PHILIPSBURG--The St. Maarten Chamber of Commerce and Industry (COCI), in collaboration with the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), hosted a well-attended Business Support Session on Wednesday, June 3, at the University of St. Martin (USM), providing entrepreneurs and business owners with practical information on financial instruments, grants and support mechanisms available to help strengthen and grow their businesses.
The session featured a presentation by Bernise Stoffer, Programme Manager Dutch Caribbean Partnership Programme at RVO, who outlined several support opportunities for eligible businesses, including the Support International Business (SIB) programme, the DHI Subsidy Scheme and access-to-finance instruments aimed at supporting enterprise development and international market entry.
The room was filled with entrepreneurs, business owners and stakeholders, with a steady stream of questions directed to both Stoffer and COCI Executive Director Jude Houston. The high level of participation reflected strong interest from the business community in better understanding how these instruments can be accessed and applied in the St. Maarten context.
In her presentation, Stoffer explained that SIB is designed to support sustainable international business and export development. She highlighted instruments such as export training and coaching, individual and collective trade fair participation, trade missions, market-entry support, and knowledge and skills support in areas such as legal, fiscal and market research assistance.
Stoffer also shared practical examples relevant to St. Maarten, noting that tourism-related activities such as hotels, tours, diving, cruises and ferries can be considered export when they are aimed at attracting clients from abroad. She further explained that services, not only products, may qualify for export support, and that creative products and services from St. Maarten to nearby markets such as Anguilla, St. Kitts or the French side of the island may also be considered export activity, depending on eligibility requirements.
The DHI Subsidy Scheme was also presented as a tool to make international market entry more feasible and affordable for eligible businesses. The scheme supports demonstration projects, feasibility studies, investment preparation projects and, new in 2026, market validations for startups. These instruments are intended to help companies test, prepare and position their products, services or technologies in target markets.
Houston said COCI was pleased to facilitate the session and emphasised the importance of ensuring that entrepreneurs are aware of available support.
“Access to information and access to finance remain critical for entrepreneurs and small businesses in St. Maarten,” Houston said. “Sessions like these are important because they help translate available instruments into practical opportunities that business owners can understand and pursue.”
Houston also used the opportunity to highlight ongoing efforts by COCI to connect the local banking sector with RVO’s Credit Guarantee Scheme for SMEs based in Aruba, Curaçao and St. Maarten, known as BMKB ACS. The scheme is intended to improve access to financing by increasing the collateral position of eligible SMEs through a government-backed guarantee.
According to RVO, the BMKB ACS is available to businesses in Aruba, Curaçao and St. Maarten. The scheme also includes general partnerships, sole proprietorships and partnerships, with applications handled through participating financiers.
Houston said COCI is actively engaged in discussions with local banks to encourage participation in the scheme. “We understand the dynamics of small businesses in St. Maarten,” Houston said. “When support packages are created for the islands, they must take into account the relationship between entrepreneurs and the local banking industry. A package that works in Berlin or in the Netherlands may not automatically fit the St. Maarten context.”
He added that COCI convened discussions between RVO and the local banking sector to address these realities.
“We brought RVO and the Bankers Association together so that this conversation could take place directly. We are encouraged by the enthusiasm of the banks, and we already have two banks signed up,” Houston said.
Houston also stressed that while some instruments presented may be geared toward NVs and BVs, sole proprietors should not feel excluded from the broader support conversation.
“It is important for sole proprietors and small entrepreneurs to know that they are not forgotten,” he said. “The BMKB ACS can also be relevant to them, and COCI will continue to advocate for support mechanisms that reflect the realities of our business community.”
COCI encourages entrepreneurs and business owners to review the available instruments carefully, seek guidance where needed, and remain engaged as further information becomes available through COCI, RVO and participating financial institutions.
The COCI Board was also represented at the session by board members Louis Bute, Nzinga Lake, Annuska Friday, Cindy-Lee Doran and Franjesca Bulbaai, who thanked all participants, presenters and stakeholders for their valuable contributions to the success of the evening session and for the active engagement shown by the business community.
