KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Public Procurement Commission (PPC) will roll out its MSME Procurement Integration Project islandwide in the first quarter of the 2026–2027 financial year, beginning April 2026, to expand access to government contracts for small businesses.

According to a news release, Executive Director Nadia Morris said the initiative will promote the Public Procurement (Set-Asides) Order, 2019, which reserves 20 per cent of public procurement opportunities for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), while equipping more business owners to access these opportunities.

She was speaking at the Small Business Association of Jamaica (SBAJ) Public Meeting held on Thursday, March 26, 2026, at the Exim Bank on Hope Road.

The PPC partnered with the SBAJ to host the public meeting in observance of World Sustainable Procurement Day, aiming to empower MSMEs and strengthen their capacity in public procurement. Supporting partners included the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service; the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce; and the Development Bank of Jamaica (DBJ).

Held under the theme “Get Ready for Public Procurement Opportunities!”, the event attracted more than 150 MSMEs in person, with additional participants joining virtually.

Morris outlined that the MSME Procurement Integration Project will simplify supplier registration processes, establish a verified database of MSME suppliers, provide targeted training and outreach, and strengthen monitoring and compliance mechanisms across ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs).

“The PPC will collaborate with its public sector partners represented here today…in implementing the MSME Procurement Integration Project. Roadshows across the island will build awareness on and explain the Public Procurement (Set-Asides) Order, 2019, and how MSMEs can benefit,” Morris said, noting that the roadshows are set to begin in the first quarter of the new financial year.

She added that the commission has also submitted proposals to Cabinet to further improve the Supplier Registration System (SRS), with the concept paper already approved by the Ministry of Finance and now advancing toward legislative changes.

Despite the impact of Hurricane Melissa on some businesses in western Jamaica, applications for PPC Registration Certificates have remained strong, increasing from 880 in FY2023–2024 to 959 in FY2024–2025, and projected to exceed 1,000 by the end of FY2025–2026.

Morris also encouraged participants to use the forum as a platform for shared learning and meaningful impact, noting that MSMEs account for 97.6 per cent of registered, tax-paying businesses in Jamaica.

SBAJ President Garnet Reid welcomed the initiative, describing the meeting as a critical step in helping MSMEs better understand and pursue government procurement opportunities, while identifying capacity gaps.

The event featured keynote remarks from Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Fayval Williams and remarks from Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Senator Aubyn Hill.

Presenters included Captain Richard Campbell, senior director of the Suppliers Registration Branch at the PPC, David Thomas, director of advisory and engagement in the Office of Public Procurement Policy at the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service and Travell Mullings, acting manager of intermediary relationships at the Development Bank of Jamaica.