Barbados Business Sector To Get Much Needed Boost In Access To Global Funding
(Bridgetown, Barbados 28 March 2011) – The Barbados Private Sector Association (BPSA) announced today the commencement of two projects designed to build the capacity of the nation’s private sector organisations to access funding, and to enhance the capacity of the BPSA’s Private Sector Trade Team (PSTT).
According to Chairman Ben L. Arrindel, the BPSA has awarded a contract to LPD Hall & Associates of Jamaica to develop a Proposal Hub for the organisation. The Hub will provide BPSA members with expertise in developing project proposals for submission to major International donor agencies such as the European Union, the Government of the United Kingdom, the Canadian International Development Agency, and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
“The Barbados Private Sector Association will work with LPD Hall & Associates to formulate a guide on writing project proposals in line with the requirements of the major donor and funding agencies,” said BPSA Consultant Magnus Whitehead.“Working with the consultants, the BPSA will conduct brainstorming sessions with our stakeholders to identify potential projects which are consistent with the various funding agencies objectives and requirements, and which also make use of information from completed sector studies and presentations by relevant subject matter specialists. We are going to guide private sector groups in identifying and conceptualising projects that are results focused, evidence-based, and that incorporate best practices for improving competitiveness.”
LPD Hall & Associates Partner Lisa Hall says that one of the critical components of the agreement with the BPSA is that there will be a high degree of sustainability of the capacity of the private sector to engage in project proposal writing once the initiative is completed.
“We will be developing recommendations to the BPSA to sustain the proposal planning and development capacity created through evaluating the potential of trainees to become trainers in proposal writing and recommend candidates for participation in a training-of-trainers course,” said Hall.
The BPSA has also entered into an agreement with Barbados’ SFa Communications Inc. to enhance the communications efforts of the BPSA and their specialty unit the Private Sector Trade Team.
“We have asked SFa Communications to promote the BPSA’s Private Sector Trade Team as a unit that effectively responds to the private sector’s trade queries and concerns,” continued the BPSA’s Magnus Whitehead. “Working with SFa, we will develop and produce briefs and information kits on the EPA, CSME and other major trade agreements to which Barbados is a party.”
The agreement with SFA Communications calls for the communications firm to work with the Trade Team to ensure that the private sector has ready access to easily digestible and pertinent information related to the EPA, the CSME and other multilateral and bilateral trade agreements so that they can make more informed business decisions and to ensure that the BPSA has timely and reliable information on the impact of trade agreements on the Barbados private sector.
Both BPSA projects have been made possible through funding from the Caribbean Aid for Trade and Regional Integration Trust Fund (CARTFund). CARTFund is a £10 million (British) fund financed by the UK Government and administered by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and is used to finance projects supporting the implementation of the EPA and deepening CARICOM economic integration and OECS subregional integration.
“The BPSA’s Trade Team is a primary resource for members of the private sector desiring to participate in international trade,” said Alison Saunders, Managing Director of SFa Communications. “We look forward to working with the BPSA in the formulating and implementing a strategy that allows the BPSA to communicate more effectively with their membership and the public of Barbados.”
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| Date Posted | March 25 2011 |