The Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina

What The Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina does

The Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC) is a 501(c)(3) public-private nonprofit founded in 2014 to serve as North Carolina's statewide economic development organization. Operating under contract with the North Carolina Department of Commerce and governed by an 18-member board of business and industry leaders, EDPNC recruits new businesses to the state, supports existing employers with expansion needs, assists companies with international trade and export markets, counsels small businesses and startups, and promotes North Carolina as a tourism destination through its VisitNC brand. The organization employs 51-100 staff and is headquartered in Raleigh with international investment offices in Japan, India, and Europe.

EDPNC's service portfolio spans the full business lifecycle through distinct operating teams: Business Recruitment, Existing Industry Expansion (with regional managers covering all 100 North Carolina counties), International Trade, Small Business Advisors, Tourism, and Film. Digital platforms include the NC Sites Selection database (ncsiteselection.com) for site search, the NC Economic Development Activity Report (NC EDAR) for project tracking, and the State Comparison Map for competitive benchmarking. Financing and incentive programs include NC C-PACE clean energy financing, STEP federal export grants, the Export Accelerator, and navigation services for state incentive programs including JDIG, One NC Fund, and NCEdge customized workforce training.

In FY2025 (July 2024 – June 2025), EDPNC reported total revenue of approximately $52.5 million. Revenue is concentrated, with 88% ($46.1M) from its state contract with the NC Department of Commerce, 2% ($1.1M) from federal grants, 3% ($1.8M, a record) from private investor contributions, and 4% ($2.1M) from other revenue. Services are provided to businesses at no direct charge. FY2025 outcomes included 35,000+ new jobs and $24.1B in capital investment announced, with cumulative decade results (2014-2023) of 178,000 jobs and $67B in capital investment. Notable FY2025 recruitment wins include JetZero's $4.7B aircraft manufacturing facility in Greensboro (14,500 jobs, largest in state history) and Amazon Web Services' $10B AI innovation campus in Richmond County.

Name

The Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina

Legal name

Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina Inc.

Website

https://edpnc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC) is a 501(c)(3) public-private nonprofit founded in 2014 that recruits new businesses, supports existing employers, facilitates international trade, counsels small businesses, and promotes tourism statewide. It operates under contract with the NC Department of Commerce.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Economic Development Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Other Services Related to Advertising (541890)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Advertising (7310)

akta.pro primary industry

Donor Coordination & Aid Effectiveness (BPADAOAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Real Estate Public-Private Partnership (PPP) & Infrastructure-Adjacent Real Estate Advisory (BPAJANAL)

Keywords

• Economic development services
• Business recruitment services
• Export assistance programs
• Site selection consulting
• Tourism marketing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Raleigh

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. State Contract Funding: Primary revenue stream through contract with North Carolina Department of Commerce. In fiscal year 2025 (July 1, 2024 - June 30, 2025), received $46,139,719 in state contract funding.
2. Private Investment/Investor Contributions: Private funding from companies, individuals, and foundations. Record-breaking $1,781,595 raised in 2025 from private investors. Investors receive benefits at various levels (Friend, Leadership Partner, Executive Partner, Visionary Partner, Capstone Partner, Apex Partner).
3. Federal Grants: Federal grant funding including STEP (State Trade Expansion Program) for export assistance. Received $1,135,675 in federal grants in FY2025.
4. Other Revenue: Other revenue sources totaling $2,108,808 in FY2025, including event revenues and other miscellaneous income.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

EDPNC is North Carolina's statewide public-private economic development organization that recruits new businesses to the state, supports the expansion of existing employers, assists companies with international trade and exporting, counsels small businesses and startups, and promotes North Carolina as a tourism destination through the VisitNC brand. It delivers these services at no direct cost to beneficiaries, funded primarily through a state contract with the NC Department of Commerce and supplemented by federal grants and private investor contributions.

Product overview

The Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC) is a public-private nonprofit economic development organization operating under contract with the North Carolina Department of Commerce. Rather than a single product, EDPNC offers a portfolio of interconnected service programs organized around business recruitment and expansion, international trade, small business support, tourism promotion, film recruitment, site development, and investor relations. Key service offerings include Business Recruitment & Existing Industry Expansion, the International Trade & Export Assistance team (with STEP grant funding and Export Accelerator programs), the Small Business Advisors program, the NC Film Office, and Tourism promotion via Visit NC. These are supported by digital platforms including the NC Sites Selection database for site search and the NC EDAR economic activity reporting tool. The organization also manages incentive programs such as NCEdge workforce training, JDIG, One North Carolina Fund, and NC C-PACE clean energy financing, alongside a tiered private investor partnership program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• VisitNC.com: North Carolina's official tourism marketing platform promoting travel and tourism to the state

