Voucher for Technical Assistance Program for Small Businesses

Jamaica

The DBJ has introduced a programme called the Voucher for Technical Assistance (VTA) to assist micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in strengthening their managerial and administrative abilities to improve their creditworthiness and reach their full potential. Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the DBJ is planning to launch new lending facilities, namely the MSME recovery and Go-Digital loans, which will be driven by the revamped VTA programme.
Businesses will use these vouchers to access business support services provided by accredited Business Development Organizations.

FUNDS

US$500,000 - US$500,000

INTEREST RATE

12%

INDUSTRIES

All

Eligibility

ANNUAL REVENUE

US$500,000 - US$500,000

REQUIRES COLLATERAL

4 YEARS

Qualifications

Businesses that operate in all the traditional industries, such as agriculture, agro-processing, tourism, energy, manufacturing, mining, and services, as well as the emerging industries, such as animation and information technology, would qualify for assistance under the programme.

The business must be registered with the Companies Office of Jamaica and have a valid Tax Compliance Certificate (TCC).

Documents Required

When accessing service from an accredited Business Development Organisation (BDO) the applicant must present 2 forms of identification as described below:


1. One must be a valid government-issued document (i.e. passport, driver's license, elector registration identification card) containing a photograph and the applicant's signature.

2. The second must be a valid official item with or without signature and/or photograph, for example, a birth certificate accompanied by a Declaration of Identity both signed by a Justice of the Peace, Minister of Religion or Attorney-at-Law confirming the identity of the customer. It could also be an employee ID from a known employer, TRN or any other form of identification deemed acceptable by the Bank.

Application Process

Entrepreneurs have to retrieve an application form from the voucher website – www.dbjvoucher.com

The completed form must be submitted to voucher@dbankjm.com

The client will receive an automatic email confirming receipt of the application (this is not a voucher)

The project manager may interview the client, regarding the information in the application

The project manager will evaluate the application and will either approve or deny the request via email.

If approved, a voucher will be emailed to the client.

The client can redeem the voucher at an approved DBJ Business Development Organization of his/her choice

The project manager will follow up with clients to track the progress of their business.

Other Information

N/A