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EDA Unveils Online Tool to Help Economic Developers Optimize Investments

September 4, 2012 by Leave a Comment

On August 31, the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA), in partnership with Portland State University (OR), announced a new online tool to help weigh benefits of economic development projects using the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) model. The new TBL Tool will assist economic development practitioners, investors, and decision-makers assess, compare, and communicate the viability of potential investments.

The TBL model has been recognized as a valuable analytical tool among businesses including major U.S. companies such as General Electric, Unilever, and Proctor and Gamble. The model has not been widely applied within the public sector, but the development of the new tool represents a significant step forward for expanding the application of the TBL model by planners, nonprofits, community organizations, and governments to help support the assessment and decision making of critical development decisions.

In creating the TBL Tool, EDA collaborated with Portland State University and its project team and an advisory board of policy makers, practitioners, academics, and industry leaders, including the National Association of Development Organizations, the International Economic Development Council, and the Ford Foundation. Click here for more information and to view the TBL Tool.

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Rural Jobs Accelerator Winners Announced

August 1, 2012 by Leave a Comment

The U.S. Economic Development Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, in partnership with the Appalachian Regional Commission and the Delta Regional Authority, today announced the winners of the Rural Jobs and Innovation Accelerator Challenge. The winners are:

Alaska: Bristol Bay Jobs Accelerator Project, $405,023

Connecticut: New England Food Hub Cluster Initiative, $568,150

Illinois: Henry-Rural Rock Island-Mercer County Economic Development Consortium, $193,500

Kansas: Advanced Manufacturing Institute at Kansas State University, $715,000

Louisiana-Arkansas: I-20 Corridor Regional Accelerator, $964,134

Mississippi: Mississippi State University, $1,065,000

New Hampshire: Northern Tier Farm and Forest Jobs Accelerator, $708,750

North Carolina: WNC AgriVentures — Cultivating Jobs and Innovation Project , $815,000

North Carolina: Northern Carolina Eastern Region Aerospace and Automotive Cluster Project, $715,000

South Carolina: Southern Carolina Alliance Rural Jobs and Innovation Accelerator Challenge, $650,000

Virginia: Appalachian Spring – Using Asset-Based and Creative Economy Methods to Catalyze Rural Job Acceleration, $815,000

West Virginia: Southern West Virginia Rural Jobs Accelerator Partnership, $717,985

West Virginia: Value Chain Cluster Initiative, $815,000

For more information, please see Obama Administration Announces $9 Million Investment in Rural Communities to Foster Job Creation and Innovation.

Filed Under: Featured Post, Latest Posts

NADO To Hold Webinar on Sequestration on August 13

July 19, 2012 by Leave a Comment

On August 13 at 3:00 p.m. EST, the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO), in partnership with the Bipartisan Policy Center, will host a free webinar on the topic of sequestration and the potential impact on regional development organizations and local governments.

Loren Adler and Shai Akabas, senior policy analysts from the Bipartisan Policy Center, a Washington, DC-based think tank that promotes bipartisanship and works to address key challenges facing the nation, will provide an in-depth look at sequestration and the impact that it could have on the economy as a whole, and federal government spending and programs.

Questions that will be addressed during the webinar include:

  • How did we get here?
  • What is sequestration?
  • When will sequestration occur?
  • How will sequestration impact regional development organizations and local government?
  • How would sequestration affect programs like EDA and HUD CDBG?
  • What are the politics surrounding sequestration and the likelihood of it being eliminated or replaced?

Spaces for the webinar are limited.  RSVP today by clicking here.

Filed Under: Events, Latest Posts, Newsfeed, Tools and Training, Webinars

Development District Association of Appalachia Impact Brief

July 18, 2012 by Leave a Comment

The Development District Association of Appalachia (DDAA) had developed a new publication with the assistance of NADO. The Executive Summary of the report focuses on the role of the DDAA’s Local Development District in fostering regional strategies, partnerships, and solutions. (View the new DDAA publication.)

