Castries, St. Lucia – The St. Lucia Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture successfully convened its 2026 MSME Day Ecosystem Forum, bringing together representatives from government ministries, financial institutions, business support organisations, academia and the private sector to identify practical solutions for strengthening St. Lucia's Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) ecosystem.

The highly interactive forum moved beyond discussion to action, with participants working collaboratively to identify the most pressing challenges facing entrepreneurs and agree on priority actions for implementation over the next twelve months.

Throughout the session, participants acknowledged that while numerous organisations provide valuable support to MSMEs, greater coordination and collaboration are needed to maximize impact. Common themes emerging from the working groups included improving communication among support agencies, increasing the visibility and accessibility of available services, streamlining the customer journey for entrepreneurs, and creating stronger mechanisms for information sharing.

Among the key priorities identified were:

• Formalizing collaboration among MSME ecosystem partners through regular quarterly engagement.
• Developing a comprehensive directory and matrix of services offered by business support organisations to reduce duplication and improve referrals.
• Establishing a central MSME ecosystem hub to provide entrepreneurs with easier access to information, support services and referrals, while ensuring both digital and physical access points.
• Broadening participation across the ecosystem by strengthening collaboration among government agencies, financial institutions, educational institutions and private sector organisations.
• Improving monitoring, accountability and coordination to ensure programmes are delivering measurable outcomes for MSMEs.

Participants also highlighted opportunities to improve the ease of doing business by addressing issues relating to banking requirements, record keeping, land registry processes, tax and National Insurance clearances, and access to business financing.

Importantly, the forum concluded with participating organisations expressing their willingness to move from recommendations to implementation by committing to collaborate on future initiatives within their respective areas of expertise. Commitments included supporting the development of the proposed ecosystem hub, sharing information on business support programmes, collaborating on entrepreneur training and skills development, improving access to financing information, and contributing to a more coordinated national support system for MSMEs.

Speaking during the forum, facilitators emphasized that sustainable growth for the MSME sector depends on organisations working together rather than in isolation, creating a seamless support network that allows entrepreneurs to access the right services at the right time.

The Chamber reaffirmed its commitment to serving as a convener of the ecosystem by facilitating continued dialogue among stakeholders and advancing the implementation of the forum's priority actions.

The outcomes of the forum will inform a collaborative roadmap aimed at strengthening Saint Lucia's entrepreneurial ecosystem, improving service delivery and creating a more enabling environment for MSMEs to start, grow and thrive.