U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

Office of the Spokesperson

For Immediate Release                                                                                                                                                                                  March 22, 2012

2012/436

MEDIA NOTE

Applications are being accepted now for Caribbean Idea Marketplace matching grants.  The deadline for applications is May 31, 2012.  The Caribbean Idea Marketplace (CIM) is a business competition platform that encourages local Caribbean and diaspora entrepreneurs to forge partnerships around innovative projects that will generate employment and economic opportunities in the Caribbean region.  CIM will provide up to $100,000 in matching grants to each winning project.

CIM was officially launched on March 1, 2012, at the Invest Jamaica forum in Montego Bay, Jamaica, which followed Secretary Clinton’s announcement of the initiative during a meeting with Caribbean leaders in Jamaica in 2011.  The Department of State’s partners in this effort include the Inter-American Development Bank’s Compete Caribbean program, the UK Department for International Development (DFID), and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).  Partners also include Digicel, Scotiabank, and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC). Continue reading “Apply Now for Caribbean Idea Marketplace Matching Grants” →