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4 ways Caribbean Export’s Grants Program can work for you!

Posted on by Kellianne Williams

Considering applying for one of the Caribbean Export Development Agency’s (Caribbean Export’s) grants programs but don’t know how best to utilise the funding to expand and grow your businesses?

Well, we are here to help! We will give you four top projects any business can implement through Caribbean Export’s grant funding.

Caribbean Export is the only trade and development agency in the region with the mandate to support Caribbean businesses in achieving their export potential. One critical pilar to becoming export ready is financial capital. Financial resources have been a major challenge for most regional businesses, resulting in low growth, limited scope, lack of diversification in products and limited access to markets. Caribbean Export over the years have launched various initiatives to provide businesses with much needed financial injection through its grants’ programmes.

Some of the best ways you can utilise the Agency’s grant funding facilities can be through the development of the following projects and actions:

Renewable Energy Projects

Sun, sea, and sand is what the region is known for, and what better way to take advantage of one of the three ‘S’ is by utilising Caribbean Export’s grants program to kick start your renewable energy project. Renewable energy is the use of non-traditional sources as a means of generating energy. The most common renewable energy sources are solar using photovoltaic panels or wind via turbines. The main benefit is the reduction in energy cost. Most businesses site the high upfront cost of such projects, but with a grant from Caribbean Export, companies can now make that bold step into the future of green energy.

Certifications

To export to international markets, regional companies must ensure they meet specific standards, regulations, and that their products and operations are internationally certified. According to the International Standard Organisation (2021) “standards are the distilled wisdom of people with the expertise in their subject matter who know the needs of the organisations they represent – people such as manufacturers, sellers, buyers, consumers, trade associations, user or regulators”. Standards cover quality, safety, sanitary practices, and best practices of business operations. They keep consumers safe and provide guidelines to businesses.

Through a Caribbean Export grant, your business can start the process of becoming certified. Our funding facility provides firms with the opportunity to critical assess operations and products, acquire consultation and training from experts, develop a plan and initiate change towards the goal of certification.

Website Development

One thing that the COVID-19 pandemic has shown us, other than the importance of washing your hands, is the importance of utilising ICT tools in reaching your target market and beyond. With multiple lock downs, restrictions on movement and social distancing protocols customers have moved away from in store purchases to online shopping. The demand for online access to goods and services has sharply increased. Many businesses were caught on the back foot as they rushed to create an online presence to facilitate customers during the pandemic. Although restrictions have been lifting, businesses have come to realise the critical nature of having an online presence. This is the new normal! A website coupled with a social media presence allows businesses to connect with their customer base, expand to new markets and reach new customers, reduce cost of market penetration, and reduce the cost of marketing.

It’s a win-win for all!

Grant funding can be used to create the web base and social media presence your business needs, especially in these challenging times. Caribbean Export can help you meet new customers and expand your export capacity by supporting your digital footprint.

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Updating Equipment

Nothing says efficiency more than updating or purchasing new equipment with the latest technological advances to help your business produce more, with greater efficiency and higher levels of quality. There are many reasons and benefits derived from updating a company’s equipment.

  • Changing business needs: The pandemic has caused businesses to reinvent themselves. Many companies have found new ways to incorporate new products into their current product lines or business portfolio because of changing business needs and customer demands.
  • Increase efficiency and productivity: New equipment reduces processing time, offer automated solutions to manual processes, deliver greater productivity of staff which overall results in cost savings.
  • Improve safety: Advances in technology provides greater safety mechanisms with every improvement. Manufacturers are constantly upgrading equipment based on the advice of its consumers on safety challenges encountered. This makes products easier to use, offer greater security in handling and reduces the risk of damages to both staff and plant.

Updated equipment keeps a business on the cutting edge and is a rewarding initiative. Caribbean Export through its grant funding programs provide beneficiaries with the capital assistance needed on such projects.

