Agro-processors urged to apply for grant funding

THE INDUSTRY UNIT within the Ministry of Agriculture is presenting agro-processors with an opportunity to grow their business by providing them with grant funding.

The unit said in a release that it is now accepting applications for its a Small Business Grants Programme, which is now into its third year.

Under this programme, the Industry Unit will award grants of $2,000 for product development, packaging and labelling, innovation and product testing, to help businesses improve their competitiveness.

Applicants for grants, including entrepreneurs and agro-processors, must have an existing business name under which they are currently operating. The business must operate in St Vincent and the Grenadines and have an annual turnover of no more than EC$50,000.

Additionally, the Unit said applicants must be working along with, or indicate commitment to working along with, the Centre for Enterprise Development Inc. (CED) and the St.Vincent and the Grenadines Bureau of Standards and must submit to verification and consultative visits by the SVG Bureau of Standards and the CED respectively.

The Small Grant Programme will provide capacity building training to successful applicants, who must attend and successfully complete a basic business skills development training programme with the CED.

Application Forms are available at the Industry Unit, located on the second floor of the National Insurance Services building, Kingstown, or at the CED office on the ground floor of the Cooperative Credit Union League’s building at Lower Kingstown Park. Applications close on August 11, 2025.

The Small Grants Programme was developed by the Industry Unit to help agro-processors in St Vincent and the Grenadines improve their competitiveness.