Economic Developers Council of Ontario (EDCO)

What Economic Developers Council of Ontario (EDCO) does

The Economic Developers Council of Ontario (EDCO) is a Toronto-based nonprofit professional association founded in 1957 that operates as Canada's largest provincial economic development association, serving municipalities, counties, economic development offices, individual practitioners, and private corporations across Ontario. Its core offering is a portfolio of member programs built around the flagship 69th Annual Conference & Showcase (held February 2026), a multi-tier membership structure, Ec.D. professional certification support, regional professional development events, the Bright Ideas Competition, a 12-month Mentorship Program, a $4,000 annual Scholarship Program, the Awards of Excellence (with Lieutenant-Governor's Best of Show Award eligibility), the Investment Table: Tourism Edition investor-municipality matchmaking forum, the annual Queens Park advocacy event, and Trade & Tariffs resource programming. The association is governed by an elected board of directors and operates as a member-directed entity with no parent company or external equity ownership.\n\nEDCO generates revenue through three primary streams: recurring annual membership dues (municipalities, organizations, individuals, private corporations), conference registration and sponsorship fees (with tiered early-bird pricing such as $875-$975 for members and $1,150 for non-members for the full conference pass), and a transaction-fee stream from its exclusive distribution partnership with Environics Analytics for Community Profile Reports sold to Ontario municipalities under 100,000 population at $2,800-$3,400 + HST. The underlying technology is non-proprietary: the organization runs on the Membee Complete membership management platform, a standard website (edco.on.ca), and conventional social media channels (Facebook, X, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube) plus a weekly eBulletin newsletter, with no disclosed API, SDK, or AI/ML capabilities. Distribution is direct to members through in-person conferences, regional events, and a self-serve member portal, supplemented by channel partnerships with provincial ministries, Invest Ontario, Enbridge Gas, Deloitte Canada, Farm Credit Canada, and the University of Waterloo's Economic Development Program.

Name

Economic Developers Council of Ontario (EDCO)

Legal name

Economic Developers Council of Ontario

Website

https://edco.on.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1957

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Economic Developers Council of Ontario (EDCO) is a Toronto-based nonprofit professional association, founded in 1957 and self-described as Canada's largest provincial economic development association, serving Ontario municipalities, counties, practitioners, and private corporations through its annual conference, membership programs, certification support, and tourism-investment matchmaking forums.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Economic Development Professional Association

NAICS

Professional Organizations (813920)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)

Keywords

• Economic development association
• Professional development services
• Municipal economic development
• Industry networking events
• Member-based association

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: EDCO generates revenue through annual membership fees from various categories including municipalities, organizations, individual professionals, and private corporations. Membership provides access to professional development discounts, networking events, mentorship programs, and the member directory.
2. Conference Registration Fees: The annual EDCO Conference & Showcase generates revenue through registration fees including full conference passes (Early Bird $875, Night Owl $925, Fly Away $975 for members; $1,150 for non-members), retiree rates ($499), and single-day rates ($499-$650). Additional revenue comes from President's Dinner tickets ($215) and exhibition/sponsorship fees.
3. Community Profile Reports: EDCO partners with Environics Analytics to offer Community Profile Reports to Ontario municipalities, earning revenue through program facilitation fees ($2,800 + HST for members, $3,400 + HST for non-members).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

EDCO is a nonprofit professional association that delivers membership subscriptions, an annual conference and showcase, regional professional development events, mentorship and scholarship programs, awards of excellence, advocacy events (Queen's Park), data analytics reports (via partnership with Environics Analytics), and certification support for the Ec.D. designation to Ontario's economic development workforce.

Product overview

EDCO operates as a professional association offering a portfolio of interconnected programs and services for economic development professionals in Ontario. The core offerings include the Annual Conference & Showcase (the flagship event generating 5 Ec.D. certification points), the Awards of Excellence program recognizing industry innovation, and the Scholarship and Mentorship programs supporting professional development. EDCO also facilitates peer engagement through Regional Events across Ontario's geographic regions, the Bright Ideas Competition for collaborative problem-solving, and the Investment Table: Tourism Edition for partnership building. Supporting resources include Trade & Tariffs Resources with regular roundtables, the Environics Analytics Community Profile Report (data partnership), and the annual Queens Park Event for provincial advocacy. The association provides Ec.D. certification support and members-only benefits including a directory, discounts, and weekly communications. EDCO is not a technology product company; it is a membership-based professional organization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Awards of Excellence: Annual program recognizing innovative, collaborative and distinctive work by economic development teams across Ontario.
• Bright Ideas Competition
• Mentorship Program

