Today, February 25, 2016 is the final day for start-up entrepreneurs in the BVI to sign up for the entrepreneurship accelerator programme run by the Branson Centre of Entrepreneurship-Caribbean (BCoEC). The intitiative is facilitated through KPMG which joined forces with BCoEC to launch and manage the programme in the British Virgin Islands. Photo: BransonCentre.co

As at the last count this morning, 150 start-ups have signed on for the BCoEC’s free online learning platform which offers practical business skills and investment preparation training to all start-up entrepreneurs in any industry in the BVI aged 18 years and over.

The initiative combines virtual training through practical and relevant online content developed by the BCoEC, and on-the-ground assistance from the skilled professionals at KPMG.

Successfully run in Jamaica by BCoEC since September 2011, the programme is delivered in a cycle of intensive, 12-week modules. Participants who successfully complete the training programme will have the opportunity to submit a prescribed Business Pitch Deck and pitch video to become a ‘Branson Centre Official Entrepreneur’. Those who are selected through the vetting process gain access to a network of mentors, coaches and potential investors, as well as access to finance to grow a sustainable business.

The programme has been customised and remains flexible to meet the needs of the BVI entrepreneurs based on the combined research and analysis undertaken by KPMG and the BCoEC.

“Whilst exploring how best to offer our internal resource of skilled personnel to help entrepreneurs in the BVI, we identified that one of the biggest challenges has been access to practical support at the different stages of a start-up and access to finance,” said Jacques Roux, Director, KPMG. “When we discovered that the BCoEC was looking to roll out its programme in other parts of the Caribbean, we approached the team in Jamaica to join forces and bring their successful programme to the BVI.”

“We spent the last few years developing and refining BCoEC’s programme in Jamaica and to date it has created over 140 new jobs and supported 220 existing ones,” said Lisa Lake, CEO of BCoEC, which is headquartered in Jamaica. “The intention has always been to replicate this success in other Caribbean countries and boost the economic development of the region.

“After initial discussions with KPMG, we conducted our own research of the BVI’s entrepreneurial landscape and made the decision to join forces with them and launch the programme here. Of course one of the bonus factors is that Necker Island is a home base for Sir Richard Branson, the programme’s founder and who is vested in the continued economic success of the BVI.”

BCoEC and KPMG project leaders met with the organisers of other entrepreneurial initiatives during the week of January 18th to establish how this entrepreneur accelerator programme could complement existing efforts and deliver the next steps to help start-up entrepreneurs develop sustainable businesses.

KPMG kicked off recruitment for entrepreneurs on January 26th and interested participants should register at www.bransoncentre.co/bvi by February 25th. They will participate in a training orientation and gain access to the learning platform in early March. More details of the programme can be found on www.bransoncentre.co/bvi.

The official launch of the KPMG facilitated Branson Centre of Entrepreneurship-Caribbean takes place on March 1. 2016.