The Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC) has been called on by St Lucia to support the creation of a more structured and effective framework for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in that country.

Following a recent four-day study tour by a delegation from St Lucia’s Ministry of Commerce, representatives of the Eastern Caribbean nation used the opportunity to gain insights on how to strengthen its institutional approach to entrepreneurship as they also advanced plans to establish an autonomous Small Business Development Centre (SBDC).

Acting CEO of JBDC Harold Davis welcomed the development, describing it as a strong endorsement of Jamaica’s MSME support model and a sign of growing regional confidence.

“This is not the first time countries have come to examine our model. For us, as an institution, such visits validate that we are doing something worth emulating. We’ve spent over 20 years refining this approach — understanding what works, what doesn’t, and the realities of Jamaica’s MSME ecosystem,” Davis said in an interview with the Jamaica Observer this week.

He cited countries such as The Bahamas, Trinidad and Tobago, and Guyana among those that have previously engaged the JBDC for similar knowledge-sharing initiatives.

During the March 2-5 visit, the St Lucian delegation reviewed JBDC’s full suite of services, including its business advisory, technical and marketing support, project management, and incubation processes. A key takeaway was, however, the agency’s integrated “360-degree” model, which provides strategic support to entrepreneurs from concept development through to market.

St Lucia, in looking to adopt a similar operational model, said it will now move to transition its SBDC into a standalone entity. The delegates have also signalled the country’s interest in replicating elements such as JBDC’s marketing platform and its integrated approach to incubation and enterprise management.

“Currently in Saint Lucia, our SBDC operates as a unit within the Department of Commerce, and we believe that is not the most efficient way to support our MSMEs. Our minister has tasked us with developing a concept note to guide the statutorisation of the SBDC so it can become an autonomous agency,” permanent secretary in St Lucia’s Ministry of Commerce Sophia Henry said.

She pointed to Jamaica’s long-standing enterprise development framework as a natural model for adaptation.

The SBDC network — recognised as the largest and most successful system supporting small and medium-sized enterprises in the United States — includes more than 1,000 centres, primarily based on university campuses. Collectively, these centres serve approximately 750,000 businesses annually through a network of about 4,500 full-time advisors.

Introduced to the Caribbean in 2015 with support from the Organisation of American States, the model aligns with broader regional efforts to strengthen MSME development. Jamaica, widely regarded as a regional leader in this space, currently operates one of the most developed SBDC networks, with 14 centres islandwide.

While formal consultancy arrangements between JBDC and St Lucia have not yet been finalised, Davis said the collaboration reflects a deepening spirit of regional cooperation, one which offers deeper collaboration among the institutions and from which they could also unlock new opportunities for trade, knowledge-sharing and business growth across the Caribbean.

Utilising insights from the study tour in Jamaica to guide its implementation, Saint Lucia is aiming to establish its enhanced SBDC framework in the current calendar year.

“We are making ourselves available as they continue on this journey. Plans are already being discussed for us to visit and further support their development efforts, although nothing has been finalised yet. In the meantime, we remain committed to helping our sister island realise its vision of having a St Lucian equivalent of the JBDC by 2026,” Davis said

He added that the development marks both progress and opportunity for JBDC, reinforcing Jamaica’s leadership in entrepreneurship and MSME development.

“This will augur well for our small businesses and is an exciting moment for the region as we work towards building more connected economies,” Davis also said.