An agency of the Ministry of Industry, Investment & Commerce, the JBDC is Jamaica’s premier business development organisation working collaboratively with government, private sector, as well as, academic, research and international communities.
Small Business Development Centre Network
The JBDC has signed MOUs with the following organisations which now provide SBDC Jamaica services:
The Ministry of Industry, Investment & Commerce, through its agency the Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC), has been utilising the American Small Business Development Centre Model in its delivery of business development services since SBDC JAMAICA was launched in January, 2015.
The SBDC network is the largest and most successful network of assistance to small and medium-sized enterprises in the United States, with more than 1,100 centres (over 90% of which are housed on University Campuses), 4,500 full-time advisors and 750,000 businesses served annually. As a business development methodology, the model was introduced to Latin America and the Caribbean through the Organization of American States.
The goal of the expansion of the SBDC model throughout Latin America and the Caribbean is to create a hemispheric network of SBDCs that will improve SME competitiveness, generate new trade opportunities and promote the economic integration of the region. Jamaica was one of five countries in the region that participated in the pilot phase of the Caribbean Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) programme. At the time of the launch, the JBDC was used as a single pilot and now seeks to extend the programme into a network of centres under SBDC JAMAICA.
- University of Technology (UTech)
- University of the Commonwealth Caribbean (UCC)
- Northern Caribbean University (NCU)
- College of Agriculture, Science & Education (CASE)
- Caribbean Maritime University (CMU)
- Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA)
- Edna Manley College of the Visual & Performing Arts (EMCVPA)
- Sagicor Building
The JBDC Business Centres islandwide also form part of the SBDC Network. See Contact Us for locations.
SBDC in the Life of a Business
The mission of the SBDC is to promote growth, innovation, productivity, and revenue for small businesses through improvements to their business administration.
SBDC Core Services
SBDC core services are focused on three key areas that cover the needs of start-ups as well as those of established businesses:
- One-on-one, confidential, free and long-term technical assistance.
- Group training focused on subjects of interest to small businesses and presented by SBDC staff and private sector professionals.
- Market research tailored to the client’s needs.
These services benefit small businesses and generate economic impact that creates new jobs, increases revenues, strengthens and diversifies the formal economy, and promotes country stability and growth.
Small business owners can go to their local SBDCs for free face-to-face business consulting on topics including business planning, accessing capital, marketing, regulatory compliance, technology development, international trade and much more.
The JBDC Business Centres islandwide also form part of the SBDC Network.
