CE 2025 Annual Results Report web

MESSAGES

Message from the Executive Director

Caribbean Export marks an important milestone of 30 years delivering for Caribbean businesses. While the Agency’s mission has remained consistent – strengthening the private sector to compete globally – the environment in which we operate has changed dramatically. Today, firms must navigate tighter market standards, increased climate risk, rapid technological shifts, and intensifying global competition. This Annual Results Report covers 2025 and once again reflects how Caribbean Export is responding: with more targeted support, stronger partnerships, and a sharper focus on measurable outcomes. Throughout the year, we advanced implementation across a strong portfolio of development programmes and partnerships. With European Union support under the Regional Private Sector Development Programme III, we continued to deliver interventions that build export readiness, strengthen standards compliance, improve logistics capability, and connect firms to new markets. At the same time, we expanded our work in innovation and inclusion through the EU–LAC Digital Accelerator and the launch phase of the EU–LAC Social Accelerator positioning Caribbean entrepreneurs, startups, and ecosystem stakeholders to access new collaboration opportunities and emerging forms of impact finance. A defining feature of 2025 was our continued shift from discussion to deal-making in investment promotion. The Caribbean Investment Forum (CIF) 2025 in Montego Bay, Jamaica, delivered under the theme SMART. GREEN. CONNECTED. strengthened the region’s investment narrative while advancing practical, investor-facing outcomes. CIF is now firmly established as a flagship platform that helps convert Caribbean ambition into bankable opportunities, supported by structured project packaging, stronger investor engagement, and sustained follow-up beyond the event itself. Access to finance remained central to our competitiveness agenda. In 2025, we launched and operationalised the EU-funded BRIDGE facility, awarding 15 grants totalling €1 million to help firms implement tangible upgrades aligned with green transition and digital transformation priorities. Through THRIVE delivered with Republic Bank and EU support we also helped entrepreneurs strengthen financial literacy, export readiness, and pathways to financing. These initiatives reflect our practical approach: removing constraints that prevent firms from investing in the systems, standards, and tools required to scale. We also commenced implementation of GRIT, funded by Global Affairs Canada, to strengthen productivity, competitiveness, and export readiness for women-led businesses across six focus countries ensuring that trade and growth pathways are inclusive and that more women entrepreneurs can access training, networks, market intelligence, and technical support. As we closed 2025, we also began a new strategic chapter. Our 2025–2028 Strategic Plan framed in this report as Then. Now. Next. sharpens our direction around three priorities: (1) strengthening private sector competitiveness for global market integration, (2) attracting foreign direct investment through a stronger pipeline of bankable projects, and (3) deepening institutional resilience so we can deliver at greater scale, with stronger data and improved service delivery. I extend sincere thanks to our Board of Directors for their guidance and support, and to our development partners for their continued confidence in Caribbean Export. Most importantly, I thank the staff of the Agency whose dedication and professionalism make this work possible and the businesses we serve, whose ambition continues to inspire our commitment. Thirty years in, our focus remains unchanged: turning Caribbean potential into performance now, and in the years ahead.

Dr. Damie Sinanan Executive Director Caribbean Export Development Agency

“The Agency’s mission has remained consistent – strengthening the private sector to compete globally ”

CARIBBEAN EXPORT ANNUAL RESULTS REPORT 2025 | 7