JEDA

What JEDA does

JEDA (South Carolina Jobs-Economic Development Authority) is a statewide conduit bond issuer established by South Carolina state legislation in 1983. The authority issues special obligation revenue bonds on behalf of qualifying borrowers across South Carolina, enabling them to access tax-exempt financing at terms generally more favorable than conventional debt. JEDA operates through three core programs: the Industrial Revenue Bond Program for eligible industrial and manufacturing projects, the Taxable Bond Program for projects not qualifying for tax-exempt status, and the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) Program, a federal-state partnership supporting small business access to capital. Since its creation, JEDA has facilitated 669 bonds totaling over $19.2 billion, resulting in the creation or retention of more than 315,165 jobs statewide.

The organization's customer base spans educational institutions (charter schools, private schools, colleges, and universities), healthcare providers (hospital systems, medical centers, and physician groups), housing developers, senior living communities, and nonprofit organizations. Notable transactions include a $1.9 billion bond for Novant Health's acquisition of three South Carolina hospitals, $382 million for Bon Secours Mercy Health, $126.7 million for AnMed, and educational financings for institutions including Christ Church Episcopal School, American Leadership Academy-Lexington, and Wofford College. JEDA coordinates with a network of approved bond counsel firms (including Howell Linkous & Nettles, Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd, Parker Poe, Pope Flynn, and Burr Forman McNair) and trustees to structure and execute transactions under the oversight of the South Carolina State Treasurer's Office.

JEDA's revenue model is built on transaction and administration fees associated with bond issuance, rather than on commercial revenue generation. As a quasi-governmental authority, it does not operate proprietary technology products, APIs, or software platforms, and its go-to-market motion is relationship-based direct outreach supplemented by bond counsel referrals. The authority is led by Executive Director Jesse A. Smith, who assumed the role in September 2023 succeeding Harry A. Huntley, CPA. JEDA is headquartered in Columbia, South Carolina, and serves borrowers exclusively within the state.

Name

JEDA

Legal name

South Carolina Jobs-Economic Development Authority

Website

https://scjeda.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

JEDA (South Carolina Jobs-Economic Development Authority) is a statewide conduit bond issuer established in 1983 that facilitates tax-exempt and taxable bond financing for educational institutions, healthcare providers, housing developers, senior living communities, and nonprofits across South Carolina.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Finance Services

NAICS

Public Finance Activities (921130)

SIC

Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies (6211)

akta.pro primary industry

Supranational, Sub-Sovereign & Agency (SSA) Bonds (FSACABAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Mortgage Revenue Bond (MRB) & Public Housing Bond Programs (FSALAKAG)

Keywords

• Tax-exempt bond financing
• Conduit bond issuance
• Economic development bonds
• Public finance services
• Revenue bond programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Bond Issuance Fees: JEDA generates revenue through fees associated with bond issuance processing and administration. As a conduit issuer, JEDA charges issuance fees and ongoing administration fees for managing bond programs on behalf of borrowers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

JEDA is a South Carolina state government conduit issuer that facilitates tax-exempt and taxable special obligation revenue bond financing on behalf of qualifying borrowers, including educational institutions, healthcare systems, housing developers, senior living communities, and nonprofit organizations. The authority issues bonds, coordinates with approved bond counsel and trustees, and charges issuance and administration fees for managing conduit bond programs. Since 1983, JEDA has facilitated 669 bonds totaling over $19.2 billion in bond value, supporting the creation and retention of more than 315,165 jobs across South Carolina.

Product overview

JEDA (South Carolina Jobs-Economic Development Authority) is a statewide conduit issuer of special obligation revenue bonds. Rather than a unified software platform, JEDA offers three distinct bond financing programs: the Industrial Revenue Bond Program for tax-exempt industrial projects, the Taxable Bond Program for non-qualifying projects, and the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) Program for small business access to capital. These programs enable borrowers to access financial markets and capital through JEDA's issuance services. Since its creation in 1983, JEDA has facilitated 669 bonds exceeding $19.2 billion, resulting in over 315,165 jobs created or retained across South Carolina.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Industrial Revenue Bond Program: Program for issuing industrial revenue bonds
• Taxable Bond Program
• State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) Program

Products and services

• Industrial Revenue Bond Program Tax-exempt and taxable bond issuance program for eligible industrial and manufacturing projects, allowing organizations to access favorable financing terms through JEDA's conduit bond issuance services.
• Taxable Bond Program Bond financing program for projects that do not qualify for tax-exempt status, providing access to capital markets through JEDA's conduit issuance process.
• State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 669 bonds issued for $19.2 billion, creating/retaining 315,165 jobs
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.

