Implementation of the 11th EDF Regional Private Sector Development Programme

Implementation of the

carib-export.com

Regional Private Sector Development Programme (RPSDP)

Highlights of 2020 Activities

CaribbeanExportDevelopmentAgency (CaribbeanExport) iscurrently implementingthe11thEuropeanDevelopment Fund (EDF) Regional Private Sector Development Programme (RPSDP). The overall objective of the programme is to increase employment creation, inclusiveness - particularly for youth, women, and indigenous groups, and reduce overall poverty in CARIFORUM States. This statistical highlight provides information on the activities that the Agency undertook during 2020, the fourth year of the implementation of the 11th EDF RPSDP Work Programme. In 2020 the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic changed the global business landscape with many CARIFORUM businesses adversely impacted. To counteract the pandemic’s impact on the Agency’s level of implementation for 2020 and the changing business environment, Caribbean Export revised its 2020 Work Programme to retool and recalibrate its programme offerings. Many activities scheduled from March to December 2020 were, cancelled, postponed, or restructured into a virtual format. In addition, new projects and activities were developed in response to the pandemic to assist CARIFORUM firms to mitigate the virus’ impact and to fulfil the Agency’s mandate of private sector development for CARIFORUM.

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Caribbean Export conducted a total of forty-nine (49) interventions in 2020. Five thousand, nine hundred and sixty- nine (5,999) participants from the 15 CARIFORUM States were beneficiaries of the interventions. At least one thousand (1,000) women, four hundred and fifty-eight (458) men and one hundred and seventy-one (171) youth participated in the interventions including the IICA Youth Accelerator and the OECS Youth Accelerator Programme.

The number of participants per country are as follows:

Participant Demographics (Webinars + IICA Youth Accelerator and OECS Youth Accelerator)

Women Participants: 1,000

Men Participants: 458

121 648 192 160 144 163 157 115 521 248 114 80 61

196 660

Haiti

Belize

Trinidad & Tobago

& Nevis

Guyana

St. Kitts

Jamaica

Grenada

St. Lucia

Antigua & Barbuda

Dominican Republic

Barbados

Dominica

Suriname

St. Vincent

Youth Participants: 171

The Bahamas

& the Grenadines

Number of Participants by Country (CARIFORUM)*

2

*Please note that the data provided is not exhaustive for all interventions executed in 2020. Therefore, some totals may differ.

Caribbean Export provided support to beneficiaries in the following sectors:

Number of Participants by Sector*

9

Renewable Energy

281

Professional Services

5

Cultural & Creative Industries

Financial Services

230

3

Government

120

Manufacturing

Energy, Chemical, Utilities

2

102

Agro-Processing

1

Education

43

Tourism & Hospitality

Transportation & Distribution

1

25

Health & Wellness

Information & Communications Technologies

24

Total - 616

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*Please note that the data provided is not exhaustive for all interventions executed in 2020. Therefore, some totals may differ.

In April 2020, Caribbean Export implemented the webinar series entitled ‘Talking Exports’ in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and to further address the challenges identified in the COVID-19 SME feedback survey. The strategy was to provide immediate capacity building training to SMEs and to equip themwith information and tools to adapt, retool, minimise losses, and rebound in the aftermath of the pandemic.

The series also reached international audiences in Europe, North America, and Africa.

The Agency hosted

webinars 27

between April to December 2020, for four thousand, six hundred (4,600) participants from across CARIFORUM, FCORs, and the OCTs.

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Talking Exports Webinars Delivered between April - December 2020

WEBINAR

NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS

WEBINAR

NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS

161

134

What’s Next in Finance and Accounting Sourcing

Opportunities for the Gaming Industry: Present and Future Trends Digital Marketing for Fashion Businesses-How to Build Your Community Online and Offline Digital Marketing for Fashion Businesses- Selling on Social Digital Marketing for Fashion Businesses- How to be Export Ready The Role of Intellectual Property in Developing your Brand Business of Music Webinar Series (1) “Music in the Digital Context: Distribution” Business of Music Webinar Series (2) “Music in the Digital Context: Marketing” Business of Music Webinar Series (3) “Music in the Digital Context: Writer & Publisher Royalties” ITC Market Intelligence Training-Natural Products ITC Market Intelligence Training- Alcoholic Beverages ITC Market Intelligence Training- Sauces and Condiments The Business of Animation: Understanding and Expanding Opportunities within the Animation Sector Total - 27 Webinars Monetising Intellectual Property

156

79

Cost and Financial Management During COVID-19

210

122

It Takes a Village to Raise a Brand, Especially During a Crisis

212

70

Supply Chain Management During COVID-19

231

Survive and Thrive; Steps to Manage Social Media During a Crisis

314

232

Tips for Leaders During Turbulent Times

228

148

Promoting and Selling Music During and After COVID-19; the Urgent Digital Pivot Business Continuity Planning in the Face of a Crisis E-commerce Webinar 1: How to Transform Your Business with E-Commerce - Global Good Practices in E-commerce E-commerce Webinar 2: Developing a viable e-commerce strategy - are you ready?

