DONORS VITAL TO COMPETE CARIBBEAN 
 
Compete Caribbean is jointly funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID) and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).
  
The program's estimated value is US$40.0 million, of which DFID and CIDA contributed US$32.55 million. Projects in the OECS countries are implemented in partnership with the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB).
  
Please follow the links below to learn more about our primary partners.
  
IDB:
  
DFID:
  
CIDA:
  
CDB:

 The Americas Competitiveness Forum (RIAC)

 

To strengthen the process of building a hemispheric agenda on economic growth and competiveness, the Organization of American States (OAS) as administrator of the Inter-American Competitiveness Network (RIAC) hosted the Americas Competitiveness Forum for the past five years.

 

This event is an annual event and is the largest gathering of persons (over 1,000 delegates) working on/leading the decision making process on issues of competitiveness and innovation. It provides a unique opportunity for networking, information sharing and discourse on key initiatives to drive a national and regional agenda on competitiveness as the forum brings together key stakeholders from the public sector, the private sector, academia and civil society from all countries across the Americas.

 

In this forum, Compete Caribbean hosted the third meeting of Caribbean Competitiveness Authorities, a unique opportunity to share the advances of each country in the last year and define a competitiveness agenda for 2013.

 

This event provided Caribbean delegates an opportunity to learn  innovative lobbying techniques, to build a hemispheric network of "likeminded agents of change" and to better articulate a clear agenda for business climate reforms and competitiveness enhancement in their respective countries.
 

Compete Caribbean was also prominently featured in the inaugural Americas Competiveness Forum book.

 

Visit the following link to view the e-book: http://riacreport.org/riac_english/INFORME_INGLES.pdf

and http://www.competitivenessforum.org/ to learn more about the Forum. 

C:UserskmahyDesktopriac video
Americas Competitiveness Forum (RIAC): A positive Experience  
CCFC Forum Heralded a Success

The Caribbean Centre for Competitiveness (CCFC) held its first Caribbean Competitiveness Forum in Trinidad in November focusing primarily on improved regional competitiveness as a cornerstone to sustainable development.

 

A high level delegation led by Flora Painter, IDB's Chief of the Competitiveness and Innovation (CTI) Division; Caludia Stevenson, Private Sector Development Senior Specialist and Tara Lisa Persaud, Knowledge Management Coordinator heralded the forum a resounding success with longterm benefits to the region.

 

In her message to the forum, Painter remarked: "I believe that together, CCFC and Compete Caribbean will be more effective in driving an agenda for increased competitiveness and innovation that will bring new sources of employment, prosperity and growth to the Caribbean."

 

Additionally, Executive Director of the CCFC, Indera Sagewan-Ali said: "Through practical applied research and targeted training focused on improving private and public sector competitiveness, the CCFC will play a transformative role in the region's competitive development."

 

CCFC's unique emphases are on capacity building, applied research, consultancy and building networks.

 

The Centre is a key partner as well as a beneficiary of Compete Caribbean.

Investment Panel Meets
in Barbados
  

 
  
  
Eight regional private sector experts met in Barbados to review three Innovative Businness Plans under Compete Caribbean's Enterprise Innovation Challenge Fund (EICF) Innovation Window.
  
The Innovation Window is designed to probe for and develop the ingenuity of the Caribbean private sector by encouraging firms and entrepreneurs across the Caribbean states to compete for non-reimbursable grant funding up to US $500,000. The grants finance projects that are innovative and risky.
  
If successful these projects could make a significant contribution to the economic development of the Caribbean. Specifically, the fund will provide matching grant resources to firms and entrepreneurs, who want to finance innovative ventures, take risks to develop new products, implement new business models, and/or enter new markets.
  
The three innovative proposals under consideration are: Tijule Company Ltd. in Jamaica which seeks to develop quality based products derived from the Ackee tree oil; St. Lucian company  CELLUCIAN who is manufacturing the first global frequency 4-sim/4-phone and Nature Island Products Inc. in Dominica is planning to expand, diversify and export their paper product business.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Compete Caribbean Welcomes
New Executive Director
  
Venezuelan Sylvia Dohnert has joined the Compete Caribbean team as its new Executive Director from November 16, 2012.

 

Sylvia has a Ph.D. in Economic Development and Regional Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), an MA in Public Policy from Tufts University and a BS in Systems Engineering from the Universidad Metropolitana de Venezuela. 

 

She has extensive experience working knowledge of industrial policy and cluster development and has previously worked at the IDB as a Consultant on competitiveness and innovation programs.  

 

Specializing in conceptualizing and designing government policy and/or projects that will support private sector development, Sylvia is expected to be a major asset to Compete Caribbean whose primary function and focus is private sector development in the Caribbean.

 

Particularly interested in how to stimulate entrepreneurship and enhance local firms' competitiveness in the global economy, she posseses a wealth of work experience in Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Guyana.

  
Her specialties include export development, supplier relations, inter-firm cooperation, informality and business associations.
  

Sylvia will be based in Bridgetown, Barbados and the Compete Caribbean team welcomes her on board!

Thank You Claudia! 
The Compete Caribbean team would like to extend heartfelt gratitude to former interim Executive Director, Claudia Stevenson for four months of dedicated service.
Claudia brought a wealth of experience and a calm, methodical approach to the program which saw great impact. We wish her well in her future endeavours.    
From all of us...To all of you...
    
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