• Howell Linkous & NettlescoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLeading bond counsel firm that handles JEDA bond issuances for educational institutions including charter schools, colleges, and universities across South Carolina. Frequently serves as bond counsel for JEDA transactions, guiding clients through complex public finance processes.
• Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd, P.A.coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerMajor bond counsel firm representing JEDA in healthcare transactions, senior living projects, and educational facility financings. Handles significant volume of JEDA bond transactions across multiple sectors.
• Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLPcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerBond counsel firm that assists JEDA with affordable housing transactions and various economic development projects. Has represented JEDA in housing bond issuances and senior living facility financings.
• Pope FlynnmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerBond counsel firm that works with JEDA on educational and healthcare bond transactions. Provided counsel for major charter school and healthcare system financings.
• Burr Forman McNairmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerBond counsel firm assisting JEDA with healthcare financing transactions and affordable housing projects. Handles bond issuances for medical facilities and housing developments.
• South Carolina State Treasurer's OfficecoreOthersJEDA operates under oversight of the State Treasurer's Office which maintains lists of approved bond firms and trustees for JEDA transactions. The Approved South Carolina Bond Firms list and Approved Trustees list are maintained through this relationship.
• USDA Rural DevelopmentsupportingOthersJEDA sometimes pairs tax-exempt bond financing with USDA permanent financing for rural projects, such as Fox Creek Middle School's construction loan structure.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Pennsylvania Economic Development Financing Authority (PEDFA): Pennsylvania state authority issuing tax-exempt bonds for manufacturing, healthcare, and economic development projects. Comparable conduit bond issuance function to JEDA but serving a different state.
• North Carolina Medical Care Commission: North Carolina state commission that issues tax-exempt revenue bonds to finance hospital and healthcare facility projects. Highly comparable to JEDA's healthcare facilities revenue bond program but operating in a neighboring geography.
• Florida Development Finance Corporation (FDFC): Florida's statewide conduit issuer providing tax-exempt bond financing for educational, healthcare, and economic development projects. Directly comparable role to JEDA but operating in a different state with its own statutory framework.
• Georgia State Financing and Investment Commission (GSFIC): Georgia's state authority issuing bonds for higher education, healthcare, and state facilities. Comparable as a neighboring southeastern state bond issuer with similar mission and verticals to JEDA.

Broad incumbents

• Indiana Finance Authority: Indiana's state financing authority issuing bonds for economic development, healthcare, education, and environmental infrastructure. Comparable conduit-style state issuer operating across multiple verticals similar to JEDA.
• Texas Public Finance Authority: Texas state authority that issues general obligation and revenue bonds for state and qualifying projects. Comparable as a state-level bond issuance authority, though focused primarily on state-owned facilities versus JEDA's broader borrower base.
• Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY): New York's public benefit corporation issuing tax-exempt bonds for higher education, healthcare, and not-for-profit institutions. Comparable to JEDA's education and healthcare bond programs at substantially larger scale and volume.
• California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank (IBank): California's state economic development financing authority that issues revenue bonds for infrastructure, healthcare, education, and industrial projects. Comparable to JEDA as a state-level conduit issuer, but with a broader mandate and larger scale.

Direct peers

• South Carolina State Housing Finance and Development Authority: South Carolina's state-level housing finance authority that issues tax-exempt bonds to finance affordable housing. Directly comparable to JEDA as a South Carolina state conduit bond issuer operating in an overlapping vertical (housing/multifamily financing).
• Missouri Development Finance Board: Missouri's state conduit issuer providing bond financing for economic development, education, healthcare, and infrastructure. Closely mirrors JEDA's statewide conduit issuer model across similar verticals.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/scjeda

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about JEDA