Who We Are:
Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development (PKED) is the lead regional economic development agency for the City and County of Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. Established in 1999, PKED is a not-for-profit organization that is funded to deliver economic development and tourism services through a Memorandum of Understanding with the City of Peterborough and the County of Peterborough and is governed by a volunteer board of directors made of up to 13 members of the local community, including Chief Administrative Officers for the County and City of Peterborough.
Our Mandate:
To facilitate an environment which will contribute to the creation of wealth, the growth of new employment and the development of an improved quality of life for area residents. PKED will promote, facilitate and develop a strong unified economic development presence for the Greater Peterborough area (being the entire geographic region consisting of the County of Peterborough and the City of Peterborough). PKED will work cooperatively with local municipalities and other organizations to ensure that investment opportunities throughout the region are effectively developed. PKED, in working to fulfill its general mandate, will be guided by the corporations’ strategic plan.
What We Do:
PKED promotes and positions Peterborough & the Kawarthas as a destination of choice to live, work, invest, study and visit.
We promote and facilitate business opportunities to create a thriving economy for our residents and communities, resulting in regional prosperity for the City and County of Peterborough.
PKED works closely with planning and infrastructure departments to ensure that there is a steady supply of employment lands for investors and businesses to expand to.as growth occurs.
Working collaboratively with businesses, government, academic institutions, and industry partners, PKED supports the retention and growth of existing businesses as well as the attraction of new businesses and investment. We also strive to support local companies in accessing the talent, knowledge, resources, and economic conditions they need to thrive.
Our focus is to grow the local economy through key economic sectors including Aerospace, Agriculture, Advanced Manufacturing, Tourism and Small Business (Entrepreneurship) in order to support industry in creating quality, sustainable jobs.
PKED has the responsibility for tourism activities for the region as the Official Destination Marketing Organization through Peterborough & the Kawarthas Tourism, which also operates the regional Visitor Centre.
PKED has a robust entrepreneurship development program through the Business Advisory Centre, providing consulting services for entrepreneurs and small business operators throughout the region.
As the lead regional economic development agency, PKED plays an important role as a leader and collaborative partner for key initiatives, including uniting various stakeholders toward a common goal such as the development of the Mayor and Warden’s Economic Recovery Taskforce and the First Nations – Municipal Community Economic Development Initiative (CEDI).
