Durrant Pate/Contributor

Finance Minister, Fayval Williams, has outlined a programme of preparing small businesses across the island to benefit from Government contracts through its Public Procurement (Set Asides) framework, which is being rolled out.

The new framework was announced two weeks ago by Minister Williams when she opened the 2026/27 Budget Debate. In closing this year’s budget debate a short while ago, Mrs Williams advised that the Public Procurement Commission (PPC), the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Industry, Investments and Commerce and the Development Bank of Jamaica (DBJ) are now coordinating to host a public meeting to prepare small businesses for Government contracts. 

The meeting is designed to help entrepreneurs understand and access Government procurement opportunities. According to Minister Williams, “The public meeting will show our entrepreneurs how to qualify. They will hear about registration and compliance” with presentations from the Finance Ministry, PPC, DBJ and Ministry of Industry, Investments and Commerce, Aubyn Hill and the Small Business Association.

She told the parliament that the executives of the Small Business Association visited her office on January 9, 2026, specifically on this matter of the Public Procurement (Set Asides) framework. Mrs. Williams acknowledged that the leadership of the Small Business Association and the PPC have been working on establishing and maintaining a verified list of qualifying small business suppliers so they can easily identify eligible businesses when applying the Set Asides Provisions. 

“So, Madam Speaker, as a Government, we say to small business owners, Get Ready! March 26 at 1:00PM is the date and EXIM Bank’s meeting room is the place. We are calling on all micro enterprises with an annual turnover below $15 million and Small Businesses with turnover between $15 million to $75 million to learn about the Government’s procurement process. This is a big deal!!, the Finance Minister tells the legislature.

She hinted at the possibility of opening up this meeting to the online portals and platforms because “I have already begun receiving positive interest from small businesses from across Jamaica…. I must confess; this is an announcement that gives me great joy to share details because now, you don’t have to be big to bid. The small contractor can now bid on projects within her company’s capability.”