The Berkshire Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) is an ongoing regional economic development planning process designed to coordinate the economic development efforts of the region's diverse group of development organizations, local governments, private industry, entrepreneurs and other individuals. The CEDS is required to maintain eligibility for federal Economic Development Administration (EDA) funding. According to EDA guidelines, eligibility for funding consideration requires:

• a continuous planning PROCESS responsive to other regional economic development initiatives
• a CEDS COMMITTEE representing the entire region and diverse in its members' backgrounds, interests and community orientations
• a DOCUMENT detailing the Committee's strategic planning process, updated annually as the Committee evaluates regional priorities and actions.

The Berkshire CEDS 2004 Committee

The Berkshire CEDS 2004 Comittee, chaired by Lee CDC Director Rich Vinette and staffed by BRPC, has been meeting since May 2004 to revive the Berkshire CEDS document and process, which had been on hiatus since 2001. In accordance with EDA guidelines, the Berkshire CEDS Committee represents a diverse set of interests and core competencies from throughout the region. Among its members are representatives and advocates of local governments, business, industry, finance, education, community organizations, public health agencies, the aged, the unemployed, underemployed, racial or ethnic minorities, and women. The Committee demonstrates the region's conscientious effort to include as broad a range of voices as possible in the development strategy for the Berkshire economy.

Berkshire CEDS Materials
Please click on a link below to open the documents in PDF format (see BRPC homepage for an Adobe Acrobat download link).