The UNESCO programme Transcultura: Integrating Cuba, the Caribbean and the European Union through Culture and Creativity, funded by the European Union, invites young Caribbean entrepreneurs in the field of jazz to engage in a space to encourage creativity in its maximum cultural and business expression for three days in the framework of the ‘Jazz Emprende 2024’ event, which will take place from 27 to 29 February in Havana, Cuba.

As part of this event, the Transcultura programme has joined hands with the Organising Committee of ‘Jazz Emprende’ to provide an opportunity to four (4) young Caribbean entrepreneurs aged between 18 and 35 ‐ particularly women ‐ with a cultural and creative project in the field of the jazz music, to benefit from a variety of scaled-up activities such as entrepreneurship workshops, masterclasses, networking, concerts, among others.  

The applicants should represent one of the following 16 countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, the Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, as well as Trinidad and Tobago[1].

This initiative will facilitate a high visibility of the selected Caribbean entrepreneurs in the international jazz market, including empowering jazz cultural professionals’ entrepreneurial skills, fostering collaboration and innovation within the industry at the regional level, and increasing the recognition of Caribbean jazz on a wider scale, leading to increased market access and economic opportunities for the region’s cultural and creative practitioners.

ACCESS THE TERMS AND CONDITION OF THE CALL HERE!

With the financial assistance of the EU, CARIFORUM has launched a project entitled “Consultancy for Capacity Building in Competition, Public Procurement and Customs and Trade Facilitation” as a part of the 11th EDF Support to CARIFORUM States in furthering the implementation of their Economic Partnership Agreement commitments and in meaningfully reaping the benefits of the Agreement. The project is being implemented by a consortium led by OCA Global Consulting and Technical Advisory Service S.L.U. (Spain) and which includes DMI (France) and Institute of Export & International Trade (UK).

On behalf of the consortium, OCA Global CTA invites qualified CARIFORUM nationals to apply for scholarships for studies at the University of Nottingham (UK) leading to the award of a Postgraduate Certificate in Public Procurement Law and Policy. There are a total of five (5) scholarships available. The postgraduate programme is a fully online programme which must be completed on a part-time basis over a period of ten (10) months. Each scholarship will cover all academic fees and the cost of all approved course materials.

To apply for a scholarship, interested persons are required to submit the required documents as one (1) PDF file via email to the following two (2) email addresses: CFEUPROJECT2023@gmail.com  and admin.epaunit@caricom.org  no later than 11.59 pm CST on Sunday February 25, 2024.

Please download the full TOR.

1. RELEVANT BACKGROUND

In 2021 the Caribbean Export Development Agency developed the Strategic Plan 2021-2024 with the theme ‘Building Business Transforming Lives for a Resilient Caribbean’. The Agency’s success in implementing the strategic plan will depend heavily on tracking progress towards expected results.

Within this plan the Agency committed to implementing a comprehensive results-based management framework. Currently, the Agency operates within a basic M&E infrastructure, where an M&E framework, Policy, Evaluation Strategy, and document dossier system have been developed to guide the Agency’s M&E operations.

The fundamental goal of Results-Based Management (RBM) is to create and use evidence/performance information/data to advance management practices and strengthen accountability and good governance.

An ongoing process of monitoring, evaluation and learning will improve delivery processes, document results, inform stakeholders about the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency of the strategic plan, and mobilize political support for sustaining and expanding the programmes.

In view of this, Caribbean Export seeks to work with an RBM specialist to support collection, management and reporting of data from the Agency’s activities through the implementation of the ongoing process of monitoring and evaluations.

2. OVERALL OBJECTIVE
The overall objective of this Consultancy is to develop and implement systems and mechanisms that ensure robust and rigorous monitoring, measurement and proactive guidance on programme, project and task implementation at the Agency.

3. REQUIREMENTS

3.1 Qualifications

A Bachelor’s degree in Project Management, Management, Internal Auditing or a related field.

3.2 Work Experience

• At least 5 years’ experience in a similar capacity in a comparable organisation.
• Demonstrable track record of achievement in the fields of project and programme management.
• Computer proficiency skills particularly in excel, Power Bi, project management applications or other data management tools.
• Excellent writing skills, particularly in technical reporting.
• Multitasking skills and the ability to perform effectively under pressure and tight deadlines.
• Relationship management skills.
• Fluent in English. Ability to communicate in French, Spanish or Dutch, desirable.

4. REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION

The Applicant must submit their CV, a quotation and the completed Applicant Declaration Form.

CVs and quotations together with the Applicant Declaration Form must be submitted to Ms. JoEllen Laryea, Manager (ag) – Partnerships, Advocacy and Reporting at jlaryea@carib-export.com no later than 5.00 pm AST on January 18, 2023.

• Over 30 corporate challenges related to Smart Production have been already submitted to the EU-LAC Digital Accelerator Matching Platform.

• Leading Corporates are looking for Smart Solutions from startups to achieve sustainability, flexibility, automation, optimization, and effectiveness in their operations.

• Startups from Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean are invited to develop new business opportunities by joining the EU-LAC Digital Accelerator Matching Platform.

The EU-LAC Digital Accelerator has officially started developing new international business partnerships with more than 30 corporate challenges submitted to the Matching Platform. From now on, startups from Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean with innovative digital-based solutions are invited to address these challenges and develop new business opportunities by joining the EU-LAC Digital Accelerator.

The European Union finances this Matching Platform offered by the EU-LAC Digital Accelerator to corporates, startups, companies, investors and all actors involved in the EU-LAC innovation ecosystem. A consortium of 10 partners from Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, led by TECNALIA Spain, are implementing this open innovation methodology with a strong commitment to bridging the digital gap and fostering partnerships to generate digital business collaborations. Once the new business partnerships are matched or established, the EU-LAC Digital Accelerator will provide acceleration services until they are investment-ready.

Open innovation business partnerships are fully activated

During an initial stage of the Smart Production Call for Challenges, corporates operating in primary, manufacturing, and service sectors have submitted their challenges. Currently, through the EU-LAC Digital Accelerator platform, they are searching for innovative digital solutions from startups and SMEs based in Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean that can offer sustainability, flexibility, automation, optimization and improved effectiveness in their operations.

Several renowned corporates have adopted the open innovation methodology by the EU-LAC Digital Accelerator, including SACYR, InfoTrack, L’Oréal Group, Coninsa, Volkswagen Innovation Group and CAF. By sharing their challenges, these leading corporates have expressed their interest in undergoing a digital transformation to improve, renovate and/or diversify their activities. Only a few selected startups will be chosen to collaborate with these corporates and come with their digital technologies to address their challenges and thrive businesses.

Connecting with venture clients and expanding business 

Among the opportunities offered by the EU-LAC Digital Accelerator to the innovative startups, it is worth highlighting the following:

• Expand internationally by developing joint collaborations
• Development of a customised business roadmap from highly-qualified experts
• Receive acceleration services (valued up to 40 k€ – no equity taken)
• Establishment of venture-client collaboration with leading corporates
• Access to financial and investment resources
• Get visibility through an international prestigious network

Startups Solutions: how to apply?

The EU-LAC Digital Accelerator is looking continuously for startups based in Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean to solve digital challenges for corporates willing to transition to the smart era. To be selected, the startup/SMEs with a digital-based solution must be in a region different from the corporate challenge. 

Interested startups and SMEs can contact the EU-LAC Digital Accelerator for more information, access to additional information on the webpage, or directly join the matching platform. 

After registering on the matching platform, they can access the challenges, connect with the corporates and submit a matching solution.

The EU-LAC Digital Accelerator invites startups to match their value proposition with open challenges, to connect with venture clients, and to develop new business opportunities internationally.

Join the EU-LAC Digital Accelerator

Applications are invited from interested and suitably qualified nationals of the CARICOM Development Fund (CDF) Member States, for the position of Procurement Officer.

Full details of this position may be obtained by downloading the job description below.

Applications with full curriculum vitae details including nationality, work experience, educational qualifications, summary of professional skills and or expertise, language proficiency; coordinates (including e-mail addresses) of two (2) referees (at least one of whom must be familiar with the applicant’s work) and other relevant information, should be addressed to:

“Application for Position of Procurement Officer”
The Chief Executive Officer
CARICOM Development Fund
1st Floor East, SKY Mall
Haggatt Hall, St. Michael BB11063
BARBADOS

and sent by email to:
opportunity@caricomdf.org and aparris@caricomdf.org

The deadline for submission of applications is 2nd January 2024.

