ONE Kitsap


What is One Kitsap?

  • A five-year strategic economic development initiative 
  • Public/Private Partnership
  • Intentional
  • Aligned with Kitsap’s economic development needs and opportunities
  • Key characteristics:
    • Results-oriented 
    • Long-term thinking with near-term and ongoing execution 
    • Accountable to public and private stakeholders
    • Goals rooted in economic vitality, prosperity and sustainability: Jobs, Incomes and GDP
    • Collaborative with relevant agencies, organizations, institutions, and comprehensive plan

 

 

One Kitsap Investors

 

 

WHY DO WE NEED IT AND WHY NOW?

  • KEDA has been evolving since the pandemic with new leadership, staff, programs and capabilities. As a result, now is the time to invest in KEDA as an entity that’s the “go to, one voice, one place” where stakeholders come together to plan, direct, and execute Kitsap’s economic future.
  • This plan is a platform for Kitsap to be more “self-determining” instead of defined by Greater Seattle, the State of Washington, and the Federal Government. 
  • In Puget Sound and nationwide there’s intense competition for jobs, investment, companies and talent. For Kitsap to realize our best economic future, we need a robust, impactful, best-in-class economic development organization.
     

Who?

  • Led by a re-focused, re-energized KEDA
    • Targeted economic development orientation based on studies, analyses and plans
    • Increased private sector influence and direction
    • Focus and resources directed by strategic plan
    • Investor-led and directed
  • Partners & collaborators
    • Private employers 
    • County, municipalities, neighboring counties
    • Tribal Nations
    • Education (Olympic College campuses, university partners, K-12 system/districts, trade schools)
    • Port of Bremerton and Other Industrial Parks 
    • Real estate: Developers, builders, associations
    • Chambers of Commerce and community nonprofits
       

Additional Notes about One Kitsap:

  • Funded and delivered as a five-year initiative, this plan is intended to establish capacity for KEDA to deliver solutions, impact, and value for many years in the future. The first few years will focus on building new organizational capacity.
  • Stakeholders, investors, and community leaders will be deployed through ad hoc and committee tasks as needed to supplement KEDA staff capacity and advance the collective agenda effectively. 
  • KEDA staff will be encouraged to pursue appropriate professional development opportunities.
  • Implementation of One Kitsap requires investments in research capabilities and data acquisition & analysis.  Research will include identification of best practices in other communities that can be emulated in Kitsap.


Five-Year Goals & Outcomes:

This plan is intended to directly help produce the outcomes below for Kitsap with regard to commercial space, vacancy at major employers and GDP. The Kitsap Economic Development Alliance’s actions will directly help produce the following outcomes by 2029:

  • Increase overall industrial and commercial inventory (+350,000 square feet in buildings)
  • Decrease vacancy rate at major employers by 25% from 2022 highs
  • Increase in Kitsap County GDP by 3%

Want to get involved?

Contact KEDA Executive Director Joe Morrison 360.377.9599

Interest Form

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Near-Term Strategic Initiatives (2024-2025)

New Business Development

Evaluate prospects’ five-year needs (identifying what POB can do to be ready for long-term opportunities)

 Key Tactics & Objectives Timing
 1. Survey. Assess Kitsap’s potential for existing business expansion and new firm attraction (industrial, commercial) by first understanding its available land and buildings for growth, via a survey product. 
  • Contract/purchase KEDA comprehensive survey of current land/shorefront uses and ownership
Q1 2024
  • Deliverable: 1.) Produce study 2.) Executive Summary on recommendations for county, cities and community
Q2-Q3 2024
  • Debrief county, cities and community on One Kitsap business approach for expansion and attraction 
Q3-Q4 2024
  • Implement next steps after jurisdictional advisement
2025

2. Comprehensive Plan

  • Deliverable: KEDA Comprehensive Plan Recommendations all jurisdictions and county (economic development chapters, land use, issues, infrastructure). Suggest code revisions if requested/appropriate 3. Port of Bremerton / PSIC-Bremerton
 Q2 2024
3.  Port of Bremerton / Puget Sound Industrial Center (PSIC)-Bremerton. Ready area lands for development along the Highway 3 corridor. Substantial development of the lands at maturity could yield an additional 1,250 jobs, $375M in labor income, $490 million in local business and $1.28 billion in regional income (KEDA estimate based off 2023 economic impact analysis and WPPA 2021 Job Creator of the Year Data). 

a)    Port of Bremerton. Per annual contract, market Port assets: 

Q1 2024
  • Meet with Port staff to identify their properties/priorities for marketing
Q1-Q2 2024
  • Key Performance Indicator (KPI): Conduct 16 related outbound outreach/recruitment efforts 
Q3 2024
  • Meet to discuss marketing / data needs, producing relevant collateral where possible
Q1-Q2 2024
  • Evaluate prospects’ five-year needs (identifying what POB can do to be ready for long-term opportunities)
2025

b)    Convene Southside Working Group (Kitsap + Mason/Belfair)

