Local entrepreneurs are being invited to take advantage of the opportunity to obtain finance through the Eastern Caribbean Green Entrepreneurship Initiative’s Accelerator Interest-Free Loans Program.
According to the Centre for Enterprise Development Inc. (CED), a local business support organization on the initiative, the deadline for applications has been extended to next Monday, July 17 at 11:59 p.m., giving businesses that may have missed the initial deadline the opportunity to submit their applications.
The Accelerator Program of this program focuses on high-potential green firms in the early stages of development. It offers up to USD 50,000 in interest-free loans, investment options, and ongoing learning to help small enterprises scale to optimize profitability and impact. The program is part of a larger effort to create a thriving ecosystem of green entrepreneurship in the Eastern Caribbean, one that can drive economic growth while also furthering environmental sustainability and social inclusion.
Local businessman Ricardo Boatswain, owner of Solife Inc., was named in April as one of two green entrepreneurs from participating OECS states to receive interest-free financing. Solife Inc. is a solar service company that offers installation, financing, and monitoring services for all solar PV systems.
The CED hopes that more Vincentian firms will be able to get one of the interest-free loans, as awardees are chosen from a competitive pool of applications to receive cash and support to help their businesses thrive and contribute to the region’s long-term development.
The Eastern Caribbean Green Entrepreneurship Initiative is financed by the Qatar Fund for Development and implemented in collaboration with the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States by the Global Green Growth Institute. This regional program intends to encourage and promote the founding, growth, and development of innovative green firms in six (6) Protocol OECS Member States: Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
