Dr. Ann Marlin-Evans conducting the training at the Entrepreneurship Development Program (EDP).
PHILIPSBURG--The St. Maarten Entrepreneurship Development Center (SEDC) Foundation has launched the first Entrepreneurship Development Program (EDP).
The four-week EDP is designed to equip aspiring and existing entrepreneurs with essential business skills. The programme offers eight classes each session in business fundamentals and is projected to run four times during 2024-2025.
The programme is endorsed by the Ministry of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication (TEATT).
A memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed between the National Recovery Program Bureau (NRPB) and SEDC to support and fund the implementation of the EDP. The MOU covers the period of January 2024 to June 2025, and is a first step towards fostering future collaborative efforts between the institutions to provide micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) with the necessary tools, knowledge and support to succeed.
The first session began on Tuesday, August 20, with 30 participants in attendance. The projected quota was 25, but the final admitted number of registrants to the EDP was 30. The number of participants surpassed the projected quota by five.
The SEDC contracted Dr. Ann Marlin-Evans, a business trainer and coach, to conduct this first four-week session. Marlin-Evans created an interactive atmosphere about the entrepreneurial journey.
In completing the EDPs, the SEDC said it will ensure the participants' prolonged guidance in incorporating their business, becoming operational, sustainability and growth. Additionally, SEDC will guide and assist interested participants in applying for loans and grants under NRPB’s Enterprise Support Project (ESP), which is a part of the St. Maarten Trust Fund, as financed by the Dutch government and managed by the World Bank.
With the ESP application deadline closing in June 2025, the MOU with SEDC is timely to ensure continued support and development for MSMEs and also represents a critical milestone in the mission to empower MSMEs, as aligned with the entrepreneurship developmental goals of the Ministry of TEATT. The next EDP sessions will be hosted in November 2024, it was stated in a press release.
