Republic Bank, BPD Associates continue to champion women entrepreneurs

In an effort to further its focus on building sustainable small and medium enterprises (SMEs), Republic Bank is once again partnering with Business & People Development (BPD) Associates Limited, a locally-based business and people development organisation, to host the Entrepreneurs’ Business Builder (EBB) programme.
This initiative, which falls under the Bank’s Power to Make A Difference programme, will focus solely on women entrepreneurs with the aim of empowering them to grow technology-enabled, future-proofed, profitable businesses. Given the strategic importance of the Bank and BPD’s support for SMEs and developing business communities, together with the success of the first cohort last year, this partnership continues in 2023.
The first cohort consisted of 2 phases, with 93 participants completing phase 1 in March 2022, and 19 women progressing to Phase 2 and graduating from same in a virtual ceremony yesterday.
The 2023 Entrepreneurs Business Builder, launched on International Women’s Day, has adopted a different structure from its predecessor’s. A maximum of 80 Caribbean women entrepreneurs with a minimum of 2 years of entrepreneurial experience will now have the opportunity to apply for the four-month, self-paced online learning programme.
Participants can also qualify to receive up to 80% scholarship funding.
The programme adopts a systematic approach to ensure that the learnings, strategies and tactics implemented would generate long-lasting personal and business results for all women entrepreneurs involved. It is expected that by the end of the programme, the participants would be more confident and have businesses that are tech-enabled, robust, and demonstrate accelerated growth.
The registration process will end on Friday, March 24, and all applicants would be informed of the outcome of the selection process by May 2023.