State Developments Snapshot – Issue 97, September 2026

Block Your Calendar: Colorado Hosts Fall SEDE Meeting – 10/15 – 16 (SEDE) The State Economic Development Executives (SEDE) Network is holding its fall meeting for state economic development executives or their top deputy in Denver, Colorado. Eve Lieberman, Executive Director of the Colorado Office of Economic Development & International Trade, is excited to bring SEDE executives to the Mile High City on October 15^th and 16^th. Register here and view the draft agenda here. Hotel information and additional details can be found on the SEDE website.

SEDE Webinar: Learning About the Future Ready Apprenticeship Center (SEDE) States compete for employers on the strength of their talent pipelines. Youth apprenticeship is one tool for building that pipeline, but it usually sits with labor and education agencies rather than commerce. Brent Parton, former ETA Principal Deputy Assistance Secretary and current CareerWise President/CEO, will discuss the Future Ready Apprenticeship Center, which launched its first cohort in May 2026, and what the model offers state economic development leaders. The session will cover how the apprenticeship model connects employers to young workers, early results from the first cohort, and where commerce agencies can add value alongside their labor and education counterparts. Join us on November 5^th at 3:00PM EST. Register here

SSBCI as a Blueprint: Building More Adaptive State Economic Development Systems (SEDE) With nearly $10 billion allocated to states, territories, and Tribal Nations (“states”), the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) is a unique federal funding program that fueled the development of innovative loan and venture capital programs. As the program moves towards its sunset, the next test for states is to learn key lessons from SSBCI to improve their entire economic development ecosystem, including designing for the market, building delivery systems, connecting services to program outcomes, and planning for sustainability upfront. The goal should be to move from administering individual programs to building adaptive economic development systems. 

Opportunity Zones: Analyzing the Tax Incentives Impacts and How to Enhance Them (Brookings) This report offers a tract-level analysis of 7,174 of the 7,826 designated OZs across all 50 states and Washington, D.C., from 2018 through 2025 to examine how the tax incentive has shaped construction activity and neighborhood change (namely, displacement). The central question is not whether OZs uniformly succeed or fail, but to understand where they have generated stronger economic and community outcomes, where they have not, and what local factors help determine success. Almost half of OZs saw accelerated growth: 46% of designated OZs saw increases in building activity of at least 15%. The findings suggest that OZs can serve as accelerants in places where some foundations for investment are already present. 

OZ 2.0: What Comes After Zone Designation (EIG) Inspired by best practices from across the country, this guide is intended to help stakeholders across the public, private, and civic domains lay the groundwork for the next decade of investment and impact. More than $112 billion in OZ equity has been deployed, and 77 percent of all originally designated census tracts have attracted investment. This guide offers a practical framework for state and local governments, economic development organizations, financial institutions, and community stakeholders to translate their OZ designations into lasting economic impact. 

Energy Department Announces $500M to Secure America’s Critical Mineral and Battery Supply Chains (US DOE) The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation (CMEI) announced $500 million for seven selected projects to expand critical mineral and material processing, battery manufacturing, and recycling capacity in the United States. This is the third round of funding from DOE’s Battery Materials Processing and Battery Manufacturing and Recycling programs. Projects were announced in Utah, Georgia, and California, with other project locations pending.

Jason El Koubi, President and CEO, Virginia Economic Development Partnership

New JobsOhio Technician Path Helps Ohio Employers Build Skilled Workforce (JobsOhio) JobsOhio announced the JobsOhio Technician Path incentive program to help Ohio employers build a pipeline of technicians. The incentive is designed to help Ohio employers in targeted industries deploy a technician earn-and-learn program and create more opportunities for Ohioans to access the training and gain the skills needed for in-demand technician positions. JobsOhio Technician Path is the first phase of the $300 million JobsOhio Experiential Learning Initiative. Eligible Ohio employers can access up to $10,000 per employee who completes an approved training pathway, with payments tied to three milestones along the way. To qualify, companies must be located in Ohio, operate in a JobsOhio targeted industry sector, and pay participating workers at least $20 per hour.

Comprehensive Resilience Plans Help States Address Long-Term Challenges (Pew) A growing number of states are adopting comprehensive resilience plans to address their long-term disaster risks, and available examples reveal a diversity of approaches to aligning decision-making and investments. Three states—South Carolina, Rhode Island, and Maryland—have taken strategically different paths to comprehensive resilience planning, but highlight the value, common elements, and structural flexibility of these plans. South Carolina’s plan has served as a vehicle for linking statewide strategy to coordination, technical support, and on-the-ground implementation. Rhode Island’s evolved into operational system for local engagement, project development and prioritization, and investment planning. Maryland’s first statewide resilience plan recommends the development of a statewide resilience baseline and tracker, a funding table to better coordinate investments, a provision of technical assistance for local governments, and integration of resilience principles within local comprehensive plans. 

More Than $20M to Train Illinois’ Next Generation of Manufacturers (Office of the Governor) Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) announced more than $20 million in capital grants to establish five new Manufacturing Training Academies (MTAs) at community colleges across downstate Illinois. The academies will prepare Illinoisans for good-paying careers in advanced manufacturing while helping employers find the skilled workers they need to grow and create jobs. ​ The grants will fund construction, facility improvements, and modern equipment needed to prepare students for increasingly technical manufacturing careers. The academies will also work with regional employers to align training with local workforce needs and connect graduates with available jobs. ​

Washington Awards $1M to Encourage Innovative Business and Manufacturing Expansion (WA State Dept. of Commerce) The Washington State Department of Commerce announced $1 million in grant funding to seven businesses and organizations to accelerate manufacturing expansion, creating workforce development and economic opportunities across the state. The grants include $150,000 awards to four businesses and $130,000 awards to three industry cluster organizations. The funding is from the Evergreen Manufacturing Growth Grants program, which supports projects that increase manufacturing and research and development jobs through investments in business expansion, technology advancement, workforce development and industry collaboration.

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