Roseau, Dominica – May 16, 2008……..A three -day Regional Training Programme (workshop) on Business Incubation which got underway at the Garraway Hotel in Roseau on Wednesday is scheduled to end later today.
The purpose of the Regional Training Programme is to build capacity in the Caribbean region and enhance the knowledge of policy makers and practitioners on Business Incubation.
The theme of the 3-day workshop is: Business Incubation- A catalyst for stimulating a viable business environment.
The overall objective of this programme is to create a sustainable enabling ICT and business environment which provides opportunities for the private sector to increase investments and enhance capacity for competitiveness.
The workshop will cover the following topics:
1. Understanding small enterprises and the role of incubation in supporting them
2. Incubator infrastructure and services needed to support small enterprises
3. Business incubation concepts
4. Marketing and (positioning) for incubators and their firms and client selection
5. Developing mentoring and coaching programmes in incubators
Participants at the three-day workshop include Mr. Bo Hjalmefjord, Project Officer, EU delegation, Barbados, Mr. Roshan Seebaluck, Team Leader and Incubator Expert, Regional Management Office, Director of Telecoms in Dominica, Mr. Sylvester Cadette, Project Officer, ICT Development Programme, Mr. Daniel Reid as well as officials from the other participating countries, namely, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada.
The European Commission has made available approximately 15.71 million euros under the Special Framework of Assistance (SFA) for 2005 for the four Windward Islands. Dominica’s allocation under its ICT Development Programme is 4.4 million euros ($17 million).
The EU’s Special Framework of Assistance was designed to facilitate economic adjustment and promote economic diversification in ACP countries in response to new market conditions with respect to the EC Banana Regime.
