Jamaica's First Union Launches J$1 Billion Fund for Side-Hustle Entrepreneurs

A J$1 billion fund aimed at Jamaicans running small “side hustles” alongside regular jobs has been launched by First Union, with the initiative expected to benefit thousands of micro-entrepreneurs and informal-sector operators. The facility targets a segment of the economy that often struggles to access traditional bank credit despite generating real income and employment.

For the diaspora, the move matters on two fronts: many remittance flows quietly capitalise exactly these home-based ventures, and formal financing can reduce reliance on family transfers to keep small businesses afloat. The launch lands as Prime Minister Andrew Holness presses a broader push for productivity and accountability, and as the government courts diaspora investment at its biennial conference in Montego Bay. Whether the fund reaches genuinely underserved operators, rather than already-bankable businesses, will be the test.

Source: Jamaica Observer; Office of the Prime Minister (Jamaica).