The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) aims to assist Caribbean nations to promote broad-based economic growth, inclusive social development, good governance, and regional cooperation and integration. The CDB supports the Millennium Development Goals for the Caribbean region.
The CDB is one of the world’s smallest multilateral development banks. It supports projects for health, education, physical infrastructure, enterprise development, and disaster risk management and climate change. Many funded activities are for water supply and energy.
Grant Programs for Agriculture, Energy, Environment, Natural Resources
1 — Natural Disaster Risk Management (NDRM) Program. The NDRM Program supports disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change adaptation (CCA) activities in the CARIFORUM countries. The overall objective of the Program is to contribute to reducing vulnerability to the long-term impacts of natural hazards, including the potential impacts of climate change.
APPLICATION: NDRM is open to communities, non-state actors including civil society organizations, non-government organizations, private sector entities operating in communities, as well as Government ministries with responsibilities for economic planning, transportation, finance and water.
NDRM funds are being disbursed through competitive grants. An email contact is available on the program website.
2 — Basic Needs Trust Fund (BNTF). The BNTF provides resources to poor Caribbean communities to improve access to public services, enhance employability, and reduce socio-economic vulnerability. Thematic areas for project funding include community water supply, local environmental degradation, and skills training for livelihoods and enterprises (among many other topics).
BNTF’s support is available to community groups, NGOs, and government agencies in the participating countries. Most grants range from about US$30 thousand to US$500 thousand.
APPLICATION: BNTF’s web pages explain the Fund’s goals, objectives, and beneficiary countries.
The BNTF provides contact information for its local offices in each participating country (Belize, The Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and the Turks and Caicos Islands) on the website.
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3 — UK Caribbean Infrastructure Partnership Fund. The UK government invests up to £300 million in new infrastructure such as roads, bridges and ports to help drive economic growth and development across the Caribbean region.
APPLICATION: Eligible Caribbean countries are: Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Montserrat.
ODA-eligible countries can access the Allocation Request Form.
Geographical Distribution of Grant Activities in Developing Countries
The CDB’s member countries and territories are identified below.
Latin America and Caribbean: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and Turks and Caicos Islands
Note: Not all of these are defined as countries in the Terra Viva Grants Directory.
The Bank posts profiles of funded projects.
The CDB’s Special Development Fund includes a program area for disasters and climate change.
CDB invests in expanding and improving access to safe water and sanitation for communities across the Caribbean, takes action to protect the environment, makes investments in agriculture and aims to improve access to sustainable energy through collaborations with governments and partners.
Special Development Fund (SDF) provides interest-free loans of high development priority for an indefinite term and provided on a multi-year basis.
The Bank works through Caribbean Technology Consultancy Services to subsidize technical assistance, workshops, and employment attachments for Caribbean enterprises. The sectors include agro-industry, fisheries, energy, and several others.
Contact Us provides information for CDB’s office in Barbados.
February 2021