A new program designed to help small businesses in the region is focusing its efforts through a competition aimed at finding the region's best business enablers, with 10 seats up for grabs in Accelerate Caribbean's 12-month Business Incubation Clinic.

Accelerate Caribbean is an 18-month program funded by the Canadian government as part of its $20 million Entrepreneurship Program for Innovation in the Caribbean (EPIC), which seeks to "build an enabling ecosystem to foster high-growth and sustainable enterprises throughout the Caribbean". Accelerate Caribbean is designed by infoDev, a global innovation and entrepreneurship division within the World Bank Group.

Accelerate is focusing on upgrading the skills and capacity of business enablers, and raising awareness of entrepreneurship and innovation across 14 CARICOM countries: Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago. The program is intended to make the region's most promising business enablers even better through a tailored package of training and mentorship.

"To support EPIC's goals, Accelerate Caribbean is currently running a competition to find the region's best business enablers. Business enablers are existing organizations or new consortia of organizations which provide entrepreneurs and start-ups with various types of support and motivation. This support might take the form of training, seed capital, professional advisory services, technology and workspace, or events and networking opportunities," Natalia Pipia, Team Leader, IMC Worldwide said in a press release advising of the competition.

The project is being administered by IMC Worldwide.

"Following the competitive selection process, up to 10 successful applicants will win a place in Accelerate Caribbean's 12-month Business Incubation Clinic. The clinic will match each enabler with an internationally-renowned entrepreneurship mentor who will provide one-on-one coaching and advice, peer-to-peer learning sessions, tailored networking opportunities and exposure to new models and best practices of accelerating early-stage enterprises' growth. Mentors will identify regional and international events relevant to their mentees, who will also benefit from priority access to infoDev's Business Incubation Management Training Program."

Guardian Business understands that mentoring will take place both face-to-face and virtually, and that in addition to a tailored support program, each enabler will also take part in mentor-led online workshops for all clinic participants.

"This will bring like-minded enablers from the region together and support peer-to-peer learning and networking opportunities for all the selected enablers," Pipia said.

The reported that by August 2016, Accelerate Caribbean is expected to have delivered a 12-month Business Incubation Clinic (BIC) program for up to 10 business enablers, delivered four of infoDev's Business Incubation Management (BIM) training sessions across the region and hosted round-table discussions within the region to encourage collaboration and champion entrepreneurship and innovation.

The Bahamas Department of Meteorology has issued a severe weather thunderstorm from 12:10PM until 6:10PM Wednesday 29 April 2015.

A SEVERE WEATHER WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR ANDROS, NEW PROVIDENCE, ELEUTHERA, BERRY ISLANDS AND THEIR ADJACENT WATERS.

At 12:10PM observation, radar and satellite imagery show clusters of organized thunderstorms in a line stretching from Western Cuba gradually moving East-NorthEastward toward the afore-mentioned areas.

Some of these thunderstorms will be severe at times causing strong gusty winds, dangerous lighting, heavy downpours, hail and possible waterspout or tornadic activity. Flooding in low lying areas can be expected.

BOATERS IN THE WARNING AREA SHOULD SEEK SAFE HARBOUR AND RESIDENTS IN THE WARNING AREA SHOULD STAY INDOORS AND AWAY FROM WINDOWS WHEN CONDITIONS WORSEN. RESIDENTS SHOULD NOT SEEK SHELTER UNDER TREES OR IN WATER AS THESE CAN BECOME LIGHTNING CONDUCTORS.

ISSUED BY: : KAYLINDA WARD-FORBES (DUTY FORECASTER)

The Bahamas National Festival Commission has announced that tickets for Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival 2015 official events are now available for purchase.

As well as ordering tickets online at www.bahamasjunkanoocarnival.com, anyone interested can now conveniently find locations at which to purchase passes to the events, which range from $15 a day for entrance into all activities, to $40 for a weekend pass. There are also $100 VIP passes for the entire weekend.

The locations are BTC’s Marathon Mall and Southwest Plaza locations, the T.A. Robinson Stadium’s Box Office as well as the six CASH N’ Go locations in New Providence.

“We want to make sure everyone can easily purchase a ticket to the event,” said the CEO of the BNFC Roscoe Dames. “Da Cultural Village at the Western Esplanade will come alive next week from May 7th through 9th and we want everyone to be there. “So we are happy to partner with these businesses to give everyone better access to experience Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival 2015.”

Online sales of tickets have been going steadily and the BNFC expects a significant turnout to the different events during the season. Construction of Da Cultural Village is ongoing. Tickets purchases will include entrance to the Music Masters Concert on May 8th and the Grand finale concert on May 9th as well entrance to Da Cultural Village.This enclosed space at the Western Esplanade will provide entrants with multiple-experiences, featuring live non-stop entertainment and food vendors from around The Bahamas during the Junkanoo Carnival period.

Slated to open officially on May 7th, 2015 Da Cultural Village will include several different areas and stages. They include:

• Stage Junkanoo– An interactive area designated to accommodate Junkanoo performances and demonstrations.

• Stage Rake and Scrape— A special zone for live Rake-n-Scrape performances to entertain participants.

• Stage Bahamia — The space selected for Bahamian and some regional musical acts from all diverse genres to perform during that time.

Arts and Crafts Cottage– An area set aside for various vendors displaying everything from local art to straw work and other crafts.

Da Cultural Village will close its doors after May 9th in Nassau and after April 18th in Grand Bahama.

ABOUT: The first Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival, sponsored by BTC, is a collage of Bahamian culture set for May 7-9, 2015. It is a festive weeklong celebration where Bahamians and guests from around the world are immersed in all things Bahamian in an entertaining and interactive manner. For more information please visit our www.bahamasjunkanoocarnival.com, follow us on Twitter @carnivalbahamas, Instagram: Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival and Facebook: Bahamas Carnival.

BTC is the proud title sponsor of Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival. The company has provided $1 million in funding to ensure the success of this national event. BTC has been a long-time supporter of Bahamian culture and arts and believes that this sponsorship will continue to further the evolution and growth of Bahamian culture.

AN American businessman, now a Bahamian resident, was robbed at gunpoint in “broad daylight” at a Royal Bank of Canada branch yesterday afternoon.

Sandy Schaeffer, former owner of Robin Hood and now partner in the Everything Must Go store on Prince Charles, told The Tribune that he was entering RBC’s JFK Drive branch to make a value added tax (VAT) payment when a young man in a black hooded jacket and dark sunglasses, stuck an “automatic weapon” in the back of his neck, robbed him of his briefcase, then fled in a vehicle.