Eligible supply chains include those subsectors that are particularly well prepared for assisting output and employment growth in Jamaica in the shorter run, and are expected to include, but are not limited to agriculture and agro-processing, light manufacturing, and construction and logistics services, both in the Jamaican economy broadly and in Special Economic Zones. The defining parameters for the selection of the supply chains to be assisted surround (a) supply chains with export growth potential (b) assisting with the emergence or development of new industries (c) potential productivity upgrading (d) potential increases in jobs and sales (e) commitment of the group to the program.

The specific applicant will generally be a medium or larger firm, which interacts directly with the market, which is a part of an eligible supply chain and which accepts the responsibility to prepare and manage a JBF application and the project implementation. Only medium sized and smaller applicants will normally directly benefit from the grant. The applicant firm is also called the Anchor firm.

(1) The Anchor firm must:

• represent a supply chain based group of locally registered enterprises transacting business with each other. Eligible supply chains include productive sectors that can generate high job multipliers from invested resources and ideally sustainable and growing foreign exchange earnings through exports and/or foreign exchange savings through import substitution.
• be majority privately owned with transparent ownership; government supported entities are eligible in exceptional cases where the entity operates in transactional arrangements with the supply chain or where there is a private-public partnership e.g. through licensing, leasing or contract.
• hold a legally required business license, registration, or form of incorporation.
• have been in operation for at least one year, as evidenced by a financial statement or other means acceptable to the JBF.
• have a Tax Registration Number (TRN), Tax Compliance Certificate (TCC) and General Consumption Tax (GCT) number at the time of application ;
• Show evidence that they have or can obtain sufficient financial resources to fund the required copayment. This may take the form of commitment agreements with supply chain partner firms.
• be directly responsible for the preparation and management of the action, not acting as an intermediary; and
• be experienced and able to demonstrate their capacity to manage initiatives corresponding with the size of the project for which a grant is requested;

(2) Firms may not participate in calls for proposals or be awarded grants if:

(a) they fall into a category that is not eligible for financing in World Bank Projects because it is listed under the IFC Environmental Exclusion List;

(b) they are bankrupt or being wound up, are having their affairs administered by the courts, have entered into an arrangement with creditors, have suspended business activities, are the subject of proceedings concerning those matters;

(c) they have been convicted of an offence concerning professional conduct by a judgement which has the force of res judicata (i.e., against which no appeal is possible);

(d) they are guilty of grave professional misconduct proven by any means which the JBF can justify;

(e) they have not fulfilled obligations relating to the payment of taxes in accordance with the legal provisions of Jamaica;

(f) they have been the subject of a judgment which has the force of res judicata for fraud, corruption, involvement in a criminal organisation or any other illegal activity detrimental to JBF’s or the Government’s financial interests;

(g) they have been declared to be in serious breach of contract for failure to comply with their contractual obligations in connection with a procurement procedure or other loan or grant award procedure financed by the FCGP.

Applicants are also excluded from participation in calls for proposals or the award of grants if, at the time of the call for proposals, they:

(h) are subject to a conflict of interests;

(i) are guilty of misrepresentation in supplying the information required by the JBF as a condition of participation in the call for proposals or fail to supply this information;

(j) have attempted to obtain confidential information or influence the evaluation committee or the JBF during the evaluation process of current or previous calls for proposals.

In Section E of the grant application form (“Declaration by the applicant”), applicants and all supply chain members must declare that they do not fall into any of the above categories (a) to (j).