(a) Partnership Planning Overview. Partnership Planning Investments support a nationwide network of Planning Organizations to provide comprehensive economic development planning services to distressed Regions. EDA makes Partnership Planning Investments to enable Planning Organizations to manage and coordinate the development and implementation of CEDS to address the unique needs of their respective Regions.

(b) CEDS Process. If EDA awards Investment Assistance to a Planning Organization to develop, revise, or replace a CEDS, the Planning Organization must follow the procedures set forth in this section:

(1) CEDS Strategy Committee. The Planning Organization must appoint a Strategy Committee. The Strategy Committee must represent the main economic interests of the Region, which may include Indian tribes, the private sector, State and other public officials, community leaders, private individuals, representatives of workforce development boards, institutions of higher education, minority and labor groups, and others who can contribute to and benefit from improved economic development in the relevant Region. In addition, the Strategy Committee must demonstrate the capacity to undertake a collaborative and effective planning process.

(2) Public notice and comment. The Planning Organization must develop and submit to EDA a CEDS that complies with the requirements of § 303.7. Before submission to EDA, the Planning Organization must provide the public and appropriate governments and interest groups in the relevant Region with adequate notice of and opportunity to comment on the CEDS. The comment period shall be at least 30 days and the Planning Organization shall make the CEDS readily available through appropriate means of distribution, electronically and otherwise, throughout the comment period. The Planning Organization also shall make the CEDS available in hardcopy upon request. EDA may require the Planning Organization to provide any comments received and demonstrate how the comments were resolved.

(3) Reports and updates. (i) After obtaining EDA approval of the CEDS, the Planning Organization must submit annually an updated CEDS performance report to EDA.

(ii) The Planning Organization must submit a new or revised CEDS to EDA at least every five years, unless EDA or the Planning Organization determines that a new or revised CEDS is required earlier due to changed circumstances. In connection with the submission of a new or revised CEDS, the Planning Organization shall use its best efforts to obtain renewed commitments from participating counties or other areas within the District to support the economic development activities of the District. Provided the Planning Organization can document a good faith effort to obtain renewed commitments, the inability to secure renewed commitments shall not disqualify a CEDS update.

(iii) Any updated CEDS performance report that results in a change of the requirements set forth in § 303.7(b)(1)(iii) of the EDA-accepted CEDS or any new or revised CEDS, must be available for review and comment by the public in accordance with paragraph (b)(2) of this section.

(4) Inadequate CEDS. If EDA determines that implementation of the CEDS is inadequate, it will notify the Planning Organization in writing and the Planning Organization shall submit to EDA a new or revised CEDS.

(5) Regional Commission notification. If any part of a Region is covered by one or more of the Regional Commissions as set forth in section 404 of PWEDA, the Planning Organization shall ensure that a copy of the CEDS is provided to the Regional Commission(s).

(a) General. CEDS are designed to bring together the public and private sectors in the creation of an economic roadmap to diversify and strengthen Regional economies. The CEDS should analyze the Regional economy and serve as a guide for establishing Regional goals and objectives, developing and implementing a Regional plan of action, and identifying investment priorities and funding sources. Public and private sector partnerships are critical to the implementation of the integral elements of a CEDS set forth in paragraph (b) of this section. As a performance-based plan, the CEDS will serve a critical role in a Region's efforts to defend against economic dislocations due to global trade, competition and other events resulting in the loss of jobs and private investment.

(b) Strategy requirements. (1) A CEDS must be the result of a continuing economic development planning process, developed with broad-based and diverse public and private sector participation. Consistent with section 302 of PWEDA, each CEDS must promote Regional resiliency and be unique and responsive to the relevant Region. Each CEDS must include:

(i) A summary of economic development conditions of the Region;

(ii) An in-depth analysis of economic and community development strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (commonly known as a “SWOT” analysis);

(iii) Strategies and an implementation plan to build upon the Region's strengths and opportunities and resolve the weaknesses and threats facing the Region, which should not be inconsistent with applicable State and local economic development or workforce development strategies; and

(iv) Performance measures used to evaluate the Planning Organization's successful development and implementation of the CEDS.

(2) EDA will publish and periodically update specific CEDS content guidelines.

(c) Consideration of non-EDA funded CEDS. (1) In determining the acceptability of a CEDS prepared independently of EDA Investment Assistance or oversight for Projects under parts 305 and 307 of this chapter, EDA may in its discretion determine that the CEDS is acceptable so long as it includes all of the elements listed in paragraph (b) of this section. In certain circumstances, EDA may accept a non-EDA funded CEDS that does not contain all the elements listed in paragraph (b) of this section. In doing so, EDA shall consider the circumstances surrounding the application for Investment Assistance, including emergencies or natural disasters and the fulfillment of the requirements of section 302 of PWEDA.

(2) If the CEDS for a Project under parts 305 and 307 of this chapter is developed under another federally-supported program, it must include acceptable performance measures similar to those set forth in paragraph (b) of this section and information on the state of the Regional economy. To the maximum extent practicable, the CEDS shall be consistent and coordinated with any existing economic development plan for the Region.