DFID Announces New Support for Region

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Regional

Thursday, 26 January 2012 21:50

By Caribarena News

At the 7th UK Caribbean Forum held in Grenada from 20 - 22nd January 2011, Alan Duncan, the UK’s Minister for the Department for International Development (DFID), announced the following:

• £4.9 million in new support through the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC) to help the region cope with the impacts of climate change through its Implementation Plan for Development Resilient to Climate Change. 

UK support will help develop a monitoring and evaluation framework for the Plan, strengthen the region’s voice in international negotiations and help countries to reduce the impact of

climate change by improving risk analysis and providing evidence of what works and what doesn’t. DFID will also support the management of 15 marine protected areas.

• £1.4 million in new support for the IDEAS contest. DFID support will help to develop innovative renewable energy and energy efficiency projects that are good for the

environment and make good economic sense in a region where energy prices are amongst the highest in the world. 

• £500,000 in new support to the Caribbean Export Development Agency (CEDA) to support Break Point – an innovative programme designed to identify emerging entrepreneurs and businesses in the Caribbean.

DFID funds will also help Caribbean Export organise an Investment Forum in London, held alongside the Olympics this summer. The investment Forum will provide a platform for the Break Point winners to present their business ideas to the world, alongside those of more established Caribbean businesses. 


The UK has also committed £10m to COMPETE Caribbean and the first round of grant awardees were also announced at this Forum.  These include projects in manufacturing, tourism and even a chocolate factory.  These projects will boost exports and create badly needed jobs.

At the Forum Minister Duncan stated that “The potential of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) is not yet being fully realised.  We are keen to work with the region and the EU to secure the benefits of the Agreement and open the gateway to trade with the UK and Europe.  Boosting growth and creating jobs is a shared priority.”   

COMPETE Caribbean Grant Awardees

1. Sun Palace Resorts (Jamaica): Diversifying a hospitality business to provide out-sourced home care services through the use of IT.

2. Cell Phone Company (St. Lucia): Start-up to manufacture first global 4 SIM/ Number, all frequency unlocked cell phone.

Ministry Engages in Strategic Planning Retreat Antigua St. John's - That there is a need for seamless interconnectivity based on an information technology platform, and that staff needed to inculca... read more

3. Nature Island Products (Dominica): Establish an eco- friendly paper product manufacturing enterprise to make branded products for regional eco-tourism resorts/ sites.

4. Tijule Company Limited (Jamaica): Diversifying an agro-processing company to extract oils from ackees to develop value added products (soap etc.) in local and export markets.

5. Maritime Transport Cluster (OECS): To create a networking platform to optimise freight services and reduce costs across the Caribbean.

6. Treasure Beach (Jamaica): Expand a community tourism initiative

7. Chocolate Factory (Trinidad): Develop a chocolate processing plan to increase value addition of cocoa derivatives in local community.

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