Small Businesses Urged to Claim $37bn in Reserved Government Contracts

Kingston, Jamaica, 21 June 2026

Small business owners are being urged to learn how to bid for government work, as officials say contracts set aside for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises are not being fully taken up.

The Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce has teamed up with the Public Procurement Commission on a series of roadshows to show MSME operators how to register as suppliers and apply for state contracts.

A fifth of contracts reserved

Under the Public Procurement (Set Asides) Order, 2019, 20 per cent of government contracts are reserved for MSMEs. That share is worth roughly $37 billion, but it is not being fully used by the businesses it was designed to help.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Sancia Bennett Templer, said procurement is simply not part of most entrepreneurs’ daily routine, which is why training matters. Business owners, she noted, are focused on producing and selling, not on navigating tender documents.

She was speaking on Wednesday, 10 June, at the launch of the Small Business Association of Jamaica’s Growth and Resilience One-Day Working Conference at The Jamaica Pegasus in New Kingston. Three training sessions have already been held, and about 1,700 companies have received training in information technology and digitisation.

Conference set for July

The association’s full conference is scheduled for 16 July at the same hotel, under the theme of rebuilding the MSME sector as a national imperative. SBAJ President Garnett Reid said around 400 business leaders, policymakers and development partners are expected.

Sessions will focus on moving informal businesses into the regulated economy, preparing proper financial statements to attract funding, and using compliance as a route to larger pools of capital. Some 400,000 small business operators contribute about $1.3 trillion to the economy each year.

Why it matters to readers

Small contractors, hardware suppliers, tradesmen and other building-related businesses are among those who could benefit from the set-aside. A formally registered small firm that wins public work gains steadier income and a stronger financial track record, which can make it easier to qualify for business loans or a mortgage.

Follow Jamaica Homes on Youtube @jamaicahomes and Instagram @jamaica_homes and on Facebook @jamaicahomesnews Send us a message or email us at onlinefeedback@jamaica-homes.com or editor@jamaica-homes.com