Programmes
SEI 2019 to 2023
Building Sustainable Youth Business Programmes through Social Enterprise was a regional initiative led by the Barbados Youth Business Trust in partnership with Dominica and Saint Lucia Youth Business Trusts, and funded by the European Union. Running from 2019 to 2023, the project aimed to empower youth-led social enterprises across the Eastern Caribbean through a dynamic Social Enterprise Incubator (SEI) model. The initiative trained 67 social entrepreneurs, supported the launch of 36 enterprises, and reached 59 communities—tackling issues from waste management to food security. By combining training, mentorship, and seed funding, the project built the capacity of Youth Business Trusts to deliver impactful, inclusive support to young changemakers.
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SESCY 2019 to 2022
The Strengthening the Entrepreneurial Spirit of Caribbean Youth (SESCY) project, led by Youth Business Caribbean (YBC) in partnership with the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), was a regional initiative implemented from 2019 to 2022 across five countries: Barbados, Dominica, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, and Trinidad & Tobago. The project aimed to reduce youth unemployment by equipping over 690 young people with entrepreneurial training, mentorship, and access to business development support. Through a harmonized curriculum, community-based workshops, and ongoing aftercare services, SESCY empowered young entrepreneurs to launch and grow sustainable businesses, improve their confidence, and contribute to their local economies.
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YEP 2016 to 2019
The Youth Entrepreneurship Program (YEP) is a joint initiative between the Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF), a member of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Group, and Youth Business International (YBI) which provides support to low-income youth, aged 18-35 seeking to start businesses in 11 countries across Latin America and the Caribbean. The YEP-Caribbean project executed by the Barbados Youth Business Trust (BYBT), in collaboration with the Jamaica Youth Business Trust (JYBT) and Youth Business Trinidad and Tobago (YBTT), was initiated in August 2016, and will continue for a three-year period.
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YEPEC 2012 to 2015
The Young Entrepreneurs Program in the Eastern Caribbean (YEPEC) is a joint initiative between Youth Business International and USAID. This project was executed in 5 Caribbean countries, Barbados, Dominica, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago). This program focused on 1) Optimizing the number of young people supported to become entrepreneurs, 2) Build the capacity of the Youth Business programmes and 3) Research, collate and share lessons learnt to establish best practice across the region.
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