Caribbean Export and CDB Partner to Strengthen Regional Investment Pipeline

• The Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export) and the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) have strengthened their collaboration to build a more robust pipeline of Caribbean investment opportunities and improve connections between regional projects and prospective investors. As part of the arrangement, the CDB approved support through its PROPEL programme to strengthen investor engagement around projects developed through the Caribbean Investment Forum (CIF). This will enable Caribbean Export to support project owners with investor readiness, targeted outreach, matchmaking and structured follow-up.
• The initiative builds on a CIF pipeline of approximately 30 projects from 11 CARIFORUM countries, representing more than US$172Mn in investment opportunities, developed since the Forum's inception in 2022. Caribbean Export's Executive Director, Dr Damie Sinanan, noted that the objective is for CIF to serve as an investment platform that supports projects before, during and after the annual event. CDB President Daniel M. Best highlighted the need for greater mobilisation of private capital and stronger links between credible investment opportunities and investors.
• CIF 2026, the fifth edition of the Forum, was held from October 5 to 7 in Barbados and drew an estimated 500 delegates. At the Forum, investors engaged directly with a curated pipeline of opportunities through project showcases, targeted matchmaking and the CIF Deal Room. Eight featured projects, each vetted and qualified by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), sought more than US$39Mn in combined investment across digital transformation, sustainable agriculture, green economy transition, and logistics and transportation.
• Republic Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) were Platinum Sponsors of the Forum, joining principal partners the Government of Barbados, as host country, and the European Union under its Global Gateway initiative. The IDB's involvement builds on a three-year Memorandum of Understanding signed with Caribbean Export at CIF 2025 to advance sustainable investment and project development through the ONE Caribbean Project Preparation Coordination Mechanism (PPCM).
• The partnership targets a persistent constraint in the region, where a limited supply of well-prepared, investment-ready projects has often restricted private capital inflows. By extending investor engagement beyond the Forum itself, the initiative could improve the conversion of showcased projects into funded deals. However, at roughly US$172Mn across 30 projects over four years, the pipeline remains modest relative to the region's investment needs. Its impact will ultimately depend on how many of these opportunities reach financial close and ultimately get executed.

(Sources: Caribnews, Caribbean Today & NCBCM Research)