Management firm secures Caribbean Export grant for six local private sector projects

JTW & Associates Management Institute Inc, a local management consultancy firm, is among a number of private sector enterprises in the region to secure approval for grant funding from Caribbean Export under its new €2.5 million funding from the European Union.

The local entities that will benifit from Caribbean Export grants are: Forest Products Development & Marketing Council of Guyana Inc, Guyana Agricultural Society, Brass, Aluminium & Cast Iron Foundry Ltd, Citrus Company of Guyana and TCL Guyana Inc—along with the GMSA.

Recently, Caribbean Export announced the successful conclusion of an agreement with the EU under which the regional body will have the aforementioned amount credited to its Direct Assistance Grant Scheme.

Stabroek Business has learnt that Caribbean Export approved all of the six applications for grant funding made to the entity by JTW & Associates on behalf of the local firm’s clients. Four of those clients will receive a maximum of £30,000. The projects to receive funding are in the areas of fashion, manufacturing, honey production and strategic planning for the local forestry sector.

The grant funding for regional private sector projects is being made available under the 10th European Development Fund (EDF). The programme has awarded more than 140 grants to regional business pursuits in 2011 and 2012.

Caribbean Export has awarded grants to export-oriented enterprises across several sectors, primarily the manufacturing sector. Funding allocated to the beneficiary enterprises targets the modernisation of equipment, upgrading of facilities for the manufacture of foods to international quality standards and improvement in standards of packaging, training, marketing and training.

A release from Caribbean Export said the Direct Assistance Grant Scheme has continuously been one of the most effective mechanisms for enabling companies in the Cariforum member countries to improve their competitiveness and achieve more effective penetration of the export market.

Caribbean Export is a regional export development and trade and investment promotion forum that is currently executing the Regional Private Sector Programme (RPSDP) funded by the European Union under the 10th European Development Fund (EDF). The mission of Caribbean Export is to increase the competitiveness of the region by providing quality export development and trade and investment promotion services through effective programme execution and strategic alliances.