Tools for Economic Development
Through the Research and National Technical Assistance Program, the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) funds the development and dissemination of new tools for economic development practitioners and policymakers to utilize to help make informed development decisions.
Newly Released Tools
National Economic Resilience Data Explorer (NERDE)
Argonne National Labs
Argonne has developed a data dashboard to help a variety of users across the country with local economic recovery and resilience analysis. The National Economic Resilience Data Explorer (NERDE) consolidates information and data on economic distress criteria, COVID-19 impacts to local economies, and the existence and emergence of industry clusters at the county-level.
Economic Development Writing & Lecture Series
NADO Research Foundation
Ten issue briefs and accompanying short video lectures that address practical elements of doing economic development, current and emerging topics and themes, and broader commentary on the current state of economic development, especially in small metros and rural regions.
Revolving Loan Fund Learning Center
Council for Development Finance Agencies
This Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Program learning center includes resources, best practices, and a network of RLF operators.
Develop A Strategic Plan
CEDS Content Guidelines
The CEDS Content Guidelines were developed by EDA to provide practical recommendations about the content and format of a CEDS that will result in an engaging, technically sound strategy for guiding regional development.
CEDS Central
NADO Research Foundation
This website assists Economic Development Districts and other regional entities as they undertake regionally owned planning processes to craft impactful, technically sound strategies guiding economic development through trainings, technical assistance, webinars, publications, and more.
CEDS Library - StatsAmerica
Searchable access to Comprehensive Economic Development Strategies (CEDS) by Economic Development Districts nationwide.
Nuclear Power Plants and the CEDS
NADO Research Foundation
Despite the value in highlighting nuclear plant closure impacts in the CEDS, a national review of these documents reveals that these issues are often not thoroughly addressed. This document compiles examples for how Nuclear Communities can best integrate the existence of their powerplants into their CEDS.
Understand Your Regional Ecosystem
Analysis Platform for Risk, Resilience, and Expenditures (APRED)
Indiana University Luddy School of Informatics, Computing and Engineering
APRED is a map-based platform that provides policy makers with information on the disaster resilience and vulnerability profile of all counties across the United States
StatsAmerica
Indiana Business Research Center
This tool provides easy-to-use, actionable data for economic and community developers to use in site RFIs, grant requests, developing their own metrics, strategic plans and so much more
Measuring Distress- StatsAmerica
Quickly calculate whether a county, region or neighborhood meets certain federal grant thresholds.
The Regionizer- StatsAmerica
This tool allows users to build customized regional data profiles based on the counties you choose. Data profiles include demographic, housing, commuting, occupation clusters, and industry clusters metrics.
Innovation Intelligence- StatsAmerica
Crafting data-driven regional development strategies requires data to determine capacity for innovation and regional competitiveness.
US Cluster Mapping Tool
Harvard University’s Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness
The U.S. Cluster Mapping site provides over 50 million open data records on industry clusters and regional business environments in the U.S. to promote economic growth and national competitiveness.
USACompetes
Center for Regional Economic Competitiveness
USA Competes empowers regions to enhance their global competitiveness through international engagement. This toolkit helps economic developers design strategies to help your community compete for international business and adapt effective practices for use in your region.
Archive Tools
- Benchmark Your Incubator Management Practices and Access Tools for Continuous Improvement - University of Michigan
- Investment Analysis – Purdue University and Indiana Business Research Center
- Identifying and Supporting Venture Development Organizations - The State Science and Technology Institute
- Know Your Region: A Template for Future Prosperity - National Association of Development Organizations Research Foundation