Caribbean Export Implementation Report 2017-2020

DIRECT SUPPORT GRANTS PROGRAMME (DSGP)

• • To provide support for business continuity; To increase exports to the Caribbean region and or other international markets; To capitalise on the benefits of the CARIFORUM European Union Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), CARICOM Single Market Economy (CSME), the Free Trade Agreement between CARICOM Dominican Republic or any other bilateral or multilateral arrangements signed by the countries of the region, within the region or with ACP or EU partners; and To facilitate digital transformation, energy management and efficiency, and protection of Intellectual Property (IP) rights. Four hundred and thirty-five (435) applications were received from CARIFORUM firms and grants will be awarded in 2021. • •

The Agency developed the DSGP with funding from the EU, which was initially in the amount €500, 000 and was subsequently increased to €910, 000 after firms expressed an overwhelming response to the grant call. The DSGP is a non-reimbursable grant valued between €5,000 - €15,000, which is provided for CARIFORUM firms to implement approved projects. The objectives of the DSGP are as follows: • To provide direct support to the CARIFORUM private sector on a non-

reimbursable basis, given the challenges emanating from the COVID-19 pandemic;

TALKING EXPORTS WEBINAR SERIES Caribbean Export began a webinar series entitled ‘Talking Exports’ in April 2020 to address the challenges identified in the SME survey. The strategy was to provide immediate capacity-building training to SMEs and equip them with information and tools to adapt, retool, minimise losses, and rebound in the aftermath of the pandemic. The Agency hosted twenty-seven (27) webinars between April – December 2020, with a total of four thousand, six hundred (4,600) participants. The series attracted audiences from CARIFORUM, FCORs, OCTs, Europe, North America, and Africa.

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