The DDAA comprises the network of 73 multi-county development districts (LDDs) serving the 13-state, 420-county Appalachian region. Guided by the principle that local governments and communities can accomplish more by working together rather than individually, the DDAA serves as a catalyst for partnership, progress and prosperity throughout the Appalachian region. LDDs provide the  knowledge and expertise to connect local governments with the private sector, leveraging the necessary resources to reduce isolation and drive the Appalachian region into the global economy.

Development District Association of Appalachia: Jobs and Sustained Economic Growth, Workforce Readiness, Modern Infrastructure Asset, Quality of Life, Vibrant Communitieswas designed as a tool that can be utilized to market your regions, brand the DDAA and Appalachian Regional Commission as crucial federal partners, and showcase innovative and important projects that have positioned the region to compete in the global economy.  Through partnerships and collaboration, DDAA’s network of LDDs has been integral in reducing poverty and isolation while increasing access to technology and advancing the region’s workforce. The network of LDDs have prepared the Appalachian region to advance the Obama Administration’s stated goals of creating an economy built on American manufacturing, American energy, and skilled American workers.

In the recent years the members of the DDAA have:

  • LDDs have administered over 9,500 grants and projects with proven accountability and results, totaling more than $6.2 billion in pass-through and programmatic funds, during the past two decades.
  • The combined business development loan portfolio invested more than $523 million in gap financing for businesses and entrepreneurs. We have made more than 3,500 business loans, leveraging an additional $1.3
  • billion from the private sector in underserved regions and for companies and entrepreneurs struggling to secure traditional bank financing.
  • Almost 70,000 jobs have been created or retained, and 125,000 workforce clients were prepared to contribute to the region’s economy as a result of our LDD programs.
  • Some 3.6 million seniors benefited from aging programs administered by LDDs in parts of the region, including through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Area Agency on Aging program.
Filed Under: Featured Post, Featured Publications, Latest Posts, Newsfeed, Publications, Regional Economic Development, Regional Innovation Projects, Resources

Noteworthy CEDS Examples

July 13, 2012 by Leave a Comment

In recent months, the National Association of Development Organization (NADO) has partnered with EDA through the Know Your Region project (www.knowyourregion.org) to offer statewide technical assistance training and workshops, a series of webinars, and special reports.  During NADO’s annual training conference (October 13-16 in Las Vegas), they’ll be offering a special two-day workshop on the concepts of CEDS 2.0 (October 13-14). We will also be releasing a series of new reports on performance metrics, regional case studies, and lessons learned from Alabama’s statewide CEDS process.

Review some of the current noteworthy models and examples of EDA-funded CEDS and other related regional economic development strategies as linked below.  Many of these examples are highlighted in the NADO EDA Know Your Region presentation at http://www.nado.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/edaphil2012.pdf

 

NADO CEDS Presentation at EDA Philadelphia regional conference

Northern Forrest Regional Strategy

Northland Works Partnership

Pioneer Valley Regional Council – CEDS Executive Summary

Puget Sound Regional Council’s Prosperity Partnership Executive Summary

Purchase Area Development District

Rockford EDC (IL) CEDS – Read the sections on performance metrics

Southern Tier New York Regional CEDS – Format is modern and clean

Southern Tier Open for Business – Sample of statewide data template

 

 

Share your ideas on how NADO and its membership can foster the development and implementation of more effective CEDS.  Within the next few weeks, we will be launching a new Sharepoint features on the NADO website at www.nado.org for our members to share documents, post thoughts, and connect.

Filed Under: CEDS, Featured Post, Latest Posts, Presentations, Regional Economic Development, Resources, Rural Development, Tools and Training Tagged With: , , ,

i6 Challenge Conference Call: July 12, 1-2 pm

July 12, 2012 by Leave a Comment

From 1-2 pm (est), EDA is hosting a conference call to discuss the application process and answer questions related to the i6 Challenge. The call in number and passcode are below.

