Deadline: 29 November 2024
The Regional Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Matching Grant Programme is a World Bank-funded, Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS)-led initiative designed to increase productivity, create jobs, and strengthen the capacity of MSMEs in select blue economy value chains, particularly for women.
It aims to strengthen MSME competitiveness and create added value while fostering the adoption of climate-resilient practices in the target sectors.
The Programme is to specifically support:
- Tourist operators, fishers, and coastal communities to increase productivity, jobs, and innovation while ensuring sustainable management of the underlying marine and coastal natural assets,
- The establishment of stronger market linkages and business relations for targeted beneficiaries with other value chain actors.
Focus Areas
- Tourism: Coastal and marine-related tourism, including eco-tourism and hospitality services.
- Fisheries: Projects focused on sustainable fishing practices, aquaculture and seafood processing.
- Waste Management: Initiatives that enhance waste management, promote recycling, or reduce marine pollution.
Funding Information
- Individual enterprises can apply for grants ranging from $5,000 to $25,000 USD.
Eligibility Criteria
- For an MSME to qualify, it must meet the following criteria:
- Be legally registered and operating in one of the following OECS Member States: Grenada, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
- Provide Articles of Incorporation, Business Name Registration or other documentation which substantiates the legal character/registration of the entity in country of operation.
- Have been in operation for at least two (2) years, supported by financial or bank statements for the last two (2) years.
- Demonstrate a commitment to growth, job creation (particularly for women), innovation, and building back better
- Able to articulate a credible demand for the types of products and services they are offering.
- MSMEs should not be engaged in activities that lead to significant degradation of natural habitats or in practices that lead to negative environmental impacts.
Evaluation Criteria
- The OECS Evaluation Team will evaluate proposals based on the following criteria:
- The relevance, quality, feasibility, and expected impact of the proposed solution for the MSME.
- Connection to the coastal tourism, fisheries or waste management sectors.
- Budget, rationale, and scalability.
- Level of innovation.
- Expected environmental impact
- Sustainability of the Project.
For more information, visit OECS.
