Key Expert, British Overseas Countries and Territories Samuel K. Kruiner said that grantees will be required to send photos and completed paperwork regarding the project that was funded under the grant. Photo: VINO

Some of the participants at today's presentation at the HLSCC. Photo: VINO

The participants learned the details with regard to making an application for the grant and follow up requirements following the receiving of a grant. Photo: VINO

Some more of the participants at the presentation. Photo: VINO

Programme Team Leader Diana P. Hendrickson-Fleming explained, “The programme in general is to stimulate small business in the BVI. At today’s presentation we gave a little glimpse of how we work in the programme.” Photo: VINO

The Programme Management Unit of the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) programme hosted a presentation at the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College today March 31, 2015 under the theme ‘Strengthening the Development of Small and Medium Enterprises of the Overseas Countries and Territories in the Caribbean Region'.

The main purpose of the presentation was to introduce the Programme and explain how it can benefit Government, business support organisations, as well as SMEs. One of the direct benefits to SMEs is a Direct Assistance Grant Scheme soon to be launched.

Programme Team Leader Diana P. Hendrickson-Fleming explained, “The programme in general is to stimulate small business in the BVI. At today’s presentation we gave a little glimpse of how we work in the programme.”

“We work with Governments of course to help them strengthen their enabling business environment and then we also work with the small business itself and the business support organisations to strengthen them and make them more competitive,” she said.

Hendrickson-Fleming explained that one of the programmes under the overall SME programme is a direct grant that they are offering to the small businesses. “The process that they will have to follow to participate in this process, they can always contact us at our office at Quomar Building and we could always give them that information as well as the Chamber would have more information regarding the process that they will have to follow to be a part of it,” she said.

She said that the grant is a maximum of 12,000 euro and the minimum 2,000 euro for each grant beneficiary. Following the receipt of the grant, the grantee has six months to implement their project funded by the grant.

Key Expert, British Overseas Countries and Territories Samuel K. Kruiner said that grantees will be required to send photos and completed paperwork regarding the project that was funded under the grant. “As part of EU requirements when it comes to grants you will be required to complete a set of documentation and forms [with] pictures that you will need to send to us with respect to the action that you have undertaken,” he said.

He said that the purpose of the grant is really to bring a business a step closer to what it is trying to achieve. “And of course a good performance of grantees or applicants in the programme will trigger follow up programmes from the EU or other donors who will be interested to give their support to the SMEs. So we are pleading with our applicants to make use of the grants because these kinds of things are not coming here every day,” he urged.