These four easy projects are sure ways in which Caribbean Export’s grant funding can assist your business in its development goals of increasing production capacity, diversifying your product portfolio and expanding into new markets.

Be sure to subscribe to our mailing list to ensure you receive the details of the next opportunity to apply for a grant.

Making the UK-CARIFORUM EPA Work for Post-Brexit UK-CARIFORUM Trade

Posted on by Caribbean Export

As of January 1, 2021, the formal trading relationship between the United Kingdom (UK) and CARIFORUM countries (with the exception of Haiti) is no longer governed by the Economic Partnership Agreement signed between the European Union (EU) and CARIFORUM countries (EU-CARIFORUM EPA) in 2008. Instead, while that agreement continues between the remaining EU-27 and CARIFORUM countries, the new UK-CARIFORUM Economic Partnership Agreement (UK-CARIFORUM EPA) provisionally applies to UK-CARIFORUM trade until ratified by all parties. As with any trade agreement, market access on paper is of little value unless firms can convert it into meaningful market penetration in practice. This article explores how CARIFORUM countries could make this ‘new’ agreement work for deepening UK-CARIFORUM trade.

UK-CARIFORUM trade

The UK-CARIFORUM EPA provides duty-free and quota-free access for goods, preferential access for services providers and investors, among other things. The novelty of the agreement applies more so to its date of signature than its substance as it merely replicates or ‘rolls over’, to the extent practicable, the provisions of the EU-CARIFORUM EPA to ensure trade continuity between the UK and CARIFORUM countries once the former had left the EU. As such, the market access conditions CARIFORUM exporters face in the UK market, and vice versa, remain unchanged in substance from what obtained under the EU-CARIFORUM EPA.

Preserving post-Brexit access to the UK market for CARIFORUM exporters was critical for the region as the UK was a major export market within the EU for many CARIFORUM countries and the major destination for certain CARIFORUM exports like rum, bananas and sugar. It is also an export destination for Trinidad’s methanol and liquified natural gas (LNG) exports. The UK-based Caribbean diaspora community is a key demandeur of CARIFORUM products such as rum, sauces, seasonings, biscuits and other ‘nostalgic’ goods.

The Ex Post Evaluation of the EU-CARIFORUM EPA Report released by the European Commission last year noted that many CARIFORUM producers also used the UK as an entry point into the EU market and identified the Caribbean diaspora in the UK as ‘a key facilitating factor’. Using the UK as an entry point might no longer be that attractive an option for CARIFORUM firms given that the UK is no longer within the EU single market or customs union.

Overall, however, trade between the UK and CARIFORUM has been on a general decline, according to data from the UK Office of National Statistics. Over the twenty year period between 2000 and 2020, UK imports from CARIFORUM countries declined as a percentage of UK imports, except for a spike to 0.53% in 2009, immediately after the signing of the EU-CARIFORUM EPA. In spite of this, the UK remains a major source market for tourist arrivals to the region, and for some CARIFORUM countries like Barbados, the main source for FDI in the tourism sector and second home market.

Deepening UK-CARIFORUM relations

Export diversification is one of the strategies identified by CARIFORUM countries as part of their post-COVID-19 recovery efforts. In light of the above, there is clearly scope for both expanding and diversifying current UK-CARIFORUM trade away from mostly low-value added products and into higher value manufactured goods and high value-added services. There is scope for encouraging greater UK FDI into the region outside of traditional sectors like tourism and real estate and into renewable energy, education, health and other sectors linked to the UN sustainable development goals (SDGs). The UK-CARIFORUM EPA’s Protocol III on Cultural Cooperation (the Cultural Protocol) which replicates that of the EU-CARIFORUM EPA, can be leveraged to promote greater UK-CARIFORUM trade in the creative industries through, for instance, joint film and music productions.

