New Hampshire
| Program Category | # of Grants per state | Sum of EDA $ |
|---|---|---|
| Planning | 3 | $280,000 |
| Grand Total | 3 | $280,000 |
New Hampshire has operated without a statewide economic development plan for the past 15 years and as a result, the state’s economic development efforts have been fragmented among communities and regions, with no core statewide economic vision or goals around which resources and efforts can be directed. New Hampshire has three Economic Development Districts, which include approximately one third of the state’s geographic area and an EDA-funded CEDS in a fourth region in the central part of the state.
The state’s Department of Resources and Economic Development (DRED) recognized that a state plan was essential to meet its’ economic needs during the next ten years. The 2008 recession affected New Hampshire’s entire economic picture, but most of the state’s programs and policies remain unchanged. DRED believes that a state plan will help prepare the state for future economic challenges as well as address the needs of the regions that are struggling to fully adapt to current economic realities.
In FY 2018, EDA awarded $140,000 in Partnership Planning funds to the New Hampshire Department of Business and Economic Affairs to create a statewide economic development strategic plan. The plan will integrate numerous existing plans and include elements such as industry cluster analysis, economic and workforce development structures, foreign direct investment opportunities, economic resiliency, communications strategies, and public input.