 
  • Drive quarterly public/private multistakeholder working group meetings that align comprehensive plans between private landowners, Port of Bremerton, Mason County and others in order to bring southside lands to market / development per owner interests as rapidly as possible. Aid in associated policy / infrastructure.
  • Determine if additional regional subarea planning is needed / can occur.  
2025

Business Retention & Expansion

Deliverable

Deadline

 1. Government Contracting Washington APEX Accelerator (formerly PTAC

 
  • KPIs: 44 Training Sessions, 440 Attendees, 72 New Clients, 24 Manufacturers 
Q2 2024

 2. Deliverables per Washington Department of Commerce contract (Interactions).

 
  • 2024 KPIs: 100 Business Retention and Expansion; 30 Recruitments; 18 Startups; 6 Export Assistance; 30 Trainings

Q2 2024

  • 2025 KPIs: 110 Business Retention and Expansion; 32 Recruitments; 20 Startups; 8 Export Assistance; 35 Trainings
Q2 2025
3. Microbusiness Accelerator. Reproduce and/or scale if grant or other funding allows.  Q3 2024
4. Business Visitation Program. Visit high value employers to identify their opportunities, risk of departure from Kitsap, and business assistance. KPI: 50 Visits. Q4 2024

Workforce

 Key Tactics & Objectives Timing
 1. Navy workforce. Create program for Kitsap employers to access Navy transitioning personnel and family members, adding to the strength of our community’s workforce 
  • Research program’s feasibility, best examples, and stakeholders participation requirements with community, Navy, industry and others
Q2-Q3 2024
  • Design project, earning commitment from partners to train and hire workforce 
Q3-Q4 2024
  • Deliverable: Pilot effort and evaluate performance
Q1-Q2 2025
  • Launch/scale full program
Q1 2026
  • Produce qualified workers for committed stakeholders, KPIs determined during program
Q4 2026
2. Healthcare. Multiyear Priority: Partner and advocate to help deliver the proposed OC Poulsbo Campus Allied Health Center.  
  • Healthcare Working Group

Drawn from Kitsap County Healthcare Stakeholders, this KEDA=driven small group convened by KEDA will:

  •  identify positive outcomes in Kitsap healthcare, amplifying and tell those stories
  • as well as the corrective actions being taken by the community to alleviate our current areas of healthcare deficiency.  

 

Q2-Q3 2024

Launch business or talent recruitment programs (as appropriate) for healthcare, informed by needs & data2025
3. Publish Top 10 Necessary Jobs. Q4 2024
Maintain inventory of targeted top 10 unfilled jobs: occupations, skills, pay. Update semiannually 

Entrepreneurship & Innovation

Deliverable

Deadline
Define and measure Kitsap’s current entrepreneurial ecosystem. Make recommendations and prioritize missing pieces Q1-Q2 2024
Launch economic development training series relevant ot community coworking spaces (ex: "How to Buy a Small Business). Q3-Q4 2024

WAV-C (Washington Autonomous Vehicle Cluster)

Key Tactics & ObjectivesGoals 
 Priority: New operational funding necessary for WAV-C to continue. Existing grants run out Fall 2024. 
1.  Apply for Grant to Fund OperationsQuarterly
  • Have Demonstration Projects Underway (2)
Q1/Q2/Q3 2024
  • KPI: Maintain 50 or more members
Q3 2024

Research

Key Tactics & Objectives

Metrics / Timing

1.  Economic reports.

 
  • Top Employers Report

Apr/May 2024

  • Kitsap One Pager - Economic Snapshot

Q2 2024

  • Economic Profile
Q3 2024
2.   Warehouse local economic data.  
  • Cost of Living Index via Western Washington University
     
  • Median apartment and housing costs by Kitsap jurisdiction/region 
     
  • Housing starts under permit at Kitsap jurisdictions  
     
  • Commercial/Industrial under permit at jurisdictions
Obtain quarterly (where possible)
beginning Q1 2024
 

Communications & Events

Key Tactics & Objectives

Metrics / Timing

 

  1.  Execute economic development events for Kitsap and community

 

  • KEDA Annual Meeting and Economic Forecast
Q1 2024
  • BIPOC Business Forums (1-2 annualy)
Q2/Q4 2024
  • Investor Business Briefings (2)
Q2/Q4 2024
  • Kitsap Industrial Readiness Summit
Q3 2024
  • Fall Forum
Q4 2024

Organizational Capacity

Key Tactics & ObjectivesTiming
  1.  Launch Investor Relations Committee, meeting tri-annually to monitor and evaluate One Kitsap progress. 
 