Deepening UK-CARIFORUM relations appears to be a goal for both regions as evinced by the Action Plan and communique released from the Tenth UK-Caribbean Ministerial Forum held in March 2021. Trade and commercial relations was one of the six substantive areas of joint action identified. Among the goals under that action item are the establishment of a UK-Caribbean Business-to-Business (B2B) Roundtable, commitment to identify opportunities to use the significant capacity available for export credit financing support to the region through UK Export Finance (UKEF), to promote and expand UK-Caribbean trade flows and to further reduce market access barriers for one another’s exporters. In addition to this, the UK also expanded its diplomatic footprint in the Caribbean by opening new permanent missions in some CARIFORUM Member States in 2018 and in 2020 appointed a Trade Envoy for the twelve Commonwealth Caribbean countries.

Recommendations

In addition to the commitments made under the Action Plan, there are some concrete ways in which the UK-CARIFORUM EPA can be utilized to deepen post-Brexit UK-CARIFORUM trade and investment. These include the following:

  1. Raise awareness by both CARIFORUM and UK firms of the market access opportunities under the UK-CARIFORUM EPA. Many firms remain unaware of these opportunities;
  2. Accelerate the establishment of the proposed UK-Caribbean B2B Roundtable and set concrete deliverables for what this roundtable will seek to achieve;
  3. Promote greater ties between CARIFORUM-UK businesses to encourage greater information-sharing on market and investment opportunities. This could be done, for example, through the B2B Roundtable, as well as through formalized links between the Chambers of Commerce and industry associations of the region and in the UK;
  4. Make greater use of existing institutions like the Caribbean Chamber of Commerce in Europe, whose remit also extends to the UK, to promote greater links between UK and CARIFORUM-based businesses;
  5. Explore ways in which the region, including regional institutions like Caribbean Export, can work more closely with the the UK Trade Envoy for the Caribbean, the UK missions, UK Export Finance (UKEF) and other trade-related UK agencies to promote greater UK-CARIFORUM trade;
  6. Conduct a study to determine the current barriers impacting CARIFORUM businesses seeking to access the UK market and propose solutions for how these could be overcome to promote greater CARIFORUM-UK trade;
  7. Conduct a study on the ways in which the new EU-UK trading relationship impacts the use of the UK as an entry point to the EU and ways in which this could be mitigated;
  8. Better leverage the UK-based Caribbean diaspora for enhancing UK-CARIFORUM trade and investment. Aside from the usual benefits of remittances and diaspora FDI, the diaspora could also provide market intelligence, business mentoring and coaching for CARIFORUM entrepreneurs interested in trading with UK firms or establishing a presence in the UK;
  9. Make greater use of economic diplomacy by leveraging CARIFORUM countries’ diplomatic missions in the UK to identify opportunities for UK-CARIFORUM trade and investment;
  10. Accelerate the establishment of the joint institutions provided for under the UK-CARIFORUM EPA.

Association des artisans Ciudad Corazón

Posted on by Cora Lowe

COUNTRY:

Dominican Republic

COMPANY PROFILE:

The Association of Artisans Ciudad Corazón aims to increase the participation of artisans in the productive sector. The association aims to achieve comprehensive development that manifests in improving the standard of living and consolidating the artisanal activity as a generator of better jobs and higher incomes.

PRODUCTS:

MARCHANTAS DOMINICANAS – are made with a clay base, clothed in different fabrics, and the head is adorned with a cane hat or turbans, cane wallets and provisions such as fruits, made with mud, coffee seeds, cane brooms, and miniature baskets. They can be used for home decoration, as a souvenir and as a paper step. The marcher represents the Dominican culture. It is a home service that peasant women provided (brought to the door of their home) – a marketable product, such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, and some household items.

Fatima Polanco 3 Styles SRL

Posted on by Cora Lowe

WEBSITE:

https://Fatimapolanco.com

COUNTRY:

Dominican Republic

COMPANY PROFILE:

3 Estilos is a store that basically sells handmade accessories made by artisan women. The company offers personalized accessories for wholesale clients on a contractual basis and provides design training to artisans.

