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 |
| C1-2 Seed Capital | Early ventures | Up to 500,000 |
| C1-3 Sustainability-linked loan | Growth ventures | Up to 3 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
Before receiving final committee approval, all shortlisted businesses must complete a 12-week investment readiness program. This hands-on program trains businesses in:
Bookkeeping and cash-flow management
Recovery and resilience investment planning
Tourism market recovery strategies
Use-of-funds discipline
KPI tracking (specifically for business applying for sustainability-linked finance)
Graduation Pathways
Upon completing the 12 weeks, businesses will move into one of three clear paths based on their progress:
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.
Path 3: Ventures at a foundational level are deferred, referred out, or supported toward formalization before they can access financing.
