Prime Minister Announces EC $350,000 Creative Economy Grant Fund
On Monday, August 25, 2025, Prime Minister Hon. Philip J. Pierre announced the EC $350,000 Creative Economy Grant Fund (CEGF), to be administered by the Ministry of Tourism, Investment, Creative Industries, Culture and Information. The Fund is a major investment in Saint Lucia’s cultural and creative industries.
The CEGF will provide direct financial support to Saint Lucian artists, cultural practitioners, and creative entrepreneurs to develop original works, grow businesses, and expand market reach.
“The Creative Economy Grant Fund forms part of my Government’s broader mission to expand opportunity through enterprise,” Prime Minister Pierre said. “It complements the work of the Youth Economy Agency, which equips young innovators with finance, mentorship, and training, and the MSME Loan-Grant Facility, which helps small businesses access capital to grow. Together, these initiatives reflect a consistent philosophy: whether through culture, entrepreneurship, or small business, every Saint Lucian should have a fair chance to succeed.”
The Fund is designed to:
• Support the development, quality, innovation, and presentation of original work towards excellence.
• Strengthen business capacity and livelihoods among creatives to build economic resilience.
• Encourage collaboration, mentorship, and capacity building.
• Promote inclusive access, especially for underrepresented sub-sectors within the creative space.
• Grow audiences and market reach.
Applications are open to individual creatives (16 years and older), micro-enterprises, and collaborative or cultural groups. Priority will be given to innovative projects demonstrating strong cultural, social, or economic benefits.
Grant categories include Micro Grants of up to EC $5,000 for skills training, marketing initiatives, and product launches; and Production Grants ranging from EC $5,001 to $10,000 for materials, equipment, promotional activities, and capacity development.
The call for applications opens in September 2025, with a submission deadline of October 30, 2025. Applications should be sent to stluciacreatives@gmail.com.
Minister for Tourism, Investment, Creative Industries, Culture and Information, Dr. Ernest Hilaire, highlighted the practical impact of the initiative. “The Creative Economy Grant Fund is about turning talent into opportunity,” he said. “Saint Lucians have excelled in music, art, theatre, and design. What has been missing is access to resources that help creatives move from potential to production, from ideas to income. This Fund is designed to close that gap and ensure the creative sector contributes more strongly to jobs, livelihoods, and our cultural identity.”
By investing in the creative economy, the Government of Saint Lucia is ensuring that culture, creativity, and enterprise remain central to national development.
