DEADLINE: Call for Research Proposals – Innovation and Growth in Caribbean Businesses
28 Sep 2026
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), through COMPETE Caribbean, is inviting researchers to submit proposals using new survey data to explain what helps Caribbean businesses innovate, grow and respond to change. Selected research should be useful to Caribbean decision-makers, business-support organizations, and business owners.
Topics of interest include:
- How management, skills, digital tools or financing affect business performance
- How businesses introduce new products, services or ways of working
- How businesses prepare for climate shocks, disasters and other disruptions
- Green practices and sustainable business growth
- Public support, competition and the business environment
- Gender and business performance
Researchers may also propose their own strong question and may draw on earlier Caribbean business surveys (LACES, PROTEqIN, IFPG) alongside the new 2025–2026 PROTEGIC survey data.
What to submit:
A two- to three-page proposal plus the lead researcher’s CV, including:
- The research question and why it matters
- What is already known and what the research will add
- A clear, practical research plan
- The survey data to be used
- The potential real-world value of the findings
- A workplan and budget (up to US$12,000)
Proposal deadline: September 28, 2026
Submit proposals to: competecaribbean@iadb.org
Selected researchers will present early findings at an IDB workshop (funded separately) and may have their work included in a future IDB publication.
See full details on the COMPETE Caribbean website.
