Making Waves

Making Waves

6

A Caribbean Social Innovation Guide

About This Initiative

The Caribbean Social Innovation Guide was developed by the Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export), an action under the EU-LAC Social Accelerator in the Caribbean, to make knowledge about social innovation in the region easier to find, understand and use. This Guide draws upon research, analysis and ecosystem mapping undertaken through the EU LAC Social Accelerator Programme across Barbados, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago. This extensive work involved the systematic identification and characterisation of social innovation actors, ecosystems, hubs, and Poles within each country; an intersectional diagnostic of the opportunities and gaps facing each ecosystem (applying the EU’s Gender Action Plan III (GAP III) gender and inclusion framework); and the development of evidence-based strategic roadmaps to guide the strengthening and development of the social innovation Poles identified. Social innovation in the Caribbean remains a field with limited systematised, publicly available information. While social innovators, social entrepreneurs, and ecosystem-building organisations are active across the region, they operate in relative isolation, with limited knowledge of who is doing what, what support is available, and how to connect. Newcomers to the field face particular challenges in navigating the ecosystem and accessing the knowledge, networks, and resources they need to launch and scale their initiatives.

Caribbean Export is addressing this knowledge gap through the research, analysis and synthesis of data from all four participating countries into a single, comprehensive, bilingual resource: the Social Innovation Guide to the Caribbean. This guide makes key knowledge accessible to existing actors and aspiring social innovators across the Caribbean. More than a record of the research undertaken, it is a practical and accessible invitation and supportive resource to strengthen social innovation ecosystems, reduce inequality and foster greater social cohesion and inclusion across the Caribbean. About The EU-LAC Social Accelerator The EU-LAC Social Accelerator is a flagship initiative of the European Union under its Inclusive Societies in Latin America and the Caribbean Programme . It aims to reduce inequalities and strengthen social cohesion across the region - placing youth, women, and vulnerable groups at the heart of its mission. By fostering socially just, inclusive, and sustainable green and digital transitions, the programme ensures that development benefits reach those who need them most. With an EU contribution of €15 million over four years (2025–2029), the programme will strengthen social innovation ecosystems across Latin America and the Caribbean by connecting public institutions, the private sector, and civil society to co-create and scale impactful solutions.