The Jamaica Tourism SME Resilience Fund is an initiative structured as a small, blended, revolving fund for tourism MSMEs and SMEs recovering from a hurricane shock.
This facility combines:
Financial instruments
Technical assistance
Main Objective
The objective is to support small tourism businesses and higher-potential multiplier ventures with financing and technical assistance that improve business continuity, local employment, and climate resilience. The fund is designed to help businesses recover faster, build resilience and become investment-ready.
Structure and scope
| Instrument | Segment | Ticket (JMD) |
|---|---|---|
| C1-1 Traditional loans | Early ventures | Up to 800,000 |
| C1-3 Sustainability-linked loan | Growth ventures | Up to 1.5 million |
Application criteria
The selection process is outlined below and is adapted for earlier-stage and shock-affected businesses.
| Criterion | Standard |
|---|---|
| Basic eligibility | Registered business or formalization plan within 6 months; tourism-linked activity; Jamaica-based operations; hurricane-affected or resilience-investment need |
| Operating history | Early Ventures: preferably 6-24 months; Growth Ventures: minimum 24 months |
| Tourism revenue linkage | At least 25% of revenues linked to tourism, or clear evidence of tourism value-chain dependence |
| Use of funds | Recovery, resilience capex, working capital tied to restart, digitization, insurance, energy, water, or continuity systems |
| Financial readiness | Basic records, cash-flow estimate, debt capacity, or willingness to complete readiness process |
| Employment and local linkages | Jobs retained or created; local sourcing; multiplier effect in tourism value chain |
| Resilience KPI potential | Insurance, backup systems, supplier diversification, resource efficiency, emergency planning |
| Governance and compliance | Willingness to report, accept monitoring, and comply with use-of-funds rules |
Investment Readiness Process
Selected businesses receive direct support, including our 12-week investment readiness programme and dedicated mentorship, to build operational resilience, track impact, and manage growth. The curriculum focuses on:
Bookkeeping and cash-flow management
Recovery and resilience investment planning
Tourism market recovery strategies
Use-of-funds discipline
KPI tracking (specifically for businesses selected for sustainability-linked finance)
Development Pathways
Following evaluation, ventures progress through tailored support routes based on their current stage:
Path 1: Debt-ready ventures progress directly to CI-1 or CI-3.
Path 2: Promising but not debt-ready ventures progress directly to CI-2. (Already selected)
Path 3: Foundational-level ventures are given the opportunity to participate in the 12-week investment readiness programme and receive targeted formalisation support to help them prepare for future financing.
24-Month Impact & Economic Monitoring Framework
All selected businesses commit to a two-year tracking structure to ensure long-term sustainability:
- Semi-Annual KPI Reports: Progress tracking every 6 months across 4 total reporting cycles
- Metrics & Performance: Reporting on key social impact metrics (e.g., job creation, local supplier engagement) alongside financial performance and capital recycling progress.