PRODUCTS:

Fatima Polanco 3 Estilos SRL designs and manufactures handmade accessories utilizing multiple materials and different techniques. The hand-embroidered accessories are made with natural gemstones (especially our Larimar and Amber Dominican stone, and pearls), semi-precious stones and other different components. The company offers personalized advisory in the choice and design of accessories for weddings and special celebrations.

Artisanat des Caraïbes

Posted on by Cora Lowe

WEBSITE:

https://www.caribbean-craft.com/

COUNTRY:

Haiti:

COMPANY PROFILE:

Caribbean Craft is dedicated to promoting through exports the beauty of Haiti. We focus on sharing with the world the creative and positive aspects of our country by showcasing the beautiful craftmanship of our country’s artisans. As a centre of artistic creativity and inventiveness, Haiti is exemplified by the vibrant traditions and continuation of self-taught painting with colorful style and lines.

Caribbean Craft strives to find ecological uses for recycled material.
The renowned “oil drum art” is made from recycled steel drums;
the trendy papier maché comes from empty cement bags and starch made from locally grown arrowroot.

PRODUCTS:

Caribbean Craft designs beautiful goods from recycled material to make your home uniquely enjoyable. Inspired greatly by nature our collections light up your interior, bringing it to life.
Preserving our cultural heritage Caribbean Craft shares with the world our rich culture letting our artisans design contemporary and modern pieces drawing from our ancient and traditional techniques.

Comment Fiberpol Inc a réduit ses coûts opérationnels après la mise en œuvre de DAGS

Posted on by Cora Lowe

Who:

Fiberpol Inc.: https://www.fiberpol.com/,

Country:

Barbados,

Sector:

Manufacturing,

IMMEDIATE IMPACT:

  • Reduction in Energy Costs/Consumption;
  • Penetrated New Export Markets;
  • Reduced Operational Costs and/or Wastage;

MID-TERM IMPACT:

  • Anticipated Increase in Exports;
  • Increase in staff – 1;
  • Increase in revenue – Approx. US$400,000 in 2020;
  • Enhanced Productive Capacity and Efficiency – 15%;
  • Reduced Operational Costs and/or Wastage;

Profile:

Fiberpol Inc. has been operating in Barbados for over thirty (30) years and specializes in the custom manufacturing of kitchen countertops and cabinetry for the construction, residential and hospitality industries.

The Issue:

Fiberpol Inc. sought to increase production capacity of its main product lines namely kitchen cabinets and other cabinetry to enable expansion into to new markets, as the company had reached a point of market saturation in Barbados. The company was also challenged with high costs and extensive amount of time needed to ship traditional card templates of its kitchen to export markets.

Assistance Received:

Fiberpol Inc. received a financial grant via the Direct Assistance Grants Scheme (DAGS) funded by the European Union under the 11th EDF Regional Private Sector Development Programme. The funds were used to acquire computer numerical control (CNC) equipment/technology to enable 3D manufacturing; digitize company processes; enhance productive capacity and improve health and safety of the workshop.

Immediate Impact/Outcomes:

Immediately after the purchase and implementation of the CNC equipment, Fiberpol Inc. saw a reduction in operational costs and wastage. The digital technology created digital models of the jobs that can be edited online, emailed, and read by the CNC equipment used in manufacturing. The digital template assisted Fiberpol to decrease job cost by reducing material input and cost of transporting physical templates via ocean or air. This has reduced the average job timeline by 2-3 weeks, thus lowering energy costs and consumption.

Templating and manufacturing are more accurate, less labour intensive and can be done remotely with less challenges. The cost per counter and wastage is reduced and the process of taking measurements on site and cutting the countertop shapes is now done digitally. As a result of these enhanced processes Fibrepol has been able to expand further into the export market and have seen export sales increase by 80%. The successful implementation of the DAGS project also enabled the creation of an additional job role of an Equipment Engineer.

