Historically, disruptive economic events such as falling home prices, the subprime mortgage crisis, and large corporate downsizings tend to create unique fiscal policy challenges for state and local economies.  As is the case in many communities, particularly within the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions, a variety of local economic development problems stem from the tax base not adjusting as rapidly as service demands.
 

The resulting pressure tends to turn into frustration when individual local public and private sector entities try to implement economic development best practices while also seeking to control costs.  The cost of researching best practices, establishing strategic sourcing goals, identifying and expanding supplier choices, promoting and advancing educational, training and networking opportunities, participating in early stage technology-based opportunities, promoting supplier diversity, facilitating efficient inter-organizational communications, and managing similar operational data from disparate sources are all factors that make it even more difficult for one entity to financially and operationally sustain these strategic efforts. 
 

To assist in the identification and implementation of cost controls and economic development best practices, the DelACCESS Consortium is a public/private initiative that leverages its technology and the regional business opportunities flowing from its Core Members.
 

The DelACCESS Consortium is organized as a not for profit and includes representatives from government, business, academia, and the non-profit community to drive regional small business growth through technology and sourcing initiatives consistent with the purchasing and economic vitality goals of its member organizations.  For public sector members, the Consortium facilitates cooperative purchasing contracts to leverage buyer discount opportunities in a way that also increases opportunities for regional small businesses.  For private sector organizations, the Consortium reduces business development costs by facilitating access to business opportunities and contacts through its DelEXCHANGE technology platform and value-added business event activities.  The Consortium also performs member-driven, fact-based research on purchasing and economic development best practices to compare and contrast the effectiveness of organizational strategies.