News

St Vincent Offering Grants, Training to Budding Tech Businesses

By: Caribbean Journal Staff - October 9, 2014 - 11:50 am

Above: St Vincent (CJ Photo)

By Gerard Best
CJ Contributor

St Vincent and the Grenadines is making strides towards creating a new cadre of local entrepreneurs.

Vincentians with dreams of developing their own businesses can now apply for government grants covering the cost of business incubation and training services.

The grants, which are targeted specifically at businesses offering  technology-enabled services, will offer relevant training to be delivered by locally registered institutions.

The initiative is part of a regional programme that aims to foster a different kind of business acumen among Caribbean entrepreneurs. Called CARCIP—the Caribbean Regional Communications Infrastructure Program—this World Bank-funded project is being executed in parallel across the Eastern Caribbean.

St Lucia and Grenada, which are also participating in the project, are rolling out similar initiatives.

The task of stewarding the CARCIP initiative across these territories has been entrusted to the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU). Alongside the Caribbean Knowledge and Learning Network and the Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority, the CTU has been working with the participating governments and other key stakeholders to support the large-scale regional project.

At the formal launch of the grants at the Kingstown Methodist Church Hall in St Vincent last month, CARCIP project coordinator Roxanne John gave an overview of the programme and the grants. Her audience included government and private sector representatives, among them Anthony Regisford, Executive Director, Chamber of Commerce, and Hon.Camillo Gonsalves, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade, Consumer Affairs and Information Technology.

Regisford, in his remarks, took the opportunity to highlight the importance of technology to a wide range of local businesses and young innovators. Among the sectors targeted through the CARCIP grants are tourism, information communication technology, agriculture and fisheries, financial sector, construction, manufacturing, health and wellness, and the creative and cultural industries.

Delivering the feature address, Gonsalves encouraged local businesses “to embrace information technology”. Establishing an online presence or branching out into online commerce can help local businesses to discover untapped regional and international growth markets, he said.

After the official launch, participants were trained on how to use the grants manual, the formal document that will guide them through the process of administering the grants.

The next step will be a call for expressions of interest for business incubators.

Popular Posts antigua long bay

25 Perfect Caribbean Beaches to Add to Your Summer Bucket List

There’s nothing like a Caribbean beach in summer. The crowds thin out, the winds relax, and the islands start breathing in a different way. The beaches you thought you knew feel new again— stretches of sand once packed with winter […]


The 15 Best Hotels in Trinidad and Tobago, From Hidden Eco-Retreats to Luxury Towers

trinidad and tobago hotels where to stay

From Port of Spain to Tobago’s quiet coasts, these are the places to check in now No two Caribbean islands are quite like Trinidad and Tobago—and no two hotels here feel the same. This is a destination of contrast: Carnival […]


This Marriott All-Inclusive Resort Is Coming to Barbados —  And You Can Book It With Points

new brand for the caribbean

Barbados has long been a haven for adults in search of refinement — the kind of place where luxury and culture blend in quiet, confident harmony. Now, that ethos is becoming the foundation of a new resort concept that aims […]


Related Posts bequia delta caribbean island st vincent

Delta Is Adding a New Caribbean Island With Waterfalls, Beach-Hopping and Luxury Hideaways

Delta is launching new nonstop service from Atlanta to the island of Saint Vincent, opening up a fresh, seamless connection between the United States and one of the Caribbean’s most untouched destinations. The new flight, which begins in late December, […]


This Beach Town Is a Laid-Back Getaway With a Famous Rock, Wild Waves, and French Caribbean Charm

beach town in martinique caribbean

Le Diamant is alive. It starts before you arrive — a winding drive through banana trees and old Creole homes, the Caribbean Sea shimmering just beyond the hills. Then it hits you: that moment when the town opens up and […]


Canadians Have a New Caribbean Island to Try: Tiny, Off-the-Radar San Andres in Colombia 

caribbean island san andres

Canadians will soon have a new way to escape to the Caribbean — and a new place to stay when they get there. For the Winter 2025-2026 season, Sunwing Vacations is launching direct flights from Quebec City to the island […]