The   EU-LAC   Digital   Accelerator   is   a  multi-sided  platform  that  connects  business opportunities from corporates to startups and innovative SMEs. Our objective is to support joint ventures (EU-LAC Partnerships) until an investment-ready stage and provide specific acceleration services to each of them.

Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export), in collaboration with a consortium of European and Latin American partners, is currently implementing the Programme funded by the European Union, and at this stage are calling corporates and large organisations to identify and submit challenges on ¨Smart Production¨ to unlock the digital potential of Latin America and the Caribbean.

Corporates established in LAC regions, with challenges in the digital sphere, seeking innovative solutions from entrepreneurs and startups can apply to our Call for Challenges on the EU-LAC Digital Accelerator platform.

TO SUBMIT YOUR CHALLENGE PLEASE CLICK HERE!

Deadline for submissions of challenges is November 30^th, 2023

Our team is available to meet with you to discuss how your participation in the EU-LAC Digital Accelerator can result in the digital transformation of your business.

Please contact us at  eu-lacdigitalaccel@carib-export.com

Applications are invited from interested and suitably qualified nationals of Member States of the CARICOM Development Fund (CDF) and Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), for the position of Internal Auditor.

Full details of this position may be obtained by dwonloading the Vacancy Notice and the Job Description below.

Applications with full curriculum vitae details including nationality, work experience, educational qualifications, summary of professional skills and or expertise, language proficiency; coordinates (including e-mail addresses) of two (2) referees (at least one of whom must be familiar with the applicant’s work) and other relevant information, should be addressed to:

“Application for the Position of Internal Auditor”
The Chief Executive Officer
CARICOM Development Fund
1st Floor East, SKY Mall
Haggatt Hall, St. Michael BB11063
BARBADOS

and sent by email to: opportunity@caricomdf.org and aparris@caricomdf.org.

The deadline for submission of applications is 30th November 2023.

The Caribbean Export Development Agency, in collaboration with Draper Starter House, Access Accelerator, Small Business Development Centre and Invest Turks and Caicos, will host the highly anticipated Survival of the Pitchest – Caribbean Early Stage Pitch Competition – CIF2023 Edition.

Competition Details

Date & Location:
October 24, 2023, 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Atlantis, Paradise Island, Bahamas

Registration Process:
To participate, kindly:

Submit your pitch deck and a 2-minute video introducing yourself before Tuesday, October 10, 2023.

During each 2-minute pitch and 2-minute question and answer, participants will be evaluated based on:

• Team, market validation & product.
• Business model and founders.
• Ability to tell your story with authenticity and passion

Prize:
USD 20,000 in cash prizes to be won!

Apply Now

Apply Now

For more information, visit Caribbean Investment Forum 2023

Virtual
October 5th, 2023

This expression of interest (EOI) is launched in the framework of Transcultura: Integrating Cuba, the Caribbean and the European Union through Culture and Creativity, a four-year Programme implemented by the UNESCO Regional Office for Culture in Latin America and the Caribbean with the support of the European Union. The overall purpose of the activity is to secure buyers, collectors and other relevant partners within the handicraft sector to attend a one-day B2B/Buyers event.

The Transcultura Programme serves to deepen cultural integration in the Caribbean and to strengthen people-to-people cooperation and exchange within the region and with the European Union.  In particular, the Entrepreneurship and Incubator component aims to strengthen capacities for the development of new cultural projects, self-employment and start-up/scale-up activities. The innovative and entrepreneurial project development supported by the Programme will improve beneficiaries’ access to new knowledge, markets, management models and sources of funding.

In this context, the entrepreneurship incubator: Export development and market opportunities in the handcraft sector is an online incubator initiative which offers innovative framework for export development and increasing market opportunities. Through this initiative, creative and scalable project ideas within the handcraft sub-sector of the Cultural and Creative Industries and in their early stages of generation, will be able to strengthen their export promotion skills, new market entry opportunities and regional network building.

For this activity, Caribbean Export will be hosting a virtual one-day B2B/ Buyer’s event on October 5^th, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. This platform is the perfect opportunity for handicraft buyers, collectors and other relevant stakeholders to connect with and view a variety of products offered by the current cohort of beneficiaries. Through this event the goal is to establish new links and contacts in a purely business environment, thus promoting the creation of synergies across the value chain. In addition, you will be able to learn about new trends in different commercial sectors and expand borders by accessing international markets.

