What Central Economic Development Agency does

Central Economic Development Agency (CEDA) is a regional economic development agency and Regional Tourism Organisation for the Manawatū region of New Zealand, operating as a private council-controlled organisation in partnership with shareholder councils Palmerston North City Council and Manawatū District Council. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Palmerston North with a team of approximately 15 staff, CEDA delivers free business advisory services to small and medium enterprises across Manawatū, Whanganui and Tararua as the sole regional delivery agent for the government's Regional Business Partner Programme administered by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE). Core products include Business Support Services (Start and Grow, Innovate and Export, Māori Business Support), Business Tools and a Sustainability Toolkit, R&D Support Services connecting firms to MBIE grants and tax incentives, Innovate Grants co-delivered with The Factory, and an Employer & Workplace Hub. A second product line — Data & Insights — packages region-specific Quarterly Retail Reports (using MarketView data), Economic Updates, Annual Dashboards and Visitor Insights. CEDA also operates the ManawatuNZ destination brand and is a governance partner in Te Utanganui, the intermodal distribution hub positioned as the third node in New Zealand's national freight network.

CEDA's revenue model is government grant funded through its shareholder councils and central government programme delivery contracts; there is no fee-for-service revenue from SME advisory users, and no disclosed budget. Go-to-market combines direct business advisory (Business Growth Advisors and Customer Navigators doing field-based discovery sessions), partner network distribution (Manawatū Business Chamber, The Factory, Horizons Regional Council, FoodHQ, ManawaTech), self-serve digital intake via ceda.nz and ManawatuNZ.co.nz, and event-driven engagement through Techweek, the Manawatū Business Awards and tourism events. Customer segmentation is hybrid: an SME-facing advisory track, a regional stakeholders track (iwi, councils, central government), an innovation and export track, and a visitor-economy track. CEDA has no proprietary technology platform — its technology footprint consists of third-party integrations (Eventfinda, MarketView, CrowdRiff, Google My Business, Zoom) and two websites.

Governance is by a board chaired by Bobbie O'Fee with directors including former Auckland Council Chief Economist David Norman, Vegetables NZ CE Antony Heywood, and former MSD Regional Commissioner Katie Brosnahan; CEO Jerry Shearman has led the agency for nearly four years. Leadership is notable for explicit use of te reo Māori titles and a dedicated Māori Relationship Manager role.

Name

Central Economic Development Agency

Legal name

Central Economic Development Agency Ltd

Website

https://ceda.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CEDA is the regional economic development agency and Regional Tourism Organisation for Manawatū, New Zealand, funded by Palmerston North and Manawatū councils to deliver free MBIE-backed SME advisory, R&D support, tourism marketing, and regional data and insights across Manawatū, Whanganui and Tararua.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Palmerston North

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Funding and Regional Support Services: CEDA is a government-funded regional development agency operating as a partnership between Palmerston North City Council and Manawatū District Council. Services are provided free of charge to businesses through regional business partner programmes and government-funded initiatives.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

CEDA is the regional economic development agency and Regional Tourism Organisation for the Manawatū region of New Zealand, delivering free business support services through Business Growth Advisors across Manawatū, Whanganui and Tararua. Core offerings include Start and Grow programmes, Innovate and Export support, Māori Business Support, the Sustainability Toolkit, co-funded training (up to 50%), Innovate Grants up to $5,000, R&D support via MBIE Innovation Services, and a portfolio of regional economic data products (Retail Insights, Economic Updates, Annual Dashboards, Visitor Insights). The agency also leads destination marketing for the region and governs the Te Utanganui Central New Zealand Distribution Hub initiative.

