PRESS RELEASE - Following a 5-week competition and rigorous selection process, Accelerate Caribbean is excited to announce ten business enablers from 7 islands in the Caribbean that will participate in its Business Incubation Clinic during 2015-2016.
Infodev’s Business Incubation Specialist, Sophia Muradyan, has expressed hearty congratulations to the selectees and thanks all who participated. “We received nearly 50 applications from all 14 CARICOM countries, from, among other areas, ICT and mobile technology, climate change (Green Tech), and sustainable development, but what was very encouraging is that several applications came from women-entrepreneur-focused incubators!” Muradyan said.
Using criteria such as an organization’s past experience and strategic vision, an expert panel shortlisted 18 enablers focused on high growth entrepreneurs. Following a comprehensive interview process, 10 were selected.
Caribbean Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Livelihoods, Barbados
Caribbean Climate Innovation Centre, Jamaica
Caribbean Industrial Research Institute (CARIRI)’s Center for Enterprise Development, Trinidad
Caribbean Mobile Innovation Programme, Jamaica
GeoTechVision, Guyana.
Grenada Small Business Incubator, Grenada
National Integrated Business Incubator System, Trinidad
St. Vincent and The Grenadines National Center of Technological Innovation Inc, St Vincent & The Grenadines
Startup Jamaica, Jamaica
Telesur Multimedia Innovation Lab, Suriname
All selected participants have been paired with an international business mentor, who will be their one-on-one coach throughout the 12-month program, which kicks off with 2-day Business Incubation Management training in Bridgetown, Barbados on June 8th, followed by an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Development workshop.
A total of four such Business Incubation Management training sessions and workshops will take place across the region in 2015-2016 and are open to a broader audience of incubation practitioners.
As the program progresses, participants will be exposed to new models and best practices of accelerating early-stage enterprises, participate in peer-to-peer learning sessions and tailored networking opportunities and an international study tour, one of the highlights of the clinic.
Accelerate Caribbean is designed by infoDev (The World Bank Group) as part of its Entrepreneurship Program for Innovation in the Caribbean (EPIC). EPIC is a seven-year program funded by the Government of Canada that seeks to build an enabling ecosystem to strengthen entrepreneurship and boost job creation across the region. The project is implemented by IMC Worldwide Ltd (IMC) in partnership with KoltaiCo, UWI Consulting, and Barbados Coalition of Service Industries (BCSI).