Products exhibited will include:

• Textiles
• Woodworks
• Pottery and Ceramics
• Leathercrafts

Complete Expression of Interest Form

Interested persons must complete the attached Expression of Interest form and submit all required documentation to Caribbean Export. Submissions must be addressed electronically to Dario Carrington at dcarrington@carib-export.com copied to ejeffers@carib-export.com no later than 4:00 p.m. AST on September 25^th, 2023.

Applications will be reviewed by Caribbean Export and the selection committee. Successful participants will be notified no later than September 29^th, 2023.

Please note that submission of this form does not guarantee participation. Only fully completed application forms shall be considered and evaluated for suitability. All applications are subject to approval of acceptance by a Selection Committee and funding availability.

The information provided will be held in strict confidence and will be used to facilitate the review and selection process, arrange relevant B2B meetings and assist in our Monitoring & Evaluation activities.

Relevant background
Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export) is a trade and investment promotion agency in the Caribbean region headquartered in Barbados, with a sub-regional office in the Dominican Republic and a programmatic office in Haiti. Funded by the 15 members states of CARIFORUM and international donor partners, Caribbean Export seeks to expand the trade potential of the region by supporting private sector development, attracting foreign investment, and building the capacity of regional business support organisations. The Agency conducts innovative and focused initiatives designed to facilitate Caribbean businesses expansion into high value market nationally, regionally, and internationally. Our vision is to increase the competitiveness of regional businesses and products thus boosting export revenue and overall economic growth.

The Agency regularly organizes regional and international travel to participate in events that promote private sector development, trade and investment opportunities. To facilitate this, the Agency requires a travel management company as its dedicated travel agents. The Travel Agent will be required to provide airfare reservation and booking services for the Agency’s staff and external participants from private sector companies, inter-governmental agencies, and delegates. Interventions and participants of the Agency’s activities derived from the following destinations:

• CARIFORUM Countries (CARICOM countries + Dominican Republic)
• Latin America
• USA and Canada
• UK and Europe
• Africa

Objectives

Caribbean Export wishes to solicit proposals for the provision of travel management services from IATA accredited travel agencies or travel management companies based in the CARIFORUM region, to facilitate its regional and international travel activities.

Required Documentation
A full Technical Proposal which details all services provided by the Travel Agent to meet the requirements outlined above, and Financial Proposal stated in United States Dollars (USD). The proposal must include the following documentation:

1. A brief profile of the company including size, geographical location and network, areas of expertise, years in business, product range, etc.
2. Copy of valid Business registration documents, licenses and Quality assurance certificates (if any) e.g. ISO held by your company, either for company business processes or products, or both.
3. Copy of Valid IATA certificate and type of booking system used.
4. List of major clients (International and Government organizations, embassies, multinational corporations/companies).

Submission

All technical and financial proposals must be addressed to Manager – Operations and must be submitted via email to: contracts@carib-export.com by 4pm on Friday 15th September 2023.

Download the full terms of reference.

We are delighted to announce the launch of Cohort 2 of our impactful Virtual E-Commerce Accelerator Programme (VEAP II). The Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export) has received funding from Expertise France through the Digital Response Connecting Citizens Programme (DIRECCT), an initiative of the European Union to assist businesses and institutions in the Organisation of African, Caribbean, and Pacific States (OEACP) respond to the challenges occasioned by the COVID-19 Pandemic.
The overarching objective of VEAP is to strengthen the capabilities of CARIFORUM firms and Business Support Organisations (BSOs) in adopting cutting-edge e-commerce technologies and streamlined processes. The desired outcome is to enable them to expand their market presence, enhance customer engagement, and ultimately boost export sales and profits. The official launch of this transformative programme is scheduled for Thursday, August 18, 2023.

