Final 2025 Msme Grant Awards
The Department of Trade, Investment Promotion and Consumer Affairs hosted the final Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) Grant Award Ceremony for 2025 on Friday 19 December in Road Town, reaffirming the Government of the Virgin Islands’ commitment to entrepreneurship, innovation and sustainable business development, according to Guavaberry and a BVI Government release. Speakers highlighted expanded community outreach, plans for an Entrepreneurial Zone, continued digitalisation of services, and recent support for an Anegada entrepreneur as part of a broader strategy combining financial assistance, training, mentorship and policy reform.
Road Town, Tortola — The Department of Trade, Investment Promotion and Consumer Affairs hosted its final Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) Grant Award Ceremony for 2025 on Friday 19 December in Road Town, bringing together grant recipients, government officials and members of the business community to celebrate local entrepreneurs and outline further support measures for MSMEs across the Territory (Guavaberry; BVI Government).
Delivering remarks at the ceremony, Honourable Lorna G. Smith, OBE, who has responsibility for financial services and economic development, congratulated awardees and reminded them that the grants are designed to support business development and accountability. "The government is investing in you, the people," she said, urging recipients to use the funds wisely and to take advantage of training and support programmes provided by the Department (BVI Government; Guavaberry).
Guavaberry also reported Honourable Smith emphasising the Government’s commitment to modernising systems and addressing inefficiencies to make the business environment more responsive to entrepreneurs. Lincoln Bobb, Deputy Director for Business at the Department of Trade, stressed the Department’s mission to actively back businesses and strengthen the local economy.
He told attendees the Department has expanded outreach beyond its offices into communities and is prioritising training, mentorship and digital transformation to improve the ease of doing business in the Virgin Islands (BVI Government; Guavaberry). Bobb highlighted a number of initiatives being rolled out or expanded, including entrepreneurial education programmes, community outreach efforts, the planned establishment of an Entrepreneurial Zone, and further modernisation and digitalisation of services intended to improve responsiveness to entrepreneurs’ needs and to bolster economic resilience across all islands (Guavaberry).
Leroy James, Business Development Manager at the Department of Trade and master of ceremonies, described the MSME Grant Programme as a reflection of the Government’s belief in local entrepreneurs as drivers of national development. "This MSME grant award is not only about handing out grants—this is the government supporting small business development in this territory… we believe in your dreams," he said (BVI Government; Guavaberry).
Keynote speaker Sinclair Flemming, CEO of P3: Paper Plastic Products Inc., urged recipients to define success for their businesses, to seek mentorship and to allocate capital strategically. Flemming warned against becoming trapped in undesired paths and emphasised that psychology, mentorship and smart capital deployment are as important as funding (Guavaberry; BVI Government).
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Financial Services, Economic Development and Digital Transformation, Mrs. Natalie Fahie-Smith, delivered the vote of thanks, praising the creativity and innovation among MSMEs and encouraging continued engagement with Department support programmes (Guavaberry).
Both the Department and Government statements noted the programme’s wider role in building a more inclusive and resilient BVI economy through financial assistance, training, mentorship and policy reform. Officials also highlighted a recent MSME grant to Lawrence "Bunchie" Wheatley of Anegada as an example of entrepreneurship in the outer islands, underlining the Department’s intent to reach all parts of the Territory (Guavaberry; BVI Government).
The Department reaffirmed that the MSME Grant Programme will continue to form part of a broader strategy to empower entrepreneurs and sustain local economic growth.
Primary source: BVI Government