08/22/2025
Way to go, Culpeper Economic Development!
County Economic Development Tops International Awards with Six Wins
Culpeper County Economic Development has earned six prestigious Excellence in Economic Development Awards from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC), the highest award count of any organization in 2025.
This year, Culpeper was recognized in the following categories:
Be A Culpeper Local Week – Special Event, Silver
Be A Culpeper Local Spotlight – Digital Media, Bronze
Be A Culpeper Local Newsletter – Magazine & Newsletter, Bronze
Choose Culpeper Farms – Innovative Economic Development, Silver
Culpeper Harvest Days Farm Tour Brochure – Print Brochure, Silver
Sips of Culpeper – Advertising Campaign, Gold
The IEDC Excellence Awards honor the most effective and innovative projects worldwide in areas such as entrepreneurship, small business support, agriculture development and marketing. Each category is judged by panels of economic development professionals and not every category yields a winner—making each award an elite distinction. With hundreds of submissions from across the globe, recognition is reserved only for those initiatives that are exceptional in strategy, creativity, community engagement and measurable results. Awardees include economic developers from local, state, provincial and federal governments, public-private partnerships, chambers of commerce, universities and a variety of other institutions.
These awards highlight the department’s commitment to supporting small businesses and local farms through creative, accessible development tools and marketing. From strengthening visibility of agricultural operations to offering workshops, events, and resources for entrepreneurs, each initiative reflects a hands-on approach to building a thriving local economy.
Department staff will accept the awards during the 2025 IEDC Annual Conference in Detroit, Michigan, this September.
Award-Winning Programs Overview
Be A Culpeper Local Week is a week-long celebration of small businesses that combines punch-card rewards, a community-designed t-shirt contest and event swag to drive local spending and pride. The 2024 event (for which the department received the award), generated over $40,000 in economic impact, with over one-hundred shoppers completing the challenge to earn exclusive giveaways. Since receiving this award, the department’s 2025 event garnered even more community support, with over 6,000 transactions during the week-long event and more than $340,000 in economic impact.
Choose Culpeper Farms, launched in 2023, supports Culpeper’s largest industry, agriculture, through marketing and farm-to-community engagement. Its website earned a Gold Award and Best in Show finalist designation in 2024 (the highest accolade within the awards), and its expansion now includes:
The Sips of Culpeper beverage trail featuring all 8 wineries, breweries, and distilleries in Culpeper;
Farm Spotlights that share the stories of local farms;
And the Culpeper Farm Exchange, a matchmaking tool connecting farmland buyers, sellers and leaseholders.
The Choose Culpeper Farms Innovative Economic Development Award recognizes a never-before-seen approach to economic development.
Sips of Culpeper is a year-round beverage exploration trail encouraging residents to explore Culpeper’s craft beverage scene while earning prizes. Launched in April 2024, the program saw immediate community interaction with more than 600 people earning prizes in the first 9 months.
The Farm Tour Brochure, produced for the annual Culpeper Harvest Days Farm Tour, features the event’s 10 participating farms, detailed event activities, and information on local agriculture programs including Sips of Culpeper, serving as a comprehensive guide to this signature event. The 2024 Farm Tour event saw an economic impact of more than $350,000!
The Be A Culpeper Local Spotlight, a monthly editorial and social media campaign, gives small businesses free, high-visibility promotion across digital platforms, local media and the county’s economic development newsletter.
The Be A Culpeper Local Newsletter, launched in 2024, keeps hundreds of businesses informed about the department’s free workshops, events and resources, helping to foster long-term relationships between the department and small business owners.
