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Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS)

The 2025 Colorado Statewide Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) draft, (PDF) public comment period is open until July 5, 2025. Please take a moment to review the 2025 CEDS draft and provide your feedback using the public comment form, (Google Form).

Program Summary

In 1969, the Economic Development Administration (EDA) established economic development regions, primarily multi-county regions and Tribal Nations, as the primary bodies to receive partnership-planning grants. Comprehensive regional plans have been a prerequisite for federal (EDA) grants. Over the past 40 years, the EDA has done studies that show that grants which are awarded to regions with Comprehensive Economic Development Strategies (CEDS) tend to have more consistent, positive outcomes. As part of their post COVID-19 strategy, the EDA has started to promote a CEDS model called “nesting.” This is where a statewide CEDS plan incorporates the goals and outcomes found in regional CEDS plans, to build greater collaboration across regions and at the state level. With its CEDS Program initiative, Colorado takes its place among the first states to “nest” its regional and statewide CEDS plans.

Overview

Type: Program

For: Economic Development Districts/Statewide Economic Development Planning

OEDIT division: Rural Opportunity Office

Colorado Statewide CEDS Program

OEDIT is advancing a statewide CEDS report to update Colorado’s Blueprint 2.0 economic development strategy. This report will facilitate future applications to grant programs supported by the EDA, to advance statewide goals for key industries. The state’s new CEDS will benefit all of Colorado’s 64 counties.

Colorado Economic Development District CEDS Development

Colorado is divided into 14 Economic Development Regions representing the state's unique regional economies. As part of this program, regions that did not have an EDA-approved CEDS plan  received assistance from OEDIT to develop a regional plan. The State’s two Tribal Nations, the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe and the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, also received support to create a regional CEDS.  Findings from each of the 16 regional CEDS were reviewed and incorporated as part of Colorado’s statewide CEDS data collection process. The Colorado Resiliency Office also partnered with OEDIT to ensure that regional and statewide CEDS align with the Colorado Resiliency Framework.

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