Update: October 2019

We’re pleased to congratulate Marcus on winning the JN Small Business Loans Start Up Kick Start Competition to launch an alternative agriculture enterprise, including aquaponics and vertical farming, to raise microgreens. Marcus developed the concept for Brunswick Farms Limited as a participant in INMED Caribbean’s Increasing Access to Climate-Smart Agriculture program, which includes intensive business planning and coaching.

“I pitched the concept to seven panel judges,” explains Marcus. “I  took them through the concept and how I would scale the micro-business into a full-grown company that would do an IPO on the Jamaica Stock Exchange.” His plan impressed the judges enough to award him JMD100,000 in seed funding. Our team at INMED Caribbean is helping Marcus negotiate a partnership with Dinthill Technical College to potentially lease its INMED Aquaponics system to get started.

“Being a participant of the INMED’s IACA program helped me a lot with the actual idea,” says Marcus. “I was aware that the JN Small Business Loan and INMED had a partnership that would 

allow INMED’s trained farmers to receive a loan to start-up their aquaponics systems. I was thinking if I win the JN Start Up Kick Start competition, then it would position me better to get the loan from JN Small Business Loan program.”

Marcus is now well positioned to achieve that goal and much more! Read more about the JN Small Business Loans Start Up Kick Start Competition: https://www.jnsbl.com/jnsbl-start-up-kick-start-winner-announced/