ILO advances Business Support Centre for northern Haiti through tripartite consultation.

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PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (ILO News) - Government, employer and worker representatives in Haiti have taken an important step towards shaping practical support for entrepreneurs and more specifically MSMEs, in the north of the country. At a tripartite consultation held on 28 July 2026 at Hôtel Montana in Port-au-Prince, representatives of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour (MAST), the Association of Industries of Haiti (ADIH) and workers' organizations identified three priority value chains for focused action and support: cassava, nuts and cashews, and cacao.

The discussions were organised within the framework of Business Support Centre / Centre d'appui aux entreprises (CAE) project for sustainable livelihoods in northern Haiti. Funded by the Government of Haiti through the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the US$1.5 million project is being implemented by the International Labour Organization (ILO).

"Our aim is to help self-employed entrepreneurs and micro and small enterprises overcome the barriers that prevent them from growing, formalizing their activities and creating decent jobs. By improving access to finance, markets, business skills and digital tools, the project will support more sustainable enterprises while responding to the challenges faced by women and young entrepreneurs," said Beatrice Illias, ILO Project Coordinator, Haiti.

Support rooted in local priorities

The CAE will bring together business development services that are often difficult for smaller enterprises to access. These will include training, mentoring, financial literacy, digital tools, business planning, market connections and support for enterprise formalization.

The Centre will also work with banks, cooperatives, microfinance institutions, business organizations, workers' representatives and members of the Haitian diaspora to expand access to finance and strengthen the wider enterprise support system.

The identification of cassava, nuts and cashews, and cacao as priority value chains reflects strong enthusiasm from local stakeholders during consultations. Given the scope of the formalization project, the two most viable value chains will be prioritized for the next stage of implementation, with the third pursued in parallel- should it prove feasible. Cassava, nuts and cashews, and cacao each have the potential to connect producers and small enterprises with processing, distribution and larger markets, while stimulating local production and employment. Rather than selecting sectors through a purely technical process, the project is using tripartite consultation to bring together the knowledge and perspectives of government, employers and workers. This participatory approach championed by the ILO is intended to strengthen trust, promote shared ownership and ensure that business support is grounded in the realities and priorities of local communities.

From consultation to results

Over its 18-month implementation period, the project is expected to support at least 150 enterprises and contribute to the creation of up to 300 decent jobs. At least half of the enterprises supported are expected to be led by women or young people.

To ensure sustainability, the project will also provide training and capacity building to beneficiaries using ILO tools such as the women's entrepreneurship development (WED), the Start and Improve Your Business (SIYB) programme, and My Green Business.

Following the consultation, participants will receive further information on the project, its planned activities and the ILO tools available. Each constituent organization has also been invited to consider how it can contribute to implementation.

By combining enterprise development with social dialogue and participatory governance, the project is laying the foundation for solutions that are locally anchored, more sustainable and better able to generate opportunities for businesses, workers and communities across northern Haiti.