a) January meeting: Evaluates previous year’s performance according to plan, adjusts upcoming year’s plan

Q1 2024

b) July meeting: Evaluates Q2 deliverables (most critically, for Associate Development Organization (ADO)/Department of Commerce) 

Q3 2024

c) October meeting: Check in on progress toward year-end

Q4 2024
  1. Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
 

 a) Relaunch DEI Task Force, 6x Meetings Annually, New Co-Chairs

Q1 2024

 b) Deliverable: Identify DEI Measurement Success Criteria/KPI for KEDA 

Q2 2024

c) Develop and implement economic development tactics to achieve desired outcome (informed by KEDA’s 2023 DEI Report from NEXT Consulting Group)

Q3 2024- Q4 2025
  1. Board Retreat. Provide a biannual retreat for board members, critical since adopting One Kitsap
Q3 2024
  1. Economic Development Manager obtains Certified Economic Developer credential (CeCD) from International Economic Development Council.
2025

 

Longer-term (2026 – 2028) ROADMAP

New Business Development

 Tactics & Objectives Timing
 1. Business/Talent Recruitment Program. Targeted sectors: 
  • Maritime
2026
  • Defense 
2027
  • Construction and Project Management - “Right sized” (relative to footprint, wages, # of employees)
2028
2.  Project Artisan 
  • Evaluate space need and growth forecast for key private sector employers(s).
  •  Aid in facility procurement if needed, taking actions to retain key large scale employers in Kitsap. 
Begin 2026
3.   Silverdale Land Use. Plans, site/buildings and development strategy  
  • Identify plans to increase residential densification of city 
2026
  • Redevelopment of Silverdale effort should include: 
    • Cost estimates, incentive evaluations 
    • Cultural aspects 
    • Infrastructure Considerations 
    • Partnership with Greater Kitsap Chamber
    • Old Town Silverdale
2027-2028
4.    Increase New Business Capabilities 
  • Build Capacity (data, tools, hire staff/contract relationships if needed) to issue and respond capably and quickly to Requests for Proposals (RFPs) and Requests for Information (RFIs)
  • Expand relationships with site selectors
2028
Ongoing 
  • Monitor opportunity for local landowners (including Port of Bremerton to create lay down yard space for Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Program (SIOP) 
  • Position KEDA as the private sector expert on the Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Program.
 

Workforce

1. CTE. Increase certificated graduates from CTE programs in high schools, emphasizing trades and other careers in Kitsap that do not require 4-year college degrees.

 

 Key Tactics & Objectives Timing
 1. Career & Technical Education (CTE) program 
Increase certificated graduates from CTE programs in high schools, emphasizing trades and other careers in Kitsap that do not require 4-year college degrees.Q1 2026-Q3 2027
2.  Apprenticeships. 
 Enlist industry partners for top 10 apprenticeships (or job skills training programs / internships) for expansion (e.g., businesses active in the schools, students learning at businesses)

Q3 2027 - Q4 2028

 

Ongoing:  Participate in community dialogue around housing to advance the solutions workforce agenda 
  

Business Retention & Expansion

Tactics & ObjectiveTiming
Regular adjustment of all Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): Our government contracting program (APEX Accelerator formerly known as PTAC), WA State Dept of Commerce, Business Visitation Interview Program Annual

ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND INNOVATION

Tactics & Objectives

Timing
1.    Evaluate feasibility of Kitsap business plan competition w/ higher education partners 2026

Continue facilitating opportunities for Kitsap’s entrepreneurs to grow, network and collaborate 

Ongoing

WAV-C

Key Tactics & Objectives

Goals 

To be determined  
Future feasibility is tied to new operational funding that must be obtained by Fall 2024

Fall 2024

RESEARCH

Key Tactics & Objectives

Metrics / Timing

1.  Gap study

 
Comprehensively evaluate the adequacy of products and professional services available in Kitsap. 

Q1 2026-Q3 2027

2.   Migration and Growth study  
Evaluate who has moved to Kitsap during the pandemic, how demographics have changed, and whether growth remains on a strong trajectory Q3 2027-Q4 2028
 
Ongoing:  
Continue to maintain, research, publish and disseminate information about Kitsap’s economy (both through large scale projects and individual efforts to assist Kitsap firms / economic interest)  

COMMUNICATIONS & EVENTS

Key Tactics & Objectives

Metrics / Timing

Ongoing

 

Market Kitsap as business-friendly, innovative, with a strong quality of life, convenience and connectivity to Greater Seattle. County Requirement: Outreach and marketing of Kitsap as a talent destination.  

ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Key Tactics & Objectives

Metrics / Timing

Ongoing

 

Staff development opportunities as determined by the Executive Director/Board