The Ministry of Labour, Social Security and the Third Sector announces the 2026 call for proposals under the People Development Third Sector Grant Facility, supporting community-led initiatives that strengthen skills, inclusion, employability and national development.
About the Grant Facility
The Facility provides grants of up to BDS $30,000 to eligible Barbados-based third sector organisations. Applicants must be registered charities or non-governmental organisations established for at least three years before the application deadline. Proposed activities must be implemented in Barbados within six months.
Strategic priority areas for 2026
1. Education and Training for People Living with Disabilities. Inclusive training, accessible learning, educator development and removal of barriers to employment.
2. Innovation and Enterprise. Entrepreneurship, STEAM skills, business development, innovation and access to markets..
3. Competency Based Education and Training (CBET) to Support Emerging Sectors. Industry-aligned training for the Green and Blue Economies, the Orange Economy and the Platform Economy, including gig, freelance and remote work; industry-recognised micro-credentials, workforce readiness, career guidance and lifelong learning.
4. The Digital Transition. Digital and AI literacy, ethical technology use, cybersecurity, data analytics, cloud computing, software development, digital marketing and e-commerce; digital inclusion and adaptation to technological change.
5. Health and Wellness. Healthy workplaces, wellness awareness and interventions addressing underlying causes of crime.
6. Youth Engagement. School-to-work transitions, employability and targeted skills development for vulnerable young people.
7. Future Skills and Workforce Readiness. Communication, critical thinking, AI literacy, financial literacy, adaptability, civic responsibility and lifelong learning.
8. Care Economy. Care-worker training and certification, decent employment, inclusive caregiving and innovation in care delivery.
Application and selection
Applicants should click this link to use the application template in the 2026 Policy and Guidelines and provide the required supporting documentation. Each applicant may submit one proposal. Proposals will be evaluated on operational capacity, relevance, effectiveness and feasibility, sustainability, scalability, and budget and cost effectiveness. The three highest-ranked eligible proposals will be recommended for funding, subject to approval.
Completed proposals must be emailed to pdgf@labour.gov.bb with the subject line “PROPOSAL FOR PEOPLE DEVELOPMENT GRANT” by Friday, November 20, 2026, at 4:00 p.m.
The 2026 Policy and Guidelines, including the application template, may be requested at pdgf@labour.gov.bb. Queries should be sent to the same email address no later than five working days before the deadline.