July 12, 2012
1:00 pm to 2:00 pm
Call-in number: 800-857-5157
Participant passcode: 1533481
Please RSVP to: i6@eda.gov

The i6 Challenge is a multi-agency grant that encourages and rewards innovative, groundbreaking ideas that accelerate technology commercialization, new venture formation, job creation, and economic growth across the United States. The $6 million competition funds Proof of Concept Centers and creates a network of experts to support innovators and researchers; spur sustainable startups, small businesses, and new ventures; expand access to capital to fuel growth; connect mentors and advisors to entrepreneurs; and spark job creation.

The application deadline is July 20, 2012. Details are available here. Awards will be announced September 2012. The competition is being led by the U.S. Commerce Department Economic Development Administration’s Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship. They lead efforts to promote innovation-based, high-growth entrepreneurship, develops policy recommendations, and implements initiatives to commercialize technology developed through university and federally funded research.

 

Filed Under: Featured Post, Latest Posts

Texoma COG’s $34 Million Economic Impact

July 4, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Measuring and communicating return on investment is a critical task for regional councils, whether it’s for reporting to funding agencies, strengthening membership commitments, or enhancing public awareness.

The Texoma Council of Governments, based in Sherman, TX, had a $34 million impact on the Texoma region economy in 2011, according to a recently published economic impact study. In addition to the report, Texoma COG created a great infographic that effectively communicates the study findings.

Everything is featured prominently on the organization’s homepage:

You can read the press release and download copies of the report and infographic here.

Filed Under: Featured Post, Latest Posts Tagged With: , ,

How dependent is your region on manufacturing?

June 25, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Check out Rebuilding Rural Manufacturing (PDF) in the latest issue of The Main Street Economist published by The Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. It provides a nice overview in six pages of trends impacting the manufacturing sector, and what they mean for rural economies and jobs.

NADO recently compiled a list of U.S. counties or county equivalents ranked by their reliance on manufacturing employment (i.e. manufacturing jobs as percentage of total jobs). Here’s the top ten:

1. Calhoun County, AR (67%)

2. Hancock County, KY (65%)

3. Aleutians West, AK (61%)

4. Bristol County, MA (58%)

5. Pontotoc County, MS (56%)

6. Roseau County, MN (52%)

7. Howard County, AR (51%)

8. Scott County, MS (51%)

9. Chickasaw County, MS (48%)

10. Hancock County, IA (47%)

Click here to download the entire spreadsheet.

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EDA Announces 2012 i6 Innovation Challenge

June 13, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Light bulb graphic for i6 Challenge

The U.S. Commerce Department Economic Development Administration’s Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurshipannounced the third round of the i6 Challenge to promote American innovation, foster entrepreneurship, and increase commercialization and job creation. The $6 million competition funds Proof of Concept Centers which utilize networks of experts to support innovators and researchers; spur sustainable startups, small businesses, and new ventures; expand access to capital to fuel growth; connect mentors and advisors to entrepreneurs; and spark job creation. Six winning teams will be awarded up to $1 million each for innovative proposals to create and expand Proof of Concept Centers, which incorporate a range of services-from technology and market evaluation, through business planning and mentorship, and on to early-stage access to capital.

The application deadline is July 20, 2012

An informational teleconference will be held on June 18.

Click Here for the i6 Challenge Full Announcement.

Click Here for the Press Release.

Filed Under: Events, Featured Post, Latest Posts, Newsfeed, Regional Economic Development, Uncategorized

Rural Counties Show Job Growth

June 13, 2012 by Leave a Comment

(Source: Daily Yoder/ Bureau of Labor Statistics)

 

The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ April report on average unemployment rates shows increased job growth in rural America. The average unemployment rate in more than 2,000 rural counties had dipped to 7.7%, a decline from 8.7% in April 2011. Rural counties experienced a net gain of 115,831 jobs since April of 2011.

To Read the Daily Yonder article Click Here.

 

 

Filed Under: Featured Post, Latest Posts, Newsfeed, Uncategorized
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