The Fiji Commerce and Employers Federation (FCEF), in collaboration with the Tertiary Scholarship and Loan Service (TSLS), has introduced the 2026 Graduate Business Start-Up Grant Scheme, a $500,000 initiative aimed at empowering aspiring entrepreneurs with innovative, viable, and scalable business concepts.
During a formal welcoming event attended by Chief Guest Na Gone Marama Bale, Na Roko Tui Dreketi, Ro Teimumu Kepa, along with Dr. Apisalome Mavono, CEO of TSLS, and Eldon Eastgate, President of FCEF, a total of 22 graduates were accepted into the program. This scheme first launched in 2024 with an initial budget of $300,000 intended for 30 TSLS graduates, has successfully paved the way for self-employment opportunities among graduates. In its inaugural year, 27 graduates participated, with 22 successfully completing the program.
FCEF delivers this initiative through the Fiji Enterprise Engine (FEE), the nation’s first private sector-led business incubator and accelerator. A recent landscape assessment conducted by the Market Development Facility and the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs revealed that FEE alumni collectively raised sales revenue by $2.18 million between 2019 and 2023, created at least 30 new jobs, generated approximately $825,000 in additional income, and secured about $1.36 million in grant and debt financing.
Participants of the program will benefit from a comprehensive array of business development services over the course of six months, which includes market research, training in business operations, advisory services, coaching and mentorship, business plan drafting and testing, entrepreneurship attachments with allowances, product development support, and a start-up grant of FJ$5,000.
Excitingly, the program also announces a new international partner, the University of New South Wales, which will join the initiative in 2026. This venture aligns closely with the Government’s Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) strategic plan, aiming to boost the contribution of MSMEs to Fiji’s GDP from the current 18 percent to 40 percent.
The 2026 cohort is set to begin their training immediately, with a ceremony scheduled in April to honor successful participants, followed by business pitches and graduation in July. This initiative fosters a promising environment for the next generation of entrepreneurs in Fiji, reflecting a strong commitment to innovation and economic growth in the region.