Southern Puerto Rico Pilot EDD

Strategic Initiative(s) Alignment: Capacity Building
Program: Pilot Economic Development District
Year(s): 2021

 width=An Economic Development District (EDD), or District Organization, is a federally designated regional (multiple contiguous municipalities and/or jurisdictions) organization given the responsibility to maintain and implement a Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS). EDDs help lead a local economic development planning process that leverages the involvement of the public, private and non-profit sectors to establish a strategic blueprint (the CEDS) for regional collaboration. There are many EDDs around the United States and they have successfully demonstrated that governmental and non-governmental entities are often more effective at leveraging their assets by working with others in an economic region.

As of April 2021, Puerto Rico did not have a single EDD. The Island does have a CEDS, but it is currently managed by the Puerto Rican Planning Board and covers all 78 municipalities.

The Government of Puerto Rico’s Recovery Plan calls specifically for the development of an EDD in two of the formal Courses of Action, ECN 8 and MUN 2. To fulfill this mandate, the Economic RSF researched multiple regional boundaries and identified an area along the southern coast that possesses the resources and capabilities upon which significant opportunities can be built. The Economic RSF took the lead technical assistance role in supporting the Southern Puerto Rico Pilot EDD initiative to establish the minimum requirements for Puerto Rico to request a regional EDD designation for a select geographical area of 6 municipalities, with the ability to conduct a more granular and targeted CEDS in addition to the Puerto Rican Planning Board’s broader CEDS.

EDDs traditionally do not market the region or recruit new industries. Their primary mission is to build capacity for expansion of existing firms, to recruit new firms, and to promote entrepreneurship. Building capacity is accomplished through improvements in and expansion of infrastructure, initiating programs such as innovation hubs and business incubators, developing and managing workforce skill development programs, and other initiatives such as broadband access and industrial/business parks, often with “shell” buildings that can be customized and completed for either new or existing business use.

Access the full Southern Puerto Rico Pilot Economic Development District website here.

Related Listings

Sign In

Register

Reset Password

Please enter your username or email address, you will receive a link to create a new password via email.