BLP chooses to challenge inequality by weakening the existing barriers for women in businesses

Business Link Pacific works to help create an inclusive business world. One way we choose to challenge inequality is by creating services that weaken the existing barriers for women in businesses. 

Today, on International Women’s Day 2021, we want to bring attention to the BLP’s Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) Subsidy, a service  tailored to small businesses, led by women, youth, indigenous peoples and vulnerable groups in PNG, Fiji, Cook Islands, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu  and Samoa. 

Small businesses, led by women, youth, indigenous peoples or other groups typically experience additional barriers to business growth due to a number of factors. These include, but are not limited to illiteracy, lack of access to training/education, lack of access to finance, poor business management skills, limited access to networks to help grow their businesses and other cultural factors that impede their mobility and opportunities for advancement. BLP’s GESI strategy focuses on further improving capacity and access to essential business advisory services for these groups. 

The GESI Subsidy is designed to achieve the following goals: 

• Provide funding support to small businesses owned by women, youth, indigenous peoples or other marginalized groups that are looking for support and would otherwise not be able to access Business Advisory Services (BAS) without additional assistance. 
• Create a mechanism through which BASPs’ awareness of GESI is increased such that they assessing and responding to GESI clients’ diverse and unique needs, potentially developing and providing different services or delivery methods to respond to the needs of people of different genders (especially women), ages, ability statuses, ethnicities, etc. 

Projects supported through the GESI Subsidy: 

• The provision of BAS is expected to be extended to groups of up to 10 entrepreneurs or small businesses, with between 1 and 5 employees, including the owner. 
• The small businesses should be led by women, or youth, or indigenous people, or other marginalised groups, who haven’t accessed BLP subsidies previously, and would otherwise not benefit from BAS due to a variety of barriers, as described above. 
• The services should identify and be tailored to fill the gaps these unique businesses have in areas of business advisory support e.g. business management and organisational capability; accounting and record-keeping; improved support to women in leadership; training on internal communications, marketing or customer service, etc. See the full list of BLP services here.  

Subsidy Amount: 

• Up to 80% subsidy for projects with costs proportional to the size of the client business. The cost of projects will be assessed based on value for money, the scope of services being delivered and intended outcomes. 

Eligible BASP Applicants:  

• Applications for BLP’s GESI subsidies are open to BLP approved business advisors (BASPs) that can demonstrate GESI experience or professional competency. 

If you are a Business Advisor wanting to offer GESI subsidies under BLP, you can apply for your approval or certificate following the criteria here. 

If you are an SME wanting to apply for a GESI subsidy, you can contact a BLP approved Business Advisor and ask about the subsidies available to your business. Search for an approved BLP Partner here. Or you can contact the BLP representative in your country here