COCI’s START SMART project fills rapidly with 83 businesses, closes ahead of deadline

GREAT BAY--The St. Maarten Chamber of Commerce & Industry, COCI, has officially closed registration for its START SMART Project ahead of the original July 10, 2026 deadline, after overwhelming public response saw the program reach maximum capacity within a short time of opening.

Registration for the free business support initiative opened at 12:00 a.m. on July 1, 2026, and by 6:00 p.m. that same day, a total of 83 businesses had successfully registered. COCI said the response exceeded expectations and demonstrated the strong demand among entrepreneurs, informal businesses, sole proprietors, and micro and small businesses for structured support, business formalization and growth opportunities.

The START SMART Project is a phased business development initiative designed to help entrepreneurs in St. Maarten start, formalize or strengthen their business operations. The program focuses on practical support for persons seeking to build sustainable, compliant and growth-ready businesses.

COCI said the project was developed in response to a clear gap in structured support for sole proprietors and small entrepreneurs. While many persons have strong business ideas and entrepreneurial ambition, they often face challenges such as limited access to financing, lack of business development guidance, difficulty navigating formalization requirements and the absence of structured institutional support.

Due to the level of interest and limited program capacity, registration has now officially closed. All submitted registrations will undergo a thorough vetting process, and a representative from COCI will contact each registrant directly to provide an update on the status of their application.

COCI said that while registration numbers are an important indicator of interest, the true measure of success will be the long-term impact of the program. The Chamber will assess the project by monitoring participants’ ability to access financing and credit opportunities, successfully formalize their businesses, improve profitability and achieve long-term sustainability.

Training is scheduled to begin in August 2026 and will cover practical business topics including marketing and customer engagement, fire safety, first response, food handlers certification, workplace hygiene, business accounting and financing, financial planning, social media marketing, artificial intelligence for business, and agriculture-related training where applicable to the participant’s business activity.

Upon successful completion of the required training program, participants will become eligible to formally register their businesses and receive their official business registration certificate, enabling them to operate as fully formalized businesses.

COCI thanked the public for the strong interest and enthusiasm shown in the START SMART Project and said more updates and opportunities will be shared in the near future.

“The response to START SMART exceeded expectations and confirms that entrepreneurs in St. Maarten are ready for structured support that helps them move from ambition to formalization and sustainability,” COCI stated.

‍