INTERNATIONAL CERTIFICATION FUND

ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL CERTIFICATE FUND

This Fund provides financial assistance to the Manufacturing Sector (including Agro processing), for a range of applicable international standards to boost production of non-energy exports and contribute to import substitution.

Funding will be provided in the form of grants and will be limited to one grant per beneficiary and will partly cover the costs associated to meet recognized international standards.

The International Certification Programme will provide grant funding to assist eligible firms with:

building capacity in the conduct of standards audits, inspections and/or implementation of the process of certification;
the acquisition and operation of specialized equipment required for the adoption of standards;
infrastructural modifications to comply with standards implementation; and
auditing and certification costs.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE

Sole proprietors, partnerships or companies wholly-owned by Trinidad and Tobago nationals and registered and operating in Trinidad and Tobago;
firms that demonstrate the potential to develop a sustainable export base;
firms established for a minimum of one (1) year, with supporting financials;
firms engaged in the production of non-energy exports, with export sales less than US$4,000,000;
firms contributing to import substitution with sales turnover less than TT$25,000,000.

CRITERIA FOR ASSESSMENT

Applicants will be assessed based on:

quality and completeness of documentation submitted,
level of export orientation/import substitution, impact of funded activity on future export growth/import substitution of the firm, and
overall impact on the domestic economy.

Successful recipients to date!