Guyana is among several countries, member states of the Caribbean Export Development Agency that can access a newly developed Direct Supports Grant facility launched by the Agency in collaboration with the European Union (EU) that will enable business enterprises CARIFORUM member countries to access funding that will help them respond to the impact of the pandemic on their businesses.
Caribbean Export announced in a media release earlier this week that it is inviting CARIFORUM firms to submit proposals or applications for Direct Support Grants (DSG’s) of up to €15,000.
In making the announcement Caribbean Export said that it was “pleased to be able to address the needs of the CARIFORUM firms during this unprecedented time of uncertainty with a grant facility” which it says “enables firms to receive funds on a non-reimbursable basis rather than as in previous programmes, under the Direct Assistance Programme.”
The new Direct Support Grants Programme was developed by Caribbean Export in collaboration with the European Union and the release said that under the initiative it had been possible “to increase the overall amount of funding made available to CARIFORUM firms, to help towards mitigating the impact of the pandemic.
According to the Caribbean Export release “a total of €500,000 has been made available through the European Union as part of the 11th EDF European Development Fund, Regional Private Sector Development Programme.”
The release says that where high demand arises the current allocation “will be supplemented by additional resources” in order to support small and medium-sized enterprises during this period.
Effective immediately CARIFORUM firms an apply for a grant valued between €5,000 – €15,000 for the implementation of projects in the areas of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Marketing & Promotions Business Recovery Equipment Purchase & Upgrade Certification Capacity Building Business Continuity Planning and Protection of Intellectual Property Rights.
Caribbean Export will be accepting official applications until October 2, 2020.
For more information about the Direct Support Grants Programme, visit www.carib-export.com/directsupportgrants.
Caribbean Export is the only regional trade and investment promotion agency in the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) group. Established in 1996 by an Inter-Governmental Agreement as the regional trade and investment promotion agency, we serve the 15 States of the Caribbean Forum (CARIFORUM), namely: Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago.
