in All News / By: BVI News on July 22, 2026 at 7:15 AM /
Inside the hallway of the upper-floor units in Building 1 of the Entrepreneurial Zone in Huntums Ghut.
The Virgin Islands’ first Entrepreneurial Zone is moving closer to full operation, with the Department of Trade, Investment Promotion and Consumer Affairs unveiling the first completed building that will provide affordable commercial space and business support for start-up and emerging enterprises.
Government officials recently toured the Huntums Ghut facility alongside prospective occupants, marking another milestone for the initiative, which is intended to help entrepreneurs develop sustainable businesses before transitioning into the wider commercial market. The first building is one of two planned for the site and will function as a business incubator, while the second remains under construction and is expected to accommodate additional types of businesses once completed.
Junior Minister for Financial Services and Economic Development Lorna Smith said the facility was designed to benefit entrepreneurs across the territory while creating opportunities within the Fifth District.
“Huntums Ghut is a thriving zone. It’s a thriving area. It’s a thriving community. And this isn’t just meant for persons from Huntums Ghut, although we want to see as many persons from the area as possible, but persons from wherever they are from throughout the BVI, once they qualify for the use of this space,” Smith said.
The completed building contains air-conditioned, glass-fronted business units of varying sizes. Because it has been designated a dry zone, it is intended for businesses that do not require water or plumbing as part of their daily operations.
Applicants must submit a comprehensive business plan outlining their concept, projected revenue and growth potential. Successful applicants will be permitted to operate from the incubator for between two and four years while receiving support from the Department to strengthen their operations.
Deputy Director for Business Dr Lincoln Bobb said entrepreneurs would receive guidance throughout the incubation period.
“So you come with your idea, you come with a solid business plan. You have projections as it pertains to how you are going to make your money and how your money is going to grow. And then we actually work with you throughout that entire process so that you can actually be a business that could stand by itself and also be testimony to the work that we are trying to accomplish,” Bobb said.
Applicants will undergo a screening and interview process before successful candidates are selected. Bobb added that entrepreneurs who are not allocated a unit will still have access to the Department’s training, mentorship and grant programmes.
Business Development Manager Leroy James said the initiative would help business owners move from informal operations into commercial premises. “People, especially in these units, would have not just a place where they can take their businesses from out of their homes and out of their cars and have a storefront, but they also have support where they can develop and grow their businesses,” James said.
The Entrepreneurial Zone was developed through a partnership between the Department and Fifth District Representative Kye Rymer.
The Department has also indicated that it intends to establish similar Entrepreneurial Zones in other districts. The project builds on the government’s push to strengthen local entrepreneurship through grants, mentorship and training programmes to expand theterritory’s micro, small and medium-sized business sector.
Inside a lower-floor unit in Building 1 of the Entrepreneurial Zone in Huntums Ghut.
Inside a lower-floor unit in Building 1 of the Entrepreneurial Zone in Huntums Ghut.
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