Caribbean women stand to benefit from a €700,000 financing through the Caribbean Development Bank’s (CDB) newly launched SheTrades Caribbean Women Entrepreneurs’ Climate Impact Business Resilience (WE-CLIMB) Fund, aimed at helping women-led micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (WMSMEs) across the region prepare for, withstand and recover from climate-related shocks.
The Fund was launched by CDB’s SheTrades Caribbean Hub in partnership with the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), which is channelling the financing from the European Union’s Latin America and Caribbean Investment Facility (LACIF).
Administered by CDB, WE-CLIMB will provide technical assistance, infrastructure and technology grants, research and development support, and awareness campaigns to help women entrepreneurs strengthen business continuity and adopt climate-smart practices.
The initiative responds to a stark reality: WMSMEs account for roughly 99.5 per cent of businesses and nearly 60 per cent of formal productive employment across Latin America and the Caribbean, yet women-led MSMEs globally face an estimated US$1.7 trillion financing gap.
“The WE-CLIMB Fund recognises that climate resilience is now central to business resilience,” said Lisa Harding, Private Sector Division Chief at CDB. “Women-owned and women-led businesses play a critical role in driving economic growth, innovation and community development across the Caribbean. Through this Fund, CDB is helping entrepreneurs strengthen their capacity to anticipate, withstand and recover from climate-related impacts while improving productivity, competitiveness and access to regional and international markets.”
Mylène Lerigab, AFD’s Regional Project Manager for Financial Institutions, said the Fund reflects the agency’s commitment to strengthening women’s economic autonomy. “The AFD recognizes the significant interlinkages between gender inequality, climate change and the need to address the disproportionate exposure of women to climate-related risks while building resilient societies,” she said.
WE-CLIMB is a flagship initiative under the SheTrades Caribbean II Programme (2025-2028), which expands CDB’s support for women-owned and women-led businesses through enhanced capacity building, access to finance, climate resilience, market access and innovation opportunities across the region.
Eligible applicants will be women-led MSMEs in CDB’s Borrowing Member Countries, particularly those in climate-sensitive sectors. Support will be awarded through competitive processes covering climate risk assessments, business continuity and disaster preparedness planning, climate-resilient infrastructure and technology, and a dedicated climate adaptation research and development grant.
The first call for applications under the Fund is expected in December 2026, with successful applicants receiving a mix of technical assistance and grant support. Further details on eligibility and how to apply will be released through the SheTrades Caribbean Hub and CDB’s communication channels.