Arlington Economic Development Receives Two International Awards

Published on August 21, 2025

By Office of Communication

The City of Arlington and the Arlington Economic Development Corporation (EDC) received two 2025 Excellence in Economic Development Awards from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC). Winning entries included a Gold Award for the Arlington EDC Website in the General Purpose Website category and a Bronze Award for the LiftFund Interest Buydown program in the Innovative Financing category.

"The City of Arlington and Arlington EDC are leading the field of excellence in economic development with their website and Interest Buydown program. This award shines a spotlight on Arlington’s commitment to its community and showcases the significant impact of economic development,” said Nathan Ohle, IEDC President and CEO. “IEDC is honored to present these awards to the Arlington EDC to celebrate both their leadership and innovation in the field."

The EDC’s website has also been honored as the best Issue-Specific Website by the Texas Association of Municipal Information Officers and is a finalist in the 3CMA Savvy Awards in the Issue-Specific Website category.

The Interest Buydown program, LiftFund’s first partnership with a municipality in north Texas (through the Arlington EDC), supports the city’s entrepreneurial ecosystem by providing interest-free loans to help foster growth, innovation and job creation. To date, the partnership has awarded $625,700 to 12 businesses, with over 100 jobs retained and created.

Each year, IEDC honors economic development organizations, government entities, initiatives and programs that consistently demonstrate excellence in the field. The honorees lead transformational projects that revitalize communities and advance the practice of economic development. Award-winners will be honored at the IEDC 2025 Annual Conference in Detroit, Michigan, September 14-17.

Learn more about IEDC.