On July 8, 2026, the Belize Enterprise Empowerment Project (BEEP) announced the results of its final startup funding cohort, awarding a collective BZ$110,000 in seed capital to 22 emerging small businesses across the Central American nation. Each selected venture will receive BZ$5,000 in targeted seed funding to scale operational capacity, tap into new domestic and regional markets, and speed up their growth trajectory, marking the conclusion of BEEP’s startup support initiative.
The 22 funded businesses span a diverse range of sectors that form the backbone of Belize’s growing economy, covering creative industries, sustainable agriculture, tourism, agro-processing, professional business services, light engineering and manufacturing, and information technology. Notably, women-led enterprises account for more than two-thirds of the recipients – 15 out of 22 total startups – a breakdown that aligns with BEEP’s long-standing priority of reducing systemic barriers for women entrepreneurs and closing the gender gap in Belize’s small business ecosystem.
BEEP is a multi-stakeholder MSME empowerment initiative funded by the CARICOM Development Fund and implemented on the ground by the Belize Trade and Investment Development Service (BELTRAIDE). Beyond direct financial grants, the program delivers comprehensive support to micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), including tailored business development training, one-on-one mentorship from industry leaders, and access to expanded networking opportunities that many early-stage founders struggle to secure independently.
Narda Garcia, Board Chair of BELTRAIDE, emphasized that the successful outcome of this final cohort underscores the transformative power of cross-sector collaboration. Garcia noted that the initiative would not have achieved its impact without coordinated partnership between national government bodies, established financial institutions, and private-sector stakeholders, all working together to nurture a more dynamic and inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem in Belize.
Ishmael Quiroz, Executive Director of BELTRAIDE, echoed this perspective, framing local entrepreneurship as a foundational pillar of long-term national economic development. Quiroz pointed out that thriving small businesses drive sustained innovation, create new local jobs, and expand the country’s overall economic output beyond traditional core industries.
This final funding round brings BEEP’s total track record of MSME support to an impressive scale. Prior to approving this cohort, the program had already extended financial and developmental support to 73 MSMEs across the country – including established exporters, growing maturing businesses, and earlier cohorts of startups – disbursing a total of approximately BZ$678,000 in grants to date.