An economic development organization (EDO) is an organization dedicated to the economic development of a region, be it a subnational area such as a town, city, county, province, or state; a whole nation; or transnational regions unified through economic integration.[1] EDOs are typically government agencies, public-private partnerships, or non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working together with other actors to improve the regional economy they focus on (be it internal or external).[1]
EDOs are sometimes confused with regional development organizations (RDOs) which have a similar focus but whose operations are often based on foreign aid or foreign assistance. EDOs may not even need to fund their operations, programs, and services as they might simply operate as a consortium rather than as an incorporation.