(1) To benefit from a JBF grant, firms must:

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• belong to a supply chain based group of locally registered enterprises transacting business with each other and represented by an Anchor firm registered and operating within Jamaica.
• be micro, small or medium sized according to table below

• 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, in the case of farmers, registration with the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) or other similar institution acceptable to the JBF.
• 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 and, where applicable, a General Consumption Tax (GCT) number at the time of application ;
• Show evidence that they have or can obtain sufficient financial resources to fund their required copayment
• In exceptional circumstances the Anchor Firm, even though it does not meet the size criterion set out above, may require a grant to assume the responsibilities and significant costs of coordination of the project. In such cases the firm must include the request in the grant application with adequate justification. The decision on whether to allow this is at the discretion of the Fund Manager and the JBF Policy Committee. In such cases the percentage of co-financing by the JBF to the Anchor firm will not exceed 35%.

In addition to the above, SME firms applying for sub-grants within a supply chain project must:

• be directly responsible for the preparation and management of the sub-grant project, 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).