[Source: Ministry of Trade, Co-operatives, SMEs and Communications/Facebook]

12 entrepreneurs, owners of Small and Medium Enterprises, have been collectively awarded approximately $90,000 to expand their businesses.

This assistance has been made possible through a collaboration between the government and the United Nations Development Program Office in Suva, which aims to enable product diversification and contribute to Fiji’s economy based on the merit of proposals received.

Minister for Trade, Manoa Kamikamica reiterated the importance of financing sustainable environment businesses.

“This grant is an innovation grant that is awarded to companies that are involved in sustainable environmental business venture and it’s an initiative by the UNDP with the support of the Fiji government.”

Attic Fiji Director Vivienne Wade hopes that the grant will help them move into a furniture manufacturing space promoting Fiji’s culture through sustainable production.

“We’re very grateful for the UNDP for giving us the opportunity to have this opportunity to grow our business and we’re really excited about it because we’d like to use this grant as a platform to launch and just to move into manufacture space where we’re producing a purely Fiji made product.”

UNDP Pacific Resident Representative, Munkhtuya Altangerel highlights that out of 88 business participants who engaged in the innovation challenge, 12 grantees emerged successfully to receive the grant.

“12 grantees succeeded in getting to the final stage, and each one of them got $40,000 to $50,000 US Dollars. This really gives that boosts that’s needed because it’s a grant resources and with that money they are going to bring their businesses to the next stage.”

The Drua Innovation Scheme grant seeks to support inclusive and resilient economic development by financing activities that align with the objectives of Fiji’s Climate Change Act and the National Climate Change Policy.