Caribbean businesses and project owners seeking capital are set to benefit from stronger links to investors, following an expanded collaboration between the Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export) and the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB).
The partnership aims to build a stronger pipeline of investment opportunities across the region, improve project readiness and help credible projects secure the financing they need to grow.
Under the arrangement, CDB has approved support through its PROPEL programme to strengthen investor engagement around projects developed through the Caribbean Investment Forum (CIF). The support will allow Caribbean Export to assist project owners with investor readiness, targeted outreach, matchmaking and structured follow-up with prospective investors.
Since its launch in 2022, CIF has developed a pipeline of approximately 30 projects from 11 CARIFORUM countries, representing more than US$172 million in investment opportunities. The new initiative is intended to help these projects move beyond presentations towards sustained engagement with potential investors.
Caribbean Export’s Executive Director, Dr Damie Sinanan, said the collaboration reflects the agency’s ambition for CIF to be more than an annual event.
“Our objective has always been to build an investment platform that supports projects before, during and after the Forum,” Dr Sinanan said.
CDB President Daniel M. Best said the region’s development ambitions require greater mobilisation of private capital.
“Through this partnership with Caribbean Export, we are supporting a more coordinated approach to developing the region’s investment pipeline and creating pathways for Caribbean enterprises and projects to access the capital and partnerships they need to grow,” Best said.
The partnership will be activated at this year’s Caribbean Investment Forum, which takes place from 5 to 7 October at the Hilton Barbados Resort under the theme “Invest. Innovate. Accelerate.” Investors will engage directly with a curated pipeline of Caribbean opportunities through project showcases, targeted matchmaking and the CIF Deal Room.
Eight featured projects, vetted and qualified by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), are seeking more than US$39 million in combined investment in digital transformation, sustainable agriculture, green economy transition, and logistics and transportation.
Republic Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) are Platinum Sponsors of the Forum, joining principal partners the Government of Barbados, as host country, and the European Union under its Global Gateway initiative.
The collaboration also aligns with Sustainable Development Goal 17, Partnerships for the Goals, which was highlighted during the recently concluded Global Goals Week.