Strategic partnerships GOED collaborates with community economic development corporations and targets three growth industries (Bioscience, Financial Services, Value-Added Agriculture), presenting opportunities to bundle support services, funding programs, and recruitment incentives for vendors and project partners.

Rural connectivity Recent collaboration with SDN Communications to expand fiber connectivity in underserved rural areas creates demand for network infrastructure suppliers, broadband hardware, and smart city/IoT solutions for small communities near Pierre, Miller, Huron, and Fort Pierre.

Funding leverage GOED administers financing opportunities and has approved meaningful grants (e.g., nearly $1.5M for Dakota Ethanol) and broadband funding (tens of millions previously). This indicates opportunities to offer grant-ready solutions, financial planning, and compliance services to eligible businesses.

Energy & industry Hiring a State Energy Development Director and ongoing investments in energy and bioindustrial sectors signal openness to energy efficiency technologies, grant programs, and value-added manufacturing partnerships that align with state economic goals.

Public policy engagement GOED’s public policy and government affairs activities and initiatives like Freedom Works Here demonstrate a channel for advocacy, regulatory compliance services, and stakeholder engagement offerings to help clients navigate state programs and incentives.