Products and services

• Business Recruitment & Expansion Services Identifies, cultivates, and manages corporate recruitment prospects and projects to attract new businesses to North Carolina and support expansion of existing employers, including site selection assistance, incentive navigation, and project management for enterprise prospects.
• Existing Industry Expansion Support Facilitates growth and expansion of established North Carolina companies by providing counseling and connections to state and local resources for workforce development, manufacturing support, environmental and infrastructure issues, grants, and loans, via regional Existing Industry Expansion Managers covering all 100 NC counties.
• International Trade & Export Assistance Provides international trade and export assistance to North Carolina companies through trade show assistance, e-commerce and digital marketing, market entry strategy, finding agents, distributors and buyers, and market research, delivered by industry-specialized International Trade Managers.
• Small Business Advisors Assists small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs with one-on-one counseling on North Carolina's business licensing and regulations, including a Business Planning Checklist and customized consultations, available Monday-Friday 8:30am-4:00pm via 800.228.8443.
• Tourism Promotion (VisitNC) Unifies and leads the state's positioning of North Carolina as a preferred destination for leisure travel, group tours, meetings and conventions, sports events, and film production through the Visit NC brand, public relations, digital marketing, and consumer campaigns.
• NC Film Office Recruits film projects to North Carolina, provides guidance for film incentives, and assists productions with permitting, logistics, and on-the-ground support.
• NC Sites Selection Database Interactive searchable database of available properties across North Carolina, allowing filtering by property size, building specifications, transportation access, utility infrastructure, and proximity to workforce and suppliers.
• NC EDAR (North Carolina Economic Development Activity Report) The most comprehensive statewide resource for economic development project wins, job creation, and capital investment data.
• STEP (State Trade Expansion Program) Federally funded reimbursement program designed to help small businesses in North Carolina cover costs associated with international trade, including trade show participation, website translation, and export training.
• Export Accelerator Program Comprehensive export assistance program helping North Carolina companies develop international market entry strategies and expand into global markets.
• NC C-PACE Financing Program Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy financing program that helps building owners access affordable financing for energy efficiency, renewable energy, and water conservation upgrades.
• Incentives & Grant Navigation Service Guides businesses through North Carolina incentive programs including NCEdge Customized Training, JDIG, One North Carolina Fund, County Tier Systems, CDBG programs, and Data Center tax exemptions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 35,000+ new jobs and $24.1 billion in capital investment in 2025 alone (all-time highs)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered industry peer, exploratory, award recipient, core partner, key partner, supporting partner and industry partner.

• State Economic Development Officials (Various States)industry peerOthers · 7 May 2026EDPNC representatives conducted one-on-one meetings with Turkish firms at SelectUSA Investment Summit to attract foreign investment, alongside representatives from Iowa and other states.
• CEPAexploratoryOthers · 17 March 2026Met with Moldova's Deputy Prime Minister during Washington visit. Part of discussions on investment opportunities and economic cooperation between Moldova and U.S. partners.
• Widelity Inc.exploratoryOthers · 17 March 2026Met with Moldova's Deputy Prime Minister during Washington visit. Part of discussions on economic cooperation and potential pilot projects.
• MethodSenseaward recipientOthers · 5 March 2026North Carolina-based regulatory and quality advisory firm serving medical device and life sciences industry. Received Global Reach Award for Export Trade Excellence from Governor Stein and EDPNC for strategic export planning and LuminLogic compliance platform.
• North Carolina Department of Commercecore partnerOthersEDPNC operates under contract with the North Carolina Department of Commerce as the statewide economic development organization. Receives primary state funding through this contract ($46.1 million in FY2025). Works closely with Commerce on business recruitment, incentives, and economic development strategy.
• North Carolina General Assemblycore partnerOthersLegislative body that provides funding support and policy framework for economic development initiatives. Works with EDPNC to shape economic development legislation and appropriations.
• North Carolina Biotechnology Centerkey partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey collaborative partner in North Carolina's life sciences ecosystem. Works with EDPNC to attract and support biotechnology and life sciences companies. Mentioned as part of collaborative ecosystem that makes North Carolina successful for life sciences manufacturing investments.
• North Carolina Community College Systemkey partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner58-campus community college system that provides workforce development through NCEdge customized training program. EDPNC connects businesses to this workforce training resource. Critical partner in supporting companies with skilled workforce needs.
• NCWorkskey partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerState workforce development network that helps businesses with recruiting and job training services. EDPNC refers businesses to NCWorks for workforce solutions and talent acquisition support.
• North Carolina State Universitykey partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerTier-1 research university and part of state's educational ecosystem that produces talent for advanced manufacturing, aerospace, automotive, and other industries. Home to NC State University and other top institutions mentioned in workforce development.
• Parker Poe (Law Firm)supporting partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Parker Poe to produce infrastructure white paper exploring how North Carolina's infrastructure investments position companies for long-term economic success.
• Lightcastsupporting partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerEconomic data and analytics firm that performed economic impact analysis showing EDPNC's project wins over first decade created broader economic effects beyond initial announcement figures.
• Hitachi Energyindustry partnerOthersIndustry leader in North Carolina pioneering new grid technologies in charging infrastructure, power and distribution transformers, grid integration, and sustainable electrification as part of clean energy ecosystem.
• Boom Supersonicindustry partnerOthersAerospace company selecting North Carolina for aircraft superfactory. Cited North Carolina's ideal combination of talent, infrastructure, and leadership to support supersonic manufacturing.
• JetZeroindustry partnerOthersAerospace company developing all-wing commercial airplane with $4.7 billion production facility in Greensboro creating 14,500+ jobs. Cited North Carolina's ideal combination for aviation manufacturing.
• Violet PRsupporting partnerChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPublic relations agency specializing in economic development and place marketing. Earned four Gold honors in 2026 Bulldog PR Awards for work including EDPNC campaign highlighting JetZero facility. Also won 2026 Silver Anvil from PRSA.
• Governor's Officecore partnerOthersOffice of Governor Josh Stein works closely with EDPNC on economic development initiatives, trade missions (France, Japan), and major project announcements.

Scale indicators21 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCw0_Swx6kVT8M8aT6xKc8rw
• Facebookfacebook.com/EDPNC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/economic-development-partnership-of-north-carolina
• Instagraminstagram.com/visitnc
• Xx.com/edpnc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina