Entrepreneurs awarded in industry ministry’s business pitch competition
KINGSTON, Jamaica – The Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, in partnership with the Development Bank of Jamaica (DBJ), awarded three entrepreneurs a total of $300,000 each to support the development of their businesses.
KlutchJA Organics, Xquisite Events and 2A4 Foods were announced as the top-three winners in the ministry’s Business Pitch Competition on August 10, during the first leg of the ministry’s Business Roadshow at the Golf View Hotel in Mandeville, Manchester.
Following the announcement, the winners were invited to a Business Mixer on location to be formally acknowledged by Portfolio Minister, Senator Aubyn Hill.
They were also given the opportunity to network with other business and industry leaders.
The four-stop roadshow is designed to allow micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) across Jamaica to access business development services, financing opportunities, and an opportunity to foster connectivity between markets and customers.
Other entrepreneurs are being encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity by participating in the Pitch Competition at the other stops, which will take place on September 21, October 5 and 26, in Kingston, Montego Bay and Ocho Rios, respectively.
To be eligible for entry, businesses must ensure that they have been in operation for more than three years, are registered with the Companies Office of Jamaica, and are export-ready and scalable, earning up to $75 million annually.
Additionally, all competitors must be pre-registered for the competition by completing the registration form available at https://tinyurl.com/MBR-Reg-Form.
For further information on the roadshow, individuals may visit the ministry’s website at https://www.miic.gov.jm/ or call 876- 968-7116.
The monies awarded to the winners were made available through the DBJ’s Boosting Innovation Growth and Entrepreneurship Ecosystems (BIGEE) programme.
The event is being sponsored by the DBJ, LASCO Financial Services, Sagicor Bank and Lynk.
Partnership support will be provided by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the ministry’s portfolio agencies.
-JIS
