Small businesses recognised for excellence and innovation

Sixteen small businesses were recognised for excellence and innovation at the Small Business Awards held on Friday at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, officials said.

Awards were presented across several categories, including construction, agriculture and drone technology under the Green Technology Fund. Winners of the Youth Agri-Innovative Business Pitch Competition were also honoured.

Tourism, Industry and Commerce Minister Susan Rodrigues said the achievements of the awardees reflected the government’s strategy to support small business development and showed that sustained investment in the sector was yielding results.

“Small businesses remain central to innovation, job creation and community development across Guyana,” Rodrigues said.

She noted that over the past five years, the Small Business Bureau has disbursed more than $1 billion in grants to over 4,000 businesses and facilitated nearly $1.3 billion in loan guarantees through partnerships with financial institutions.

Rodrigues also announced the approval of eight community business development projects valued at nearly $60 million and cited strong participation in the Youth Entrepreneurship Programme. Training and capacity building remain priorities, she added, with thousands of businesses benefiting annually from programmes offered by the Small Business Bureau, the Guyana National Bureau of Standards and the Guyana Tourism Authority.

Referring to GuyExpo 2025, Rodrigues said newly introduced business-to-business meetings had resulted in expanded market access, partnerships and financial guidance for small enterprises.

“These conversations must continue,” she said, urging entrepreneurs to collaborate, adopt innovative practices and pursue partnerships to fully benefit from Guyana’s economic growth.

Small Business Bureau Chief Executive Officer Shazim Ibrahim said the Belvedere and Lethem Business Incubators continue to support agro-processors through large-scale production.

Since 2023, the facilities have produced about 250,000 sachets of teabags, 26,000 pounds of flours and powders, and nearly 6,000 litres of virgin coconut oil, he said, highlighting their impact on surrounding communities.