What does CEDA mean in

The Community Economic Development Awards (CEDA) are an awards program that intends to recognize outstanding achievements in economic development within a given community and promote and assist these same communities in devising long-term solutions to their economic issues.

All public, private, or non-profit entities engaged in community and economic development projects may be eligible for CEDA.

Outstanding achievement is evaluated relative to other applicants, taking into account factors such as project scope, complexity, innovation, results achieved, duration of impact, etc.

Eligible activities include but are not limited to businesses creation or expansion, employment opportunities or job training efforts, housing initiatives or improvements on existing properties; and improvement on infrastructure services such as water/sewer lines, transportation system components, etc.

Previous CEDA award winners include a small business incubator project in Boston that created jobs and increased entrepreneurship opportunities; a workforce training program targeting low-income residents in Cleveland which resulted in significantly more individuals obtaining well-paying jobs; and a housing revitalization project in Brooklyn which transformed distressed residential blocks back into vibrant family neighborhoods.