Medium-term Results and Impact:

In the medium-term, revenue increased between January and November 2020. Also, the company’s productive capacity and efficiency was enhanced by 15% and the new machinery facilitated reduced wastage and lower cost, per counter (unit) in production.

The project also had a positive impact on the environment. Fiberpol Inc. equipment/machinery upgrade (CNC Technology), acquired through the DAGS, has completely digitised its production process, and eliminated the need for constructing kitchen models using cardboard. This action has significantly reduced the non-recyclable waste that the company generates and therefore, it has had a positive impact on the environment. In addition to St. Kitts and Nevis, the company is also now exporting to Dominica and the British Virgin Islands.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused a slowdown in business, as regional projects were delayed or cancelled, due to travel restrictions. This impacted the company’s sales and gross profits for 2020. However, the efficiency savings gained, through the new technology, have reduced the overall financial impact of COVID-19 on Fiberpol Inc.

“The Direct Assistance Grants Scheme (DAGS) has been exceptionally helpful in assisting Fiberpol’s process for going digital in its kitchen manufacturing facility. From initial application to final sign off, the process was well supported and structured with knowledgeable and helpful staff always ready to assist and endless resources to cover any questions. Fiberpol Inc. is now equipped to work on projects seamlessly in any Caribbean territory using cutting-edge digital CNC technology for templating, programming and manufacturing kitchens. We are very appreciative to the Caribbean Export Development Agency and European Union for all they are doing to assist businesses in the region.” Bill Emptage, Director

Download Case Study

Proagro Dominicana, EIRL

Posted on by Cora Lowe

WEBSITE:

http://www.proagrodominicana.com

COUNTRY:

Dominican Republic

COMPANY PROFILE:

PROAGRO DOMINICANA, EIRL located in Santo Domingo Oeste, Dominican Republic was incorporated since 2005. The small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) is dedicated to the production of 100% natural dairy powder preparations with a staff experienced in the management of agribusinesses. The company’s packaging plant ensures that the product is transformed in a controlled environment and the high-tech equipment and machinery processes the product in an automated manner.

PRODUCTS:

PROAGRO DOMINICANA, EIRL’s product line includes:

  • Prepared fortified dairy powder made with Dominican cocoa for schools (breakfast) and private brands supermarket chains
  • Organic bitter cocoa for private brands supermarket chains
  • Instant mix of milk plus organic cocoa under the brand La Criollita for local market and export to Russia and USA and
  • La Criollita chocolate for the preparation of hot and cold drinks.

Geo Wiener SA/Cafe Selecto

Posted on by Cora Lowe

COUNTRY:

Haiti

COMPANY PROFILE:

GEO WIENER SA/CAFE SELECTO is a 4th generation family business specializing in coffee/cocoa export and processing. The company also produces peanut butter and chocolate for the local market.

PRODUCTS:

The company’s products include:
• Roasted coffee: cafe selecto, cafe towo
• Roasted and flavored coffee: mokafe
• Peanut butter: towo
• Chocolate: azaka and choko towo
• Sirop de grenadine
• Essence de vanille”

Recursos Globales, SRL

Posted on by Cora Lowe

Website:

http://cocoamae.com

Country:

Dominican Republic

Company Profile:

Recursos Globales, SRL is a family-owned business established in 1994. Since 2004 the company has exported fruits and vegetables to Canada, Europe, United States and Japan. The firm’s products can be found in most supermarkets in the Dominican Republic (DR) and the company would like to export to other Caribbean islands as well.

Recursos Globales, SRL has been in the cocoa sector for a long time and has recently created a new product – Organic cocoa powder and nibs, to give the Dominican and Caribbean consumers the opportunity to have a pure, organic, cocoa product, without additives or sugar. The company also wanted to debunk break the myth that if the product is organic then it is expensive.

