Welcome to the MSME portal.
OVERVIEW: Small Enterprise Development Unit (SEDU)
The Small Business Development Centre (SBDC), also known as the Small Enterprise Development Unit (SEDU), is a department within the Ministry of Tourism, Commerce, Investment, Creative Industries, Culture and Heritage. It is envisaged that the SBDC will offer a more holistic approach to the development of the Micro and Small Enterprise (MSE) sector in Saint Lucia, with the core mission being to help businesses become globally competitive by providing long term consulting, training, financing and market research solutions that create real economic impact.
The SBDC was officially launched in November 2014, and through it, offers Saint Lucian entrepreneurs expert knowledge and experience in a range of fields related to business development. The SBDC is part of a network of business support organizations/partners which include BELFund, Environmental Health Department, Ministry of Physical Development, Monroe College, National Competitiveness and Productivity Council (NCPC), National Research and Development Foundation (NRDF), National Skills Development Centre (NSDC), Saint Lucia Bureau of Standards (SLBS), Saint Lucia Development Bank (SLDB), Sir Arthur Lewis Community College (SALCC), the Trade Export Promotion Agency (TEPA), and University of the West Indies (UWI) Open Campus.
The Small Business Development Centre (SBDC), through its network of partners, will serve as a catalyst in improving service delivery to our existing and future entrepreneurs. The Centre pledges to put clients' interests first, behave as professionals, keep client information 100% confidential and to assist all clients with high-value services which will help them make better business decisions and provide value to their operations.
Background
It is well known that micro and small enterprises (MSEs) have the potential to create and expand employment opportunities, develop entrepreneurial skills, enhance market opportunities, and engage in export promotion and import substitution. Therefore, recognizing the important role that the MSE sector plays in contributing to the social and economic development of the country, SEDU (now the SBDC) was established. SEDU was first funded by contributions from the Government of Saint Lucia (GOSL), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the International Labour Organization (ILO). Today the operations of the Department are fully financed by the Government of Saint Lucia.
SERVICES
The SBDC's services are open to all legal micro and small existing and potential businesses. SEDU achieves its mandate through various programmes, namely:
I. Advocacy
Business Name Registration
Incorporation of Companies
Duty Free Concessions
Networking Opportunities
II. Entrepreneurial Development
Entrepreneurial Training
Management Advisory Services
SBDC Young Entrepreneurs in Action (SBDC YEA!) Programme
III. Market and Product Development
Exhibitions
Marketing Plans and Market Research
Standards Promotion
Product Development
IV. Access to Finance
Business Plan Development assistance
Financial Record Keeping Systems
Loan Grant Funding