The Ministry of Trade and Industry, for the constitution of the 5th cohort of beneficiaries as part of the execution of the Youth Entrepreneurship Support Program (PAPEJ), with the support of its financial partners, is officially launching a business plan competition intended for young Haitian entrepreneurs wishing to create, strengthen or develop innovative and sustainable businesses.

This competition targeting young entrepreneurs will offer them a suitable financing mechanism, accompanied by structured technical support, and will promote the emergence of entrepreneurial initiatives capable of contributing to economic growth and job creation in Haiti.

General Objective of PAPEJ :

The Youth Entrepreneurship Support Program (PAPEJ) aims to promote the self-employability of young people, particularly in rural areas, through the creation and development of viable, competitive and sustainable businesses.

Specific Objectives The program intends :

Promote the creation and strengthening of businesses run by young Haitians - Reduce youth unemployment by encouraging entrepreneurship and self-employability -

Promote the formalization of businesses in order to develop a culture of fiscal responsibility and contribution to national development - Offer accessible financing conditions adapted to the realities of young entrepreneurs and encourage the development of economic activities that generate jobs and have a positive impact on local communities.

Financing offered :

As part of the program, financing of up to two million gourdes may be granted to any company or group of entrepreneurs presenting a viable, innovative project that generates sufficient income to ensure compliance with financial commitments linked to credit.

The funding aims in particular to support :

• The acquisition and installation of production equipment and materials;

• The development or rental of premises;

• Acquisition of raw materials;

• Strengthening production capacities;

• Any other expenditure essential to the implementation of the project.

The program is mainly aimed at micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), as well as groups of entrepreneurs (general partnerships, limited partnerships, limited companies, etc.) operating in productive sectors such as: agro-industry; biotechnology; mechanics; manufacturing; processing industries and any other productive sector deemed eligible.

At the end of this competition, the selected business plans will be submitted to the financial partners for financing, after validation by the PAPEJ coordination, in accordance with the established terms and conditions. The granting of financing remains conditional on compliance with the eligibility criteria mentioned below as well as the technical, financial and economic evaluation of the business plan submitted.

Eligibility criteria, submitted projects must :

Present an innovative idea that creates added value; be carried by a company in the start-up phase or requiring strengthening; demonstrate job creation potential; be managed by a promoter aged under 40; give priority to general partnerships and limited companies bringing together at least 5 people; promote local products or national sectors; present a financing need of between 50,000 and 2,000,000 gourdes; develop environmentally friendly activities; demonstrate, in the case of existing businesses, a minimum capacity to generate income and be already formalized or commit to formalization within the deadlines provided for by the program.

Credit conditions :

• Amount of financing: from 50,000 to 2,000,000 gourdes;

• Maximum repayment period: up to 10 years;

• Fixed interest rate: between 3% and 5%;

• Grace period: 6 to 12 months.

Beneficiary responsibilities :

The selected entrepreneurs undertake to: Respect the terms of repayment of the credit; participate in training sessions organized by the program; provide all the information necessary to monitor the project; respect the technical and managerial orientations proposed by the program and ensure transparent and responsible management of the financed company.

Interested persons are invited to submit :

• The project business plan;

• Registration certificate from MCI, Patente and CIP;

• A copy of the national identification card (NIU) of the project leader.

The official framework for writing the business plan available on the website of the Ministry of Trade and Industry and can be freely downloaded by candidates.

Download the Canvas of your business plan : https://www.haitilibre.com/docs/Canevas-plan-d_affaires-PAPEJ.docx

Submission deadline : No later than May 25, 2026 to the following email address : papej@mci.gouv.ht

Important :

Incomplete files will not be considered - Only pre-selected candidates will be contacted. - After analysis, the selected projects will benefit from the various supports offered by the PAPEJ Program.

HL/ HaitiLibre