Products:

The cocoa products produce by Recursos Globales, SRL include Organic cocoa powder tariff code: 1805.0000 and Organic cocoa nibs tariff code: 1801.0000.

ODEFCAGA (Organisation pour le Développement de la Filière Cacao de la Grand’ Anse)

Posted on by Cora Lowe

Country:

Haiti

COMPANY PROFILE:

ODEFCAGA is a legally registered association with the Social Affairs and Labor Ministry of Haiti with six cocoa cooperatives, totalling 2,500 producers, 60% of whom are women. ODEFCAGA’s main focus is the production and export of high-end fermented cocoa beans and each of the cooperatives has a fermentation center. ODEFCAGA is governed by an eleven-member board supported by a five-member executive committee that oversees the day-to-day management and operations of the organization.”

The objective of the association is to strengthen the cocoa value chain in the Grand ‘Anse. ODEFCAGA therefore provides experts who train and provide technical support to actors and stakeholders of the cocoa value chain. Members have benefited from various trainings in; cocoa production, cocoa processing (chocolate production), business management, marketing, access to credit etc…”

One cooperative has already obtained organic certification while ODEFCAGA aims to achieve the same labeling for all six member cooperatives. To create jobs and diversify revenue sources for women cooperative members, ODEFCAGA is currently finalizing the construction of a chocolate workshop in Jérémie, the capital city of the Grand’Anse, where conventional cocoa will soon be processed into chocolate bars.

PRODUCTS:

ODEFCAGA’s focus is the production and export of high-end fermented cocoa beans.

Fédération des Coopératives Cacaoyères du Nord (FECCANO)

Posted on by Cora Lowe

COUNTRY:

Haiti

COMPANY PROFILE:

Fédération des Coopératives Cacaoyères du Nord (FECCANO) is a fair-trade cocoa cooperative founded in 2001 and located in the North Department of Haiti. FECCANO consists of a network of eight cooperatives of small producers and specializes in the treatment and the marketing of cocoa beans.

The cooperative treat and market products (cocoa trees) from the members of the farmers cooperatives of the North Region to produce good quality cocoa for export worldwide to the most demanding importers such as France, USA etc. FECCANO business model is to ensure economic stability and prosperity for all partners in the supply chain and help improve the lives and cocoa farms of small holders. Some of the activities include market research, storage, and shipping to ensure the highest industry standards.

PRODUCTS:

FECCANO products include fermented cocoa beans certified to bio and fair-trade standards. The average annual production is currently estimated at 300 tons (12 containers), with an annual growth rate of approximately 20%.

Savons Des Iles

Posted on by Cora Lowe

WEBSITE:

https://www.savonsdesiles.com

COUNTRY:

Haiti

COMPANY PROFILE:

Savons des Iles is a small woman-owned company which manufactures handmade and natural soaps for the pleasure of a clean bath experience to all its clients. At Savons Des Iles each bar is made, cut, and wrapped by hand. In addition to soap, the company offers other handmade products such as: salt and sugar scrubs, bath salts, lotions, odor neutralizers, candles, deodorants, etc.

Savons des Iles makes soaps using the slow cold process method, which means no external heat is used so the goodness of the natural ingredients are preserved as much as possible. All other products are also made with vegetable oils, naturals clays and additives and the raw materials are supplied from reputable vendors. Also, the organic ingredients purchased are not tested on animals. Savons des Iles products are available on the website: www.savonsdesiles.com and at a local Store in Pétion Ville.

PRODUCTS:

Savons des Iles most popular facial and body bars are our Black, Oats and Milk, Citronelle soaps. The Black Soap – HS No 340111- contains activated charcoal, hence its color, and renowned bentonite clay, oils to form the base, and rich butters. The soap has a wonderful blend of essential oils. It is full of skin-loving ingredients and the stellar ingredient is Organic Haitian Castor Oil. This bar is free of sulfates, synthetic colors, parabens and Triclosan.