Beautiful Basics Hub
The Beautiful Basics Hub equips budding entrepreneurs across the Caribbean with the resources needed to refine, structure and scale innovative climate solutions. It is built around four key phases: Idea, Startup & Early Stage, Scaling & Expansion and Mature Project.
4
Growth Phases
Idea to Mature Project
Free
Digital Suite
Open access tools
8
Regional Orgs
Ecosystem institutions
29
Regional Focus
Caribbean territories
From Concept to Investment-Ready Enterprise
The Beautiful Basics Hub equips budding entrepreneurs across the Caribbean with the resources needed to refine, structure and scale innovative climate solutions. It is built around four key phases: Idea, Startup & Early Stage, Scaling & Expansion and Mature Project.
Our digital suite provides free access to a core collection of essential tools, with additional specialised resources and support available. Through webinars, reading materials and expert led tutorial sessions developed with regional partners, the hub provides actionable tools to turn concepts into investment-ready enterprises.
The Four Key Phases
A structured step-by-step pathway guiding climate ventures from first spark through institutional maturity.
Idea
Refining climate solutions, establishing problem-solution fit, assessing initial feasibility, and validating market demand across island communities.
Key Outcomes
Startup & Early Stage
Structuring legal entities, testing operational prototypes, formalizing core governance, and building your first MVP for local island conditions.
Key Outcomes
Scaling & Expansion
Financial and unit-economics modeling, cross-island deployment pathways, capital matching, and team operational scaling.
Key Outcomes
Mature Project
Institutional compliance, bankability audits, ESG measurement frameworks, and commercial investment readiness for institutional capital.
Key Outcomes
Our Free Digital Suite
Actionable templates, legal toolkits, and interactive learning developed in collaboration with regional partners.
Essential Business Tools
Ready-to-use calculators, unit-economics spreadsheets, and project planning frameworks tailored to Caribbean operating environments.
Financial & Business Model Templates
Standardized cash-flow models, revenue blueprints, and investor presentation pitch decks built to global standards.
Legal Compliance & Governance
Practical guides on entity incorporation, intellectual property protection, contracts, and board governance frameworks across Caribbean jurisdictions.
Webinars & Expert-Led Tutorials
Interactive sessions, reading materials, and practical masterclasses developed in partnership with leading regional and global specialists.
Regional Organizations
These regional organizations are pivotal for Caribbean entrepreneurs as they provide the essential financial, technical and market support necessary to scale businesses, drive innovation and compete globally.
CARICOM Regional Organization for Standards and Quality (CROSQ)
Why would you need CROSQ?
CROSQ is the regional center for promoting efficiency and competitive production by leading the development and promotion of a robust regional Quality Infrastructure (QI). Its work facilitates trade within the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) and internationally.
The organization does this by supporting each country's National Standards Body (like the Bureau of Standards in your country) with harmonized regional standards, accredited testing laboratories and training in quality management systems.
You'd reach out to CROSQ if:
- You're exporting or planning to export and need your product tested or certified to meet international or destination-market standards. They would be able to guide you on what is needed or connect you to your local bureau of standards.
- You need access to accredited testing or calibration services (common in Agro-processing, manufacturing products etc.)
- You want training for your team in Quality Management Systems (QMS) so your business is positioned to meet buyer or regulatory requirements.
- You want to understand what your country's National Standards Body actually offers. CROSQ can point you to the right local contact.
Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export)
Why would you need Caribbean Export?
Caribbean Export is a regional trade and investment promotion agency focused on private sector development and building a resilient Caribbean economy. They implement a range of innovative and focused initiatives designed to facilitate Caribbean businesses expansion nationally, regionally and internationally into high value markets whilst taking advantage of special market access. They assist businesses that have the export potential or are already exporting to increase their capacity and competitiveness. They implement grant programs, trade fair participation and coaching cohorts specifically aimed at getting Caribbean businesses export-ready. They implement initiatives such as E-commerce Accelerator Programme etc.
You'd reach out to Caribbean Export if:
- You already export or have a product/service with export potential and want support increasing your capacity and competitiveness.
- You want help accessing high-value markets (regionally or internationally) through trade missions, trade fairs or preferential market access.
- You want grant funding or technical assistance tied to a specific export-readiness or branding project.
Caribbean Development Bank (CDB)
Why would you need CDB?
CDB is a regional financial institution dedicated to the economic growth, development and poverty reduction of its member countries, often playing a catalytic role in de-risking investments. They have a growing, dedicated small-business arm worth knowing about as an entrepreneur.
In mid-2026, CDB relaunched its long-running technical assistance programme for entrepreneurs (formerly the Caribbean Technological Consultancy Services or CTCS) under a new name: CDB PROPEL. To support this transition, CDB has allocated US$5 million under the 11th cycle of the Special Development Fund (SDF 11) for MSME technical assistance between 2025 and 2028.