95

193

94

386

94

342

82

367

E-commerce Webinar 3: E-commerce Solutions

56

60

Retos Y Oportunidades Del Comercio Binacional Haiti-Republica Dominicana En Tiempos De Covid-19

73

276

E-commerce Webinar 4: Logistics – Shipping & Distribution

51

134

Digital Marketing for Fashion Businesses-Brand Photography 101

4,600

Recordings of all webinars can be found at www.carib-export.com/webinars

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In addition to the ‘Talking Export’ webinar series, Caribbean Export continued to provide training, technical assistance, and export and investment promotion support to SMEs, specifically, assistingwithbusiness and strategy development, business continuity plans and increasing the competitiveness of firms. In 2020, one thousand, one hundred and nine (1,109) recipients benefitted from twenty-one (21) capacity building interventions.

Capacity Building Interventions Implemented in 2020

INTERVENTION NAME

NUMBER OF INTERVENTIONS

NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS

INTERVENTION NAME

NUMBER OF INTERVENTIONS

NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS

3

41

1

35

Diagnostic Tool Trainings (Belize, Dominica and OECS CBU)

Virtual Songwriting and Music Production Training

2

14

1

14

ProNET Training (Bahamas and Dominica)

OECS Youth Accelerator

1

8

IICA Youth Accelerator

1

246

Webinar: COVID-19 Crisis: Mitigating its Impact on SMEs of CARIFORUM

1

4

Food Matters Live 2020

Countries, Identifying and Leveraging Opportunities

1

134

2020 iGaming Business Digital Events Pack Your Talent: Boosting Services Providers Enabling Export What’s Next in Finance and Accounting Sourcing: A Caribbean Perspective Webinar TOTAL

1

166

Webinar: Doing Business in the Agrofood Sector Post COVID-19 Energy Auditing and Management Training (Dominica, Saint Kitts and Nevis and Barbados) Co-Production Webinar 1: WAYS TO FUND YOUR FILM, TV & DIGITAL PROJECT - Co-production Funding & Distribution Co-Production Webinar 2: WAYS TO FUND YOUR FILM, TV & DIGITAL PROJECT - Investment Funding & Sales Agenting

1

40

3

46

1

161

1

116

21

1,109

1

56

28

SGG Training

2

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In 2020, Caribbean Export planned to conduct a series of follow-upmissions to support firms and build on the success and gains that weremade at the 2019 4th CARIFORUM-EUBusiness Forum. These included one-on-one B2Bmeetings between firms and buyers in target markets, to secure contracts and were scheduled to take place in June and July 2020. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Absolutely Caribbean Virtual Trade Show (ACVT) was hosted on November 17 & 18, 2020. Forty-seven (47) CARIFORUM firms benefited from the target sectors:

Sauces & Condiments (11 firms)

Natural Products (18 firms)

Alcoholic Beverages (8 firms)

Natural Cosmetics (10 firms)

A total of two hundred and forty-three (243) persons attended the virtual expo. During the virtual tradeshow, exhibitors engaged in two hundred (200) B2B meetings. The ACVT attracted seventy (70) qualified buyers, four hundred and fifty (450) registrants and two hundred and forty-three (243) attendees. Seven themed webinars based on the sectors of interest were hosted with industry experts during the tradeshow.

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In the new COVID-19 pandemic reality, the EU partnered with Caribbean Export to respond to the challenges facing SMEs in the region and provided an additional sum of 3.5 euros million to help MSMEs mitigate the impact of the COVDI-19 pandemic. One of the joint strategic initiative was a grant facility - the Direct Support Grants Programme (DSGP). Unlike previous grant programmes, the DSGP is a non-reimbursable grant scheme and 100% of the grant will be provided to implement approved projects. Initially, a total of US$607,000 (€500,000) was made available to the DSGP through the EU as part of the 11th (EDF), RPSDP. After receiving an overwhelming response and collaboration with the EU, the Agency increased the overall amount of funding available to CARIFORUM firms, from US$600K to $1.1M (€500K to €910K). The DSGP was launched on August 31, 2020. Four hundred and thirty-five (435) applications were received from 15 CARIFORUM states.

DSGP Applications by Country

DSGP Applications by Sector

Agricutlure - 20

COUNTRY

Total No. of Applications

Sum of Amount Requested €297,364.64 €709,277.48

Tourism - 35

Renewable Energy - 12

Antigua & Barbuda Barbados Belize Commonwealth of Dominica Dominican Republic Grenada Guyana Haiti Jamaica Saint Lucia St. Kitts & Nevis St. Vincent & The Grenadines Suriname The Bahamas Trinidad & Tobago

20 52 15 22 18 17 27 10 74 46 10 22 5 30 67

Retail - 8

€213,187.58 €325,934.20 €257,266.28 €242,914.16 €386,760.76 €143,384.58 €1,081,280.39 €641,545.37 €148,674.62 €313,839.57 €73,588.80 €446,204.30 €936,302.14

Agro-processing - 92

Professional Services - 71

Construction - 2

Creative Industries - 52

Financial Services - 3

Health & Wellness - 19

Manufacturing - 96

ICT - 25

GRAND TOTAL

€6,247,542.47

435

Total - 435

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Caribbean Export evaluated the applications in late 2020, and it is expected that sixty-three (63) firms will be awarded grants in early 2021. The maximum amount of assistance proposed for each firm under this grant facility is fifteen thousand (15,000) euros.

Agro- processing (22)

Manufacturing (18)

Tourism (6)

Creative Industries (4)

Information & Communications Tecnology (3)

Health & Wellness (2)

Professional Services (5)

Agriculture (3)

Watch: Direct Support Grants - Support Caribbean Businesses

For more information about the 11th EDF Regional Private Sector Development Programme visit www.carib-export.com or get in touch. Email: info@carib-export.com

Tel: +1 (246) 436 0578 Connect with us on:

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