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5-Year Economic Development Strategy

Strategy

Economic Development Strategy

The County of Simcoe works collaboratively with its member municipalities and regional partners to support economic growth, competitiveness, and prosperity across the region. The Economic Development Strategy provides a shared framework to guide economic development priorities, initiatives, partnerships, and advocacy efforts that benefit businesses, workers, and communities throughout Simcoe County.

The County is currently developing a new Economic Development Strategy (2027-2031) through research, analysis, and engagement with municipalities, businesses, industry leaders, Indigenous communities, and other key stakeholders. This page provides information on the strategy development process, project updates, and previous strategy documents.

Economic Development Strategy 2027-2031

Simcoe County is embarking on the development of a new Economic Development Strategy to help guide the County’s economic growth, competitiveness, and prosperity over the coming years.
As communities and economies continue to evolve, it is important to ensure that Simcoe County has a clear and coordinated vision for supporting businesses, attracting investment, fostering innovation, strengthening workforce development, and enhancing the region’s overall economic well-being. This forward-looking initiative will bring together businesses, community organizations, industry leaders, municipal partners, and other key stakeholders to identify opportunities, address challenges, and establish strategic priorities that reflect the County’s unique strengths and aspirations.

The resulting strategy will serve as a refreshed roadmap for economic development efforts and help position Simcoe County for long-term success.

This is where you come in!

A strong Economic Development Strategy is built on local knowledge and input. Businesses, entrepreneurs, industry representatives, community partners, municipalities, Indigenous communities, and regional stakeholders are being engaged through interviews, focus groups, workshops, and surveys to help identify priorities, opportunities, and challenges facing Simcoe County’s economy.

A survey will be launched in the coming weeks and shared broadly. We encourage all interested organizations and residents to participate and share their perspectives.

Feedback gathered through the engagement process will inform the development of strategic priorities and actions to guide economic development efforts across Simcoe County for years to come.

Interested in participating in an engagement session? Email us to be added to our contact list and receive future updates and invitations.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Local economic development strategies focus on the priorities, opportunities, and challenges within an individual municipality. They help guide activities such as business support, downtown revitalization, investment attraction, and community-specific economic initiatives.

Regional economic development strategies focus on opportunities and challenges that impact multiple communities across a broader geographic area. The County of Simcoe’s Economic Development Strategy examines issues such as workforce development, infrastructure, sector growth, investment attraction, regional partnerships, and economic competitiveness across the County as a whole.

The County’s Economic Development Strategy is intended to complement and support local municipal economic development efforts by identifying opportunities for collaboration, advocacy, and coordinated action that benefit the region.

The Economic Development Strategy will help guide initiatives, programs, partnerships, and advocacy efforts that support long-term economic growth and competitiveness across Simcoe County.

While the Strategy will not directly impact day-to-day business operations, it will help inform future actions related to workforce development, investment attraction, business retention and expansion, infrastructure advocacy, sector development, and other priorities that contribute to a strong business environment and regional economy.

Information gathered through surveys, interviews, focus groups, and workshops will help identify key economic development priorities, opportunities, challenges, and emerging trends across Simcoe County.

Feedback will directly inform the development of the Economic Development Strategy, including its vision, strategic priorities, recommended actions, and implementation framework. Findings will be considered alongside economic research, data analysis, and input from municipalities and regional partners.

Businesses, organizations, and community partners have first-hand knowledge of the opportunities and challenges facing Simcoe County’s economy. Participating in the engagement process helps ensure the Strategy reflects local priorities and is informed by those who live, work, invest, and do business in the region.

Project updates, engagement opportunities, and key documents will be posted on this webpage throughout the strategy development process. Interested participants can also contact the Economic Development Office to receive project updates and future engagement opportunities.

Regular office updates and opportunities are regularly shared through the EDO LinkedIn page – Follow us to stay up to date!

Learn about the 2021-2025 Economic Development Strategy

In November 2019, the Economic Development Office launched the process of updating the County of Simcoe Economic Development Strategy. The Strategy was undertaken in-house with the support of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs with the overall goal of creating a “Made in Simcoe County” plan. The final Economic Development Strategy was approved by County Council in March 2021.

The overall goals of the Strategy are:

Simcoe County will be recognized as a premier destination for investment in Ontario.
Through an excellent quality of life, education and careers, Simcoe County attracts and retains talent to support the needs of its thriving business community.
Businesses stay and grow in the region, supported by a strong and innovative business development environment.
The County of Simcoe’s Economic Development Office is a leader in facilitating and building effective and collaborative relationships that create a strong ecosystem for regional economic development.
Advocate for and support the delivery of infrastructure to meet the needs of a competitive business community.

For detailed information on the 5-Year Economic Development Strategy and/or Economic Development & Tourism COVID-19 Recovery Plan, please visit the following links:

If you would like more information on the County of Simcoe 5-Year Economic Development Strategy or COVID-19 Recovery Plan, please contact the Economic Development Office at 705-726-9300 or edo@simcoe.ca.

Why develop an Economic Development Strategy?

A comprehensive Economic Development Strategy helps ensure that Simcoe County remains competitive, resilient, and prepared for future opportunities.
A strong strategy can support:

Economic Resilience

A coordinated approach helps the County adapt to changing economic conditions, emerging industries, and market shifts while building long-term sustainability.

Workforce Development

Understanding labour market needs and workforce challenges will help inform initiatives that support employers and connect residents with meaningful employment opportunities.

Regional Collaboration

The Strategy will strengthen partnerships among municipalities, businesses, educational institutions, community organizations, and economic development agencies to achieve shared goals.

Quality of life and Community Prosperity

Economic development contributes to vibrant communities, supports local services, creates employment opportunities, and enhances the quality of life for residents throughout Simcoe County.

Business Growth and Investment Attraction

By identifying competitive advantages and areas for improvement, the Strategy will help attract new investment while supporting the growth and expansion of existing businesses.