Cape Cod Economic Development District

Overview

Economic Development Districts (EDDs) are regional geographic designations for the purpose of economic development planning, funding, and implementation. Districts are designated by the US Economic Development Administration (EDA) and linked to federal funding eligibility. To maintain eligibility, the region must have an EDA-certified Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS). 

The EDD coordinates the CEDS development and overseeing its implementation; currently the Commission coordinates and produces the CEDS, under the supervision of the BCEDC, the official CEDS Strategy Committee. 

The EDD designation makes Barnstable County municipalities eligible for EDA economic development funding for infrastructure and planning. On the Cape, only a few census tracts regularly meet the need criteria (higher than the national average for unemployment and lower than the national average for per capita income) necessary to obtain EDA funding. Without an EDD designation, only projects in those select areas would be eligible for EDA funds; with the EDD in place, any town on Cape Cod can now request funding from EDA. 

Grants Received from EDA to date:

• Short-term Planning Grants – May 2010; September 2011; September 2013 ($60,000 each)
• Partnership Planning Grants – FY 2015 – Present ($70,000 Annually)
• Economic Adjustment Grants – Bourne Wastewater Treatment Plant, February 2019 ($2.3M); Cape Cod Resiliency Initiative, April 2020 ($1M)
• CARES Act Grant - FY2020 ($400,000)

The Commission was also granted annual funding for EDD operations through the EDA Partnership Planning Program beginning on July 1, 2015. This funding is contingent on the region's ability to maintain and implement a certified CEDS plan.