with the Districts
This event in March 2023 brought together nearly 70 participants representing EDDs, the U.S. Economic Development Administration, EDA community of practice partners, and other national organizations for an afternoon of networking, training, and conversations that explored how best to position EDDs for success in achieving regional economic development and resilience. Click here to learn more and download the presentation slides.
EDA and EDDs: Partners in Regional Economic Development
During this session at the 2023 NADO Washington Conference, EDA and EDD staff reflected on opportunities for collaboration, the latest updates on CEDS guidelines, and how EDDs can effectively engage with an array of federal partners and programs. Click here to download the presentation slides.
RLF 201 Workshop
The Economic Development District Community of Practice (EDD CoP) and the Revolving Loan Fund Community of Practice (RLF CoP) hosted the RLF 201 workshop on Tuesday, June 11 at 2 p.m. ET. During the workshop, the presenters – Karen Lynch with EDA, Rick Hunsaker with Region XII Council of Governments, and Mary Louk with Grow America shared their best practices covering multiple topics relevant to RLF operators. View the recording and slides here.
New OMB Guidance: Briefing for RDOs
The U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has released its long-awaited revision of the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (2 CFR 200). This webinar, hosted by the NADO Research Foundation and led by Bob Lloyd, covers the highlights of the revised policies which must be implemented by October 1. It also shows how your organization can confidently use them as you work with partners at the federal, state, and local levels. Click here to view the recording and download presentation slides.
Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) 101
This webinar, organized by Grow America through RLF Community of Practice and co-sponsored by the NADO Research Foundation, addressed the fundamentals of Revolving Loan Funds (RLFs), EDA’s RLF program, and how EDDs can leverage RLFs to support the communities they serve. Click here to view the webinar recording and click here to download presentation slides.
Data Deep Dive for EDDs: A Closer Look at Argonne National Laboratory’s NERDE and EDCI Tools
This webinar demonstrated how the National Economic Resilience Data Explorer (NERDE) and the Economic Development Capacity Index (EDCI) tools can be utilized to support your CEDS and other regional planning efforts. Click here to view the webinar recording and download presentation slides.
American Connection Corps: Opportunities for EDDs
The NADO Research Foundation co-hosted a webinar with the American Connection Corps (ACC) to demonstrate opportunities available to EDDs and other organization to host an ACC Member. This webinar explained how ACC Members can provide valuable resources and expertise to EDDs and included a testimonial from the Southeastern Indiana Regional Planning Commission which serves as an ACC host. Click here to view the recording and click here to learn more and apply to host a Member.
Justice40 Initiative: Environmental Justice for the Nation’s Most Disadvantaged Communities
In support of the EDD CoP, the National Association of Regional Councils (NARC) hosted this webinar that featured federal officials and EDD staff who provided background information about Justice40’s goal for 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain Federal investments to flow to disadvantaged communities and what this effort means for EDDs and other regional organizations. Click here to view the recording.
Regional and State Coordination for Initial BEAD Allocation Proposals
In support of the EDD CoP, the National Association of Regional Councils (NARC) hosted a webinar featuring perspectives from EDDs and regional organizations on how they are coordinating with their state broadband offices as they develop initial proposals and future required plans for the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program. The webinar also included broadband advice, resources, and programmatic opportunities from US EDA. Click here to view the recording.
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Webinar for EDDs
In support of the EDD CoP, the National Association of Regional Councils (NARC) hosted a webinar with Trent Frazier, Deputy Assistant Director for the Stakeholder Engagement Division of the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). In the webinar, Frazier discussed what CISA resources and materials are available to EDDs. Click here to view the recording.
Strategic Tools for Bioeconomy Development
This webinar highlighted how EDDs and other regional organizations can assist local communities to better participate in the growing global bioeconomy. It also featured information about the Bioeconomy Development Opportunity (BDO) Zone Initiative that enables economically distressed communities to powerfully leverage biomass assets to serve as anchors for revitalization. Click here to view the webinar recording.
Plugging Into the Future of Electric Vehicle Infrastructure
This webinar showcased available funding, capacity building opportunities, and resources available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) at the Department of Transportation and Department of Energy to support electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure. Click here to view the webinar recording and download presentation slides.
Sign-up for NADO News to stay up-to-date on the latest resources, training opportunities, and upcoming events available from the EDD CoP and our partner networks. This free weekly newsletter is sent to your inbox every Thursday.
The NADO Research Foundation has partnered with three organizations to deliver the EDD CoP, each bringing unique expertise and a valuable perspective to the field of regional economic development: National Association of Regional Councils (NARC), University Economic Development Association (UEDA), and First Nations Development Institute.
The EDD CoP is made possible through an award from the U.S. Economic Development Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce (ED22HDQ3070106). The statements, findings, conclusions, and recommendations are those of the participants, trainers, and authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Economic Development Administration or the U.S. Department of Commerce.