The Development Bank of Jamaica (DBJ), under its Boosting Innovation Growth and Entrepreneurship Ecosystems (BIGEE), has reopened the application window for its Innovation Grant Fund (IGF).

The application window reopened on January 2 until February 13. The IGF represents an opportunity for medium-sized Jamaican companies with new and innovative products and services to access grant funding of up to J$20 million.

To date the DBJ, under the GIF programme, has awarded grants to 12 medium-sized Jamaican companies representing an investment by the bank of J$190 million. The majority of the projects have been successfully completed and the remaining ones are now in the close-out phase; all of which have recorded growth and are on an upward trajectory.”

Christopher Brown, programme manager at BIGEE, said: “The DBJ is delighted at the projects we have funded in the last three iterations since we began in 2020.”

Technical coordinator under whose portfolio the GIF falls, Lu’ Shana Cheddesingh, explained: “For this fourth cohort of the IGF, we will be utilising the funding received from the European Union and so strong focus of the incoming cohort will be placed on two main areas – women-led and/owned businesses, and climate mitigation projects. We will continue to fund projects from Jamaica’s productive sectors.”

BIGEE is a five-year project valued at US$25 million and financed by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). The Development Bank of Jamaica (DBJ) is the executing agency.

The DBJ is encouraging medium-sized Jamaican companies with innovative products and/ or services that are new and revolutionary to apply.

The application process is via the BIGEE’s website at www.thinkbigee.com.