By Kate McMahon, AICP

A Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) is a strategy-driven plan for regional economic development. The CEDS should analyze the regional economy, serve as a guide for establishing regional goals and objectives, develop and implement a regional plan of action, and identify investment priorities and funding sources. It should also address economic resilience by identifying both vulnerabilities that a region may face and ways to counter them. The CEDS is developed through engagement with a diverse group of public and private sector stakeholders.  

Having an updated CEDS is a requirement for an organization to be recognized by the Economic Development Administration (EDA) as an Economic Development District (EDD) and to apply for funding through EDA’s Public Works or Economic Adjustment Assistance Programs.  In Pennsylvania, there are currently seven EDDs, and they are required to update their CEDS at least every five years. To learn more about Pennsylvania’s economic development districts and their current CEDS, please visit their website.