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★ ELITE Certification
Working with a community is a big commitment. ELITE Certification means the community has proven it is ready, has done this before and will work efficiently with your team.
Vetted. Certified. Ready.
Every community in the network is vetted and ELITE Certified. Each one has shown it can work efficiently with companies on expansion and relocation projects, so you spend your time on real options, not on finding out who is ready.
Sites, utilities, infrastructure and community data are checked against documentation by the ELITE Cities Network team, not taken on faith.
Every certified community has shown it can carry company expansions and relocations from the first inquiry through opening day.
A named project lead, committed response times and local leaders who are ready to make decisions and keep projects moving.
Certification is reviewed annually and key data is reconfirmed on a schedule, so what you see is what you will find.
The standard
Elected and economic development leaders who are aligned, available and able to commit on timelines.
Available sites and buildings with documented ownership, zoning, acreage and due diligence.
Power, water, wastewater, gas and broadband capacity confirmed with the providers.
Interstate, rail, port and airport access measured and sourced, not estimated.
Labor force data plus training partners ready to build programs around a new employer.
Clear incentive options and a permitting path with realistic, published timeframes.
A named project lead and committed response times for every information request.
Completed expansion and relocation projects, with references from the companies involved.
For companies and site selectors
You would not hire a contractor without checking references. Certification does that work for you before your first call.
Questions
No. Membership supports the network, but certification is earned by meeting the standard and keeping it. Communities that fall short are not certified, and certified communities that stop meeting the standard lose the designation.
Every year. Key facts such as site availability are also reconfirmed on their own schedules, and every profile shows when each figure was last checked.
Responsiveness is part of the standard. Response times are tracked, and feedback from companies is part of every annual certification review.
No. Certification means a community is prepared and has been checked, so your due diligence starts from a stronger place. Always confirm the details that matter most to your project.
★ For communities
Certification tells every company and site selector that your community is ready, responsive and proven. It starts with the Community Readiness Assessment.