The U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) awarded a $1 million grant to the Center for Regional Economic Competitiveness (CREC) to develop best practices in economic development integration and alignment, provide training and other technical assistance, and conduct outreach to incorporate international engagement strategies into comprehensive economic development strategies.

The project has deliverables under three task areas all designed to improve alignment between states and EDDs:

The National Association of Development Organizations Research Foundation, the State International Development Organizations (SIDO) and the American Manufacturing Communities Collaborative (AMCC) have joined CREC to help states and EDDs integrate each other’s efforts in their strategies, planning and investments. The nation faces complex economic challenges and collaboration between state and economic development districts (EDDs) is critical for economic recovery and growth. Creating better alignment between states and EDDs will result in better short- and long-term regional, state and national economic outcomes.

The materials included on these State-Local Alignment webpages were prepared by the Center for Regional Economic Competitiveness using Federal funds under award ED21HDQ3070060 from the Economic Development Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce. The statements, findings, conclusions, and recommendations are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Economic Development Administration or the U.S. Department of Commerce.