MSME Business Roadshow heads to St Catherine

The event will take place January 16, starting 9:00 am at the Twickenham Park Church of the Open Bible, Spanish Town, St. Catherine.

In partnership with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the event is designed to equip micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) owners with the opportunity for strategic networking, access to financing and digital technological solutions, all tailored to strengthen their businesses and increase productivity.

Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce (MIIC), Senator Aubyn Hill, emphasised the importance of this initiative in strengthening Jamaica’s MSME sector.

“Our MSME sector plays a very vital role in Jamaica’s economy,” stated Minister Hill. “The MSME Business Roadshow empowers entrepreneurs with the tools, knowledge and partnerships needed to grow their businesses, improve productivity and expand into new markets. The ministry and its 20 agencies are committed to creating an environment where Jamaican businesses can grow, expand and succeed through strategic initiatives, collaboration and targeted support.”

The event will feature over 15 booths offering valuable insights, services, and guidance from MIIC’s departments and agencies. The Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC) will provide comprehensive assistance and end-to-end support from concept to implementation. They will also gain insights on preparing for international export markets from the Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO) and Trade Board Limited, while the Jamaica Intellectual Property Office (JIPO) will provide expertise on safeguarding intellectual property rights.

This year, the MSME Business Roadshow is heading to several locations.  After its first stop in Spanish Town the MSME Roadshow will head to the JUICI Empowerment Centre in Clarendon on February 20; and later St. Elizabeth Technical High School, Santa Cruz, on March 6. Entrepreneurs can register for the roadshow at roadshow.miic.gov.jm.

The Roadshow’s inaugural staging in 2023 brought MIIC, its partners and sponsors to four locations — Mandeville, Kingston, Ocho Rios and Montego Bay — engaging over 1,200 MSMEs and showcasing 155 MSME exhibitions. During these events, 12 MSMEs excelled in the business pitch competition and benefitted from grant funding totaling J$3.6 million, courtesy of the Development Bank of Jamaica (DBJ). Ten micro-entrepreneurs benefitted from tailored business development support from the Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC) and the Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO) to enhance and grow their business operations, including preparing for entry into export markets.

Unparalleled Benefits
The MSME Business Roadshow will gather business owners, industry experts, and other key stakeholders to address vital topics such as financing, marketing strategies, and technology   adoption — to drive the growth of Jamaican MSME sector. It will also feature over 20 entrepreneurs in the MSME Village displaying their goods and services.

The entrepreneurs can also access support from other government agencies, financial institutions and private sector sponsors, including the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) through its Community Renewal Programme (CRP); Heart/ NSTA Trust; Development Bank of Jamaica Limited; Jamaica Broilers Group; Jamalco; Pepsi; and Appliance Traders Limited (ATL).

“The MSME Business Roadshow is a transformative initiative and thus, by fostering innovation, job creation, and local entrepreneurship, the Roadshow serves as a critical driver of economic development and aligns with Jamaica’s broader goals of sustainable growth and prosperity,” explained Charmaine Brimm, Technical Specialist Socio-economic Development at Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ).

Through the Community Renewal Programme (CRP) one of the key strategies under the CRP’s Socio-Economic Development component is ‘to promote entrepreneurship’, by supporting partner efforts to work with targeted communities to develop and support entrepreneurs.

Improvements have been made to this staging of the MSME Business Roadshow, reflecting the Ministry's commitment to driving innovation and strengthening support for Jamaica’s MSMEs. This year, the roadshow will feature Micro- and Small-Business Pitch competitions, offering cash grants of $200,000 and $400,000 respectively to five businesses in each category, to help participants improve their operations.