Product overview

CEDA operates as a regional economic development agency and regional tourism organisation for Manawatū, offering a portfolio of business support services, data products, and grant programs. The core offering includes Business Support Services (Start and Grow, Innovate and Export, Māori Business Support) delivered through Business Growth Advisors, complemented by Business Tools (networks, templates, marketing resources) and a Sustainability Toolkit. CEDA's data products include Retail Insights (Quarterly Retail Reports using MarketView data), Economic Updates (Quarterly and Annual Economic Snapshots), Annual Dashboards, and Visitor Insights (visitor statistics and community sentiment). Additional programs include Innovate Grants for early-stage startups (up to $5,000), Business Mentors New Zealand partnership, and R&D Support Services. Te Utanganui represents a major sub-brand initiative for the Central New Zealand Distribution Hub. The organization also provides newsletters and an Employer & Workplace Hub to support workforce development across the region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Business Support Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Regional GDP of $8.794 billion for Manawatū in 2025
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• North Island Tourism AlliancemajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Alliance of North Island regional tourism organisations aimed at strengthening offshore visibility in key international markets. CEDA joined in 2025 to collaborate on destination marketing.
• Palmerston North City CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary shareholder council with CEDA operating as a closely connected economic development agency. Directs businesses to appropriate council services including resource consents, building consents, and council strategies.
• Manawatū District CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary shareholder council working in partnership with CEDA for regional economic development initiatives and business support services.
• Horizons Regional CouncilmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional council responsible for natural resource management, land transport planning, passenger transport, and natural disaster response coordination across the Manawatū region.
• Manawatū Business ChambermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary business support organisation existing to support business growth and vitality throughout the Manawatū region, collaborating on events and initiatives.
• The FactorymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStartup accelerator and innovation hub working with entrepreneurs since 2005 to develop businesses and technology. Co-delivers Innovate Grants programme with CEDA.
• Business Mentors New ZealandmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational business mentoring service matching experienced businesspeople with small business owners. CEDA delivers this service locally as part of MBIE's Regional Business Partners Programme, connecting local businesses with mentors from a pool of 1,500+ volunteers.
• Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCentral government agency providing R&D grants, tax incentives, and startup support through Innovation Services. CEDA serves as regional delivery partner for R&D support programmes formerly administered by Callaghan Innovation.
• Te Utanganui - Central New Zealand Distribution HubmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNationally significant intermodal distribution hub initiative positioned as the third node in New Zealand's national transport and freight network. CEDA is a governance partner along with both councils, driving development of the hub connecting road, rail, air, and sea networks.
• ManawaTechmajorTechnology or IntegrationManawatū Tech Collective - an industry-led non-profit organisation facilitating local tech business collaborations with national initiatives, enabling company growth and personal career development. Co-delivers Techweek events with CEDA.
• FoodHQminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood innovation hub supporting agrifood sector development and research collaboration in the Manawatū region.
• BNI ManawatuminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBusiness networking organisation providing structured referral marketing programmes connecting business professionals across the Manawatū-Whanganui region.
• Centres of Asia-Pacific Excellence (CAPE)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational organisation enhancing New Zealand businesses' economic engagement and cultural understanding with the Asia-Pacific region.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE): Central government economic development agency delivering national export and innovation support. CEDA acts as a regional delivery partner for some NZTE-linked programmes, making it an adjacent ecosystem enabler rather than a direct competitor.
• Tourism Industry Aotearoa: National tourism industry body representing RTOs and operators including CEDA in its RTO capacity. Not a direct competitor, but a connected ecosystem participant in the same destination marketing and policy advocacy space.

Direct peers

• Venture Taranaki: Taranaki's regional development agency, structurally similar to CEDA as a council-partnered entity delivering economic strategy, sector development and business support in a single NZ region.
• Priority One: Bay of Plenty's regional economic development organisation, comparable to CEDA in delivering business growth advisory, innovation support and regional promotion with stakeholder funding.
• ChristchurchNZ: Christchurch's council-backed economic development and tourism organisation, comparable to CEDA in mandate, funding model and delivery of business growth and destination marketing services.
• WellingtonNZ: Wellington's regional economic development agency and RTO, operating on an identical council-funded model delivering business support, investment attraction and destination marketing for the Wellington region.
• Business Hawke's Bay: Hawke's Bay's business chamber-affiliated economic development body, comparable to CEDA in delivering SME advisory, regional advocacy and stakeholder-funded economic initiatives.
• Activate Tairāwhiti: Gisborne region's economic development agency, mirroring CEDA's council-linked model for business support, tourism promotion and regional economic strategy.
• Nelson Tasman Regional Economic Development Agency: Nelson Tasman's regional development function, comparable to CEDA in scale and focus on SME support, regional promotion and council-funded economic initiatives for a small NZ region.

Broad incumbents

• Auckland Unlimited: Auckland's council-controlled economic and cultural development organisation, broader in scope and scale than CEDA but operating on a comparable council-funded economic development and destination marketing model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CEDA.nz
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/centraleda
• Xx.com/CentralEDA

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

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 Central Economic Development Agency