Products and services

• EDCO Membership Tiered annual membership subscriptions (Organization, Individual, Private Corporation) providing access to the member directory, professional development discounts, networking events, mentorship and scholarship programs, committee participation, and the weekly eBulletin for Ontario economic development professionals, municipalities, and private corporations.
• Annual Conference & Showcase Registration Paid registration passes for the flagship annual conference in Toronto, offered with tiered Early Bird ($875), Night Owl ($925), Fly Away ($975) member rates, non-member rate ($1,150), retiree rate ($499), single-day rates ($499-$650), and President's Dinner tickets ($215). Includes professional development sessions, networking, and five Ec.D. certification points.
• Environics Analytics Community Profile Report A 37-page demographic and lifestyle data report for Ontario municipalities under 100,000 population, including population projections, PRIZM segmentation, SocialValues, and wealth profiles, sold exclusively through EDCO at a substantial discount from standard market pricing.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 50 municipalities and investors connected through Investment Table: Tourism Edition since 2019, with tangible investments including $60M Marriott hotel at Wasaga Beach
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

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

• Various Ontario Municipalities (Queen's Park Event Community Partners)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 May 2026Annual Queen's Park Event bringing together municipalities and provincial officials. 2026 community partners include: Destination Northern Ontario, Town of Gananoque, Ontario East Economic Development Corporation, Township of North Dundas, Town of Stouffville, Town of Caledon, Municipality of Clarington, City of Oshawa, City of Barrie, Town of Ingersoll, City of Stratford, Grey County, City of Woodstock, City of Welland, County of Simcoe, Perth County, Western Ontario Wardens' Caucus, OBIAA, Middlesex County, Norfolk County, St. Thomas Economic Development Corporation, County of Brant, Kingston Economic Development Corporation, Nuclear Innovation Institute.
• Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming (Ontario)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual partnership for the Investment Table: Tourism Edition (formerly Tourism Investment Dragons Event), a speed-networking format event in Toronto that brings together tourism investors and municipalities with market-ready sites. This is the only forum of its kind in the province.
• Environics AnalyticscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExclusive partnership to deliver Community Profile Reports to Ontario municipalities under 100,000 population. EDCO members receive approximately 90% discount ($2,800 vs $28,000+ market rate) on comprehensive 37-page reports including demographics, PRIZM segmentation, SocialValues, and wealth profiles.
• University of Waterloo - Economic Development ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for professional development and certification (Ec.D.) in economic development. EDCO's annual conference is worth five points towards Ec.D. certification. The university provides pre-conference seminars and ongoing educational programming.
• Invest OntariomajorGTM or Marketing PartnerTitle sponsor of EDCO 2026 Conference. Invest Ontario is the dedicated agency for investment attraction in the province, providing expertise and tailored services for advanced manufacturing, life sciences, and technology sectors.
• ResearchFDImajorGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting sponsor of EDCO 2026 Conference. Specialized investment attraction consulting firm recognized for lead generation programs that have yielded over $5 billion in new investments for clients worldwide.
• City of TorontomajorGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting sponsor of EDCO 2026 Conference. As Canada's largest city and fourth largest in North America, Toronto Economic Development and Culture division partners with EDCO for conference activities.
• Ontario First Nations Economic Developers Association (OFNEDA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConference exhibitor and panel partner for First Nations economic development programming. Joint session at 2026 conference explored relationship building, engagement, and partnership in First Nation economic development.
• Farm Credit CanadaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerConference sponsor and Knowledge Pod presenter on Agri-Food Economic Outlook. Agricultural lender providing economic research and insights for Ontario's agri-food sector.
• Enbridge Gas OntariomajorGTM or Marketing PartnerLeading sponsor and Awards of Excellence sponsor. Canada's largest natural gas storage, transmission, and distribution company serving about 3.9 million customers.
• Deloitte CanadaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerConference sponsor providing breakfast sponsorship. Professional services firm supporting economic development through consulting and advisory services.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/login
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCQNDqKEAjcPzpt9AXMSAJcg
• Facebookfacebook.com/EDCO1EDCO
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/economic-developers-council-of-ontario
• Instagraminstagram.com/edcontario

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 Economic Developers Council of Ontario (EDCO)