Caribbean Export Development Agency (CEDA) is preparing to roll out a new grant programme aimed at fostering digital transformation and green innovation across the region. Set to launch within the next two months, the initiative targets entrepreneurs and firms developing solutions that promote climate resilience or digital competitiveness.
“This is your opportunity to start with a little seed and grow it into a multi-billion-dollar company right here in the Caribbean,” said Wayne Elliot, Manager of Technical Programmes at Caribbean Export, during the agency’s 2024 Annual Results Report launch on Wednesday.
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Funded by the European Union’s Regional Private Sector Development Programme, the new grant scheme will provide financial support to forward-thinking businesses with impactful, scalable proposals.
In tandem with this announcement, CEDA introduced the Caribbean Digital Transformation Institute, a new regional resource designed to help firms assess their digital readiness. The platform will allow businesses to measure their progress using structured scoring tools and receive customised guidance on relevant strategies, courses, and technologies.
“It’s never been done in the region before,” Elliot noted. “We now have a way to quantify progress. No more guessing—we’ll have the data to show where we stand and what needs to be done.”
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Elliot also previewed the upcoming launch of the EU-LAC Social Accelerator, a programme focused on supporting social entrepreneurship through national strategy development, innovation labs, and specialised funding opportunities for ventures tackling social issues.
According to CEDA, these upcoming initiatives are key components of the agency’s newly ratified 2025–2030 strategic plan and build on the success achieved in 2024.
Executive Director Dr Dami Sinanan highlighted tangible business success stories enabled by CEDA’s support over the past year. He also pointed to the continued growth of the Caribbean Investment Forum (CIF), revealing that over US$16 million in investment-ready projects were presented last year. The 2025 forum, scheduled for July 29–31 in Montego Bay, Jamaica, has already attracted 106 proposal submissions.
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Chairperson of the Board, Dr Lynette Holder, emphasized the urgency of resilience in the face of climate-related and global economic challenges. “That’s why we’ve prioritised three core pillars: sustainable agriculture, digital transformation, and the green economy,” she said. Holder also called for deeper regional collaboration beyond CARICOM to ensure long-term prosperity.
The upcoming innovation grant will be open to Caribbean entrepreneurs with qualifying projects and will be promoted through Caribbean Export’s official website and social media channels.
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