CEDS
Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy
A CEDS is a plan that outlines a region's economic development needs and goals. It emerges from a continuous planning process developed with a broad based and diverse community participation that addresses the economic potential of an area.
The strategy should promote sustainable economic development and opportunity, foster effective transportation systems, enhance and protect the environment and balance resources through sound management of development.
Request for Work Proposal and Qualifications
The Regional Economic Development Center of Southern New Hampshire (REDC) is requesting proposals for assistance in facilitating a series of public visioning sessions and completing a comprehensive summary that will be used to develop an overall Vision and new five-year Economic Development Goals and Objectives for its 2025 Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS). This is the region’s five-year CEDS and shall conform to Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration (EDA) requirements (https://www.eda.gov/resources/comprehensive-economic-development-strategy).
A CEDS is a plan that outlines a region’s economic development needs and goals, is a product of continuous planning, and has a vision developed with broad-based and diverse community participation. The purpose of the CEDS is to guide the economic growth of a region through an ongoing economic development planning process.
While REDC conducts a thorough update of the CEDS each year, every five years the plan’s broader vision, goals, and objectives are reviewed and updated to reflect the changing conditions and needs of the region. As part of the process, REDC will hold a series of visioning sessions during February and March 2025. These sessions will be designed to obtain advice and input on the overall vision, goals, and objectives for the upcoming five years. Each session will include time for participants to network, a speaker, time for questions, and an hour to conduct SWOT Analysis (or comparable process) and broad visioning.
After the conclusion of the visioning sessions, the selected firm/consultant will provide a comprehensive summary of the sessions and public input (including surveys) and concerns. This document will be used to develop an overall vision, new five-year goals and objectives, and the priorities to be addressed from an economic development perspective over the next five years. The due date for the summary will be set with the selected consultant but will be approximately early April 2025.
Proposals shall be submitted to Laurel Adams, REDC President, and must include the proposed scope of work, qualifications, and total proposed fee. Proposals are due at REDC, 57 Main Street, Raymond, NH 03077, or by email at laurel@redc.com by December 6, 2024. Please contact Laurel with any questions.
Interview Spotlights
We have included in the 2023 CEDS several interviews with key individuals who impact and are impacted by the issues that drive our region’s economy. The interviews are included as part of our multi-media campaign to share the CEDS. Parts of the interviews are included in the CEDS update, with the full text posted on our blog. We are also creating short videos for our YouTube channel, which will be available to view soon.
Melanie Casablanca, Owner, Bright Village Early Education
I’m a paragraph. Double click
me or click Edit Text. It's easy to make it your own.
Scott Maslansky, Director of Clean Energy Finance, CDFA
I’m a paragraph. Double click
me or click Edit Text. It's easy to make it your own.
Anne Banks, Apprenticeship NH Program Manager, Community College System of NH
I’m a paragraph. Double click
me or click Edit Text. It's easy to make it your own.
John Tabor, Portsmouth City Councilor, Chairman of Portsmouth Community Power
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me or click Edit Text. It's easy to make it your own.
CEDS Priority Projects
Part of the annual CEDS process includes the development of a Priority Project List for the REDC region. Priority Projects are local or regional development projects and/or studies that meet one or more of the CEDS Regional Goals. Priority Projects must meet one or more of the CEDS Regional Goals. Submitting a project for inclusion on the CEDS Priority Project List is the first step in identifying potential funding opportunities under the U.S. Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration (EDA).
While not all projects meet subsequent requirements for funding under EDA guidelines, the inclusion of projects on the Priority Project List for the region may have a positive effect for a project's possible funding under other federally funded grant sources, such as USDA/Rural Development, HUD and DOL. In addition, a project MUST be on the list to be considered for certain EDA grant opportunities. EDA-funded eligible projects include any public infrastructure or construction project that will ultimately lead to the creation of new private industry jobs.
To apply to the 2024 Priority Project List, please fill out this form and send to jennifer@redc.com. The deadline to submit to this year's Priority Project list is March 8, 2024.
To review the projects currently on the Priority Project List, please check out the 2023 CEDS publication.
Seabrook Seawall Reconstruction Project
The Town of Seabrook, NH held a site walk of the Seabrook Seawall Reconstruction project on the Hampton-Seabrook Harbor. REDC joined project engineer Curtis Chaney of Collins Engineers, Inc. as he outlined the site and project to potential contract bidders. REDC assisted the town of Seabrook with obtaining a Public Works grant from the Economic Development Administration, Department of Commerce for this vital reconstruction project which will restore the pier used by the Yankee Fishermen's Cooperative and NextEra Energy. REDC continues to assist the town with grant administration.
In this video we had the opportunity to speak with William Manzi III, Seabrook Town Manager, about this important project and REDC's role in making it happen.
REDC's History with the CEDS
A CEDS is the result of a local planning process designed to guide the economic growth of a region. REDC has been the keeper of the region's CEDS since 2000. As a result of its diligent planning, REDC achieved designation as the first Economic Development District (EDD) in Southern New Hampshire. The U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) bestowed the EDD designation on REDC in 2003. As part of the EDD designation, REDC is awarded funding to continue the important task of planning for our region's economic growth, to include annually updating the region's CEDS.
