A groundbreaking initiative that links coastal marine conservation with local community economic empowerment has launched in Grenada, opening applications for eligible residents to access small business grants, skills training, and targeted livelihood support.
The program, called the Livelihood Support Initiative for SMEs & Skills Training, is a core component of the broader Our Bay Our Future Project—officially the Enhanced Management and Monitoring of the Woburn–Clarke’s Court Bay Marine Protected Area initiative. The overarching conservation and development project draws funding from two major backers: the Caribbean Biodiversity Fund and Global Affairs Canada’s CORE Gender Smart Facility, and is being executed locally by the Grenada Sustainable Development Trust Fund (GSDTF).
GSDTF has announced that it is now accepting Expressions of Interest exclusively from residents of four key geographic areas: Woburn, Woodlands, Clarke’s Court Bay, and their immediate neighboring communities. The central mission of the livelihood initiative aligns economic opportunity with long-term environmental protection: it aims to build sustainable, nature-compatible livelihoods for local people that do not threaten the fragile marine ecosystem of the protected bay, while creating new income streams, strengthening existing small enterprises, boosting workforce skills, and advancing the permanent conservation of Grenada’s coastal and marine natural resources.
To qualify for the program, applicants must be at least 16 years of age, and the initiative prioritizes a broad range of potential participants. This includes current small business owners looking to expand, aspiring entrepreneurs planning new ventures, commercial fisherfolk, local sea moss farmers, young people, women, and any other community members seeking to develop new professional skills aligned with the MPA’s conservation goals.
Selected participants will gain access to a robust suite of support services and financial incentives. Eligible small businesses can apply for seed grants of up to $5,000 USD to launch or scale their operations. All approved skills training participants will have access to fully funded evening courses, with additional transportation stipends provided to remove barriers to attendance for working residents. For local fisherfolk, the program also offers dedicated support for marine safety, covering up to $2,000 USD in safety gear purchases. Additional wrap-around support includes assistance with business registration and licensing, including help completing CAIPO registration and meeting all other local regulatory requirements.
The deadline for submitting an Expression of Interest via the online application portal is 2 October 2026, giving interested residents more than two years to complete and submit their applications. Eligible residents can access the application form at the following link: forms.gle/TRa9WDTaKTXJvq6MA.
For additional questions or more detailed information about the initiative, applicants can contact the GSDTF team directly. The organization’s office is located at the Kirani James Athletic Stadium on River Road in St. George’s, Grenada. Inquiries can also be sent via email to [email protected], or by phone at 1 (473) 410 0867 or WhatsApp at 407 0867. More information about the fund and its other community and conservation projects is available on GSDTF’s official website (www.gsdtf.org) and social media channels, including Facebook (Grenada Sustainable Development Trust Fund Inc.), Instagram (@gsdtf473), and LinkedIn (Grenada Sustainable Development Trust Fund (GSDTF)).
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