You'd reach out to CDB if:
- You want free or low-cost technical assistance business planning, digitization, export readiness through CDB PROPEL.
- You're a larger or scaling enterprise seeking direct financing. This is where CDB's traditional lending role is strongest for private sector.
Organization of American States (OAS)
Why would you need the OAS?
OAS focuses on advancing development with equity, democracy and security across the Western Hemisphere, which includes promoting economic prosperity and employment creation. This is done via trade and competitiveness, human capital, policy and innovation.
They implement the Americas Competitiveness Exchange (ACE), an invitation-based programme that sends senior business and government leaders on a week-long tour of innovation hubs and ecosystems abroad to build cross-border partnerships. The OAS also maintains toolkits on business formalization, financial literacy and digital/AI readiness for MSMEs across the hemisphere.
You'd reach out to the OAS if:
- Your country has an OAS-established Small Business Development Center. This will serve as your most direct, hands-on access point for training and coaching.
- You're a senior business leader who could represent your country or sector on an Americas Competitiveness Exchange trip.
- You need help formalizing your business, improving financial literacy, or getting a first handle on digital/AI tools and want free toolkits rather than paid consulting.
Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) Group
The IDB Group is the leading source of development financing for Latin America and the Caribbean, with a structure focused on all sectors. The following are key entities you would reach out to.
IDB Invest
IDB Invest aims to be the partner of choice for the private sector in Latin America and the Caribbean. They finance projects to advance clean energy, modernize agriculture, strengthen transportation systems and expand access to financing.
You'd reach out to IDB Invest if:
- You run or are building an investment fund targeting the Caribbean.
- You lead a larger private company or project seeking direct financing or help mobilizing private investment (generally it is not the entry point for an early-stage small business).
IDB Lab
IDB Lab (innovative entrepreneurship): the innovation and venture arm of the Group. They focus on entrepreneurship and technology to cocreate solutions for development challenges and spark new industries for growth. IDB Lab supports high-impact startups and the innovation ecosystems.
You'd reach out to IDB Lab if:
- You're an early-stage startup with strong growth potential looking for seed-type funding.
- You want mentorship or a connection into the region's startup ecosystem.
Compete Caribbean Partnership Facility (CCPF)
Why would you need CCPF?
CCPF is a multi-donor facility (funded by IDB, CDB, and the UK) that gives out non-repayable grants directly to Caribbean firms and entrepreneurs. They provide technical assistance to advance productive development policies, support institutional strengthening and stimulate competitiveness, growth and innovation of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in its 13 beneficiary countries.
You'd reach out to CCPF if:
- You have an innovative business idea or expansion plan that would meaningfully boost exports, jobs, or competitiveness.
- You're part of an industry cluster (e.g., a group of agro-tourism or manufacturing businesses) that could apply together for a larger cluster grant.
Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO)
Why would you need the CTO?
The CTO is the region's tourism development agency, focusing on sustainable tourism for the economic and social benefit of the Caribbean people.
It's not typically a direct funding source for an individual small business, but it does provide technical assistance in sustainable tourism development and periodically partners with funding programmes for instance, it has worked with Compete Caribbean on grant calls specifically for community-based tourism and agro-tourism clusters.
You'd reach out to the CTO if:
- Your business is tourism-related and you want visibility within the region's collective international market.
- You want to join a CTO-linked technical assistance initiative or cluster grant (such as a community-based or agro-tourism cluster call).
- You're trying to understand tourism policy or sustainability standards that might affect your business.
OECS Commission (Organization of Eastern Caribbean States)
Why would you need the OECS Commission?
The OECS is dedicated to economic harmonization and integration among its member states, with a focus on strengthening the competitiveness of businesses in the Eastern Caribbean Economic Union.
They hosted a TECHIE incubator and accelerator that supported dozens of tech-focused startups and existing companies with mentoring, seed capital access and networking. OECS also implemented its Virtual Export Accelerator which gives young entrepreneurs a four-month coaching programme focused on getting export-ready. They have other initiatives such as Regional MSME Matching Grants Programme, OECS Youth and Women in Agriculture Symposium etc.
You'd reach out to the OECS Commission if:
- Your business operates in an OECS member state and you want hands-on mentorship, incubation, or coaching (rather than just funding).
- You're a young entrepreneur with an established business looking to grow exports through a structured accelerator programme.
- You need help accessing digital financial services or growing trade within the Eastern Caribbean Economic Union.
Courses
Interactive training modules created for Caribbean climate entrepreneurs and practitioners.
Introduction to Sustainable Financing
