Against a backdrop of accelerating climate action and growing demand for inclusive green economic growth across the Caribbean, the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) has launched a landmark new initiative designed to unlock the potential of women entrepreneurs working in clean energy. The three-year project, named the SheTrades Caribbean Tech It Up Facility, carries a total investment of US$550,000 and is backed by the Government of Canada through its Supporting Resilient Green Energy (SuRGE) Programme, delivered via CDB’s existing SheTrades Caribbean Hub.
Running from 2026 through 2028, the program opens eligibility to women-led businesses across nine Caribbean countries: Dominica, Belize, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Suriname. Unlike generic small business support schemes, this initiative is tailored specifically to bridge the gap between early-stage clean energy innovation and market-ready commercial products and services, with the dual goal of expanding women’s meaningful participation in the region’s fast-growing green economy.
The scope of support covers a broad spectrum of high-priority clean energy areas, including cutting-edge clean energy innovation, energy-efficient technologies, scalable renewable energy applications, and integrated smart energy systems. Beyond direct financial assistance, participating ventures will gain access to targeted technical capacity building, business management training, introductions to global financing partners, and pathways to integrate into regional and international clean energy value chains.
The initiative is designed to meet entrepreneurs where they are, accepting applicants across all early development stages—from initial concept and academic research to prototype development, field testing, small-scale pilot projects, and early-stage commercialization. It is open not only to formal registered businesses but also to individual women scientists, independent researchers, and technology developers working in the clean energy space.
A centerpiece of the facility is the SheTrades Tech It Up R&D Grant, which will award a single US$100,000 prize to one outstanding women-led project focused on energy efficiency, renewable energy, or smart energy systems. Proposals will be evaluated by a panel against strict criteria including the novelty of the innovation, technical feasibility, potential for intellectual property protection, commercial scalability, projected environmental impact, and the project’s ability to generate long-term, sustainable economic opportunities for local communities.
The winning recipient will not only receive the substantial grant funding but also gain access to a full package of wrap-around support: one-on-one technical mentorship from industry experts, tailored business development coaching, dedicated guidance on intellectual property registration and protection, and targeted support to prepare the solution for market entry. As part of the program’s collaborative mandate, the grant recipient will also be required to partner with Caribbean and Canadian academic institutions that conduct leading clean energy research and innovation.
Dr. Isaac Solomon, CDB Vice-President for Operations, emphasized that the facility addresses a long-standing gap in regional innovation support. Too often, he noted, promising clean energy ideas developed by women entrepreneurs remain stuck in the early stages, unable to access the resources needed to reach commercial markets. This initiative, he said, is designed to remove those barriers and turn promising concepts into tangible impact.
Her Excellency Brenda Wills, Canada’s High Commissioner to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, echoed that sentiment, noting that the program delivers overlapping benefits for the region. By supporting women-led innovation, it advances women’s economic empowerment, while also accelerating the transition to low-carbon energy systems that boost climate resilience and drive long-term sustainable development across the Caribbean.
Beyond the immediate support for participating businesses, the initiative is expected to deliver broader systemic benefits for the region. It aims to increase women’s representation in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) entrepreneurship, foster deeper collaborative ties between academic research institutions and private sector ventures, and expand inclusive economic opportunities across the Caribbean’s emerging green economy.
Applications for the competitive R&D Grant are scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2027, and will be accepted exclusively through CDB’s Submittable Portal. CDB has confirmed that full detailed eligibility criteria and official application guidelines will be published to the public in advance of the opening of the call for proposals.