Specifically, VEAP II will:

• Train Caribbean firms and BSOs in E-Commerce strategy and operations
• Increase the number of new Caribbean E-Commerce sites
• Expand the number of Caribbean products being sold via E-Commerce
• Expand market access and entry for Caribbean businesses and Increase export sales
• Equip the BSOs with E-Commerce coaching skills to facilitate local E-Commerce development after the project

To achieve these objectives, participating businesses in the target countries will be equipped, through training and coaching by Master Trainers, with the requisite knowledge and resources to prepare for E-Commerce adoption or acceleration in their business strategy. Successful companies will be trained and supervised by the Master Trainers with the assistance of the BSOs through the following modules:

VEAP 2 CURRICULUM

The program is comprised as 8 Modules which include:

Module 1	Ecommerce Business Strategy
Module 2	Ecommerce Pricing Financial Modelling
Module 3	Ecommerce Payments and Logistics Systems
Module 4	Generating Leads with Target Marketing
Module 5	Ecommerce Operations and Logistics
Module 6	Scaling Your Ecommerce Business With Automation
Module 7	Cybersecurity
Module 8	Data Analysis

Once a week, companies and BSOs will be engaged in hands-on learning over a 5-month period. Those businesses who require access to an online marketplace will be provided access and support to implement lessons learnt.

How to Apply to the Programme?

Start your application to the VEAP II by filling out this form. Please fill out all fields as this will help us to better decide on your placement should you be admitted into the Programme.

You will receive notification of your acceptance via email.

We look forward to your application and serving your E-Commerce adoption needs.

Apply Now

The Caribbean Export Development Agency invites businesses and projects that are seeking capital investment, to present projects at the upcoming Caribbean Investment Forum from October 23-25, 2023, in the Bahamas.

• Do you have a large project with national or regional reach that needs capital investment over US$1mn within any of the following sectors?
  • Agricultural Technology (AgTech)
  • Logistics and Transport
  • Information Communications Technology (ICT)
  • Renewable Energy
• Are you a Small or Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) seeking access to financing of at least US$500,000 to implement projects that fall within any of the above-named sectors?

• Is your business or project located within a CARIFORUM* member state?

• Would you like support in finding investors?

• Would you like support to develop your project to make it more attractive to investors?

If you’ve answered yes to any of these questions, we are interested in hearing from you.

About the Caribbean Investment Forum 2023

The Caribbean Investment Forum (CIF) 2023 is a multi-stakeholder, multi-disciplinary platform championed by the Caribbean Export Development Agency and its partners to accelerate the closure of the Caribbean’s investment gaps and ultimately transform the region’s economy by providing jobs and opportunities for its people.

At CIF2023 attendees will explore abundant investment opportunities spanning agriculture and agribusiness to renewable energy, and digitalisation, FinTech and logistics and shipping. The Caribbean Export Development Agency together with its partners the European Union, the Government of the Bahamas and CARICOM Secretariat are working together to propel investment ventures forward and drive transformation.

CIF 2023 builds on the success of its inaugural 2022 edition in Trinidad and Tobago, which attracted over 600 delegates from 46 countries. Scheduled at Atlantis – Paradise Island, The Bahamas, from 23-25 October, CIF 2023 will be the year’s largest business gathering in the Caribbean, expecting over 1000 participants. The highly anticipated forum aims to attract investments for a greener and smarter Caribbean economy, promote the region as an investment destination, and facilitate meaningful connections between the investment community and businesses.

CIF Investment Villages

The CIF2023 Investment Villages is where investment potential is unlocked. The investment villages are a major component of CIF and will be a focus of the international communications campaign to attract investors and businesses to the event. CIF2023 will host four investment villages, each focused on one of the key sectors (AgTech, ICT, Renewable Energy and Logistics & Shipping) and provide a platform for large-scale bankable projects to be presented to the attending investment audience.

At CIF 2023, approved projects will be afforded the opportunity to present investment projects to investors at these themed investment villages that will take place on each day of the event.  CIF will have vetted investors from across the world with an active interest in developing partnerships and investing in projects in the Caribbean, providing an unprecedented opportunity for interested businesses who are seeking to raise capital investments.   

Investment projects should be bankable and have ideally completed a feasibility study.  If not, Caribbean Export will provide support via the Investment Project Preparation Facility to prepare projects ahead of the CIF2023.

To be considered for this opportunity, please complete the project profile no later than Friday August 11, 2023. Kindly note that projects will be considered in the order received.

For more information about the Caribbean Investment Forum, please visit the event website at  www.caribbeaninvestmentforum.com

Participation at CIF2023 is not guaranteed. For projects that are accepted to present at CIF2023, project owners will be responsible for their travel and accommodation to attend the event but will be provided with a complimentary VIP pass, valued at US$2,000, to the three (3) day event held over the period October 23- 25, 2023.

*CARIFORUM Member States are Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago.

complete the project profile