Data

Scientific Information Services (SIS) Ltd has come to be well known for its research on the funding available for Caribbean development projects.  In 2001 it first did extensive research on the IDB database and showed that Caribbean companies get an average of 13% of the contracts, with the value being generally below $200K (US) whilst overseas companies get the whole range and definitely dominate those >$1M(US).  This information has been used extensively and SIS has had many queries about it.

In 2005 SIS is commencing another study which will provide summaries of the funding of all the international financing institutions (IFI).  In the past 4 years most of them have increased the range of information that is available.  However, since it takes significant time to go through all, it is very useful to have it summarised and easily accessible.

I. Funds Available from 2005

The funds for an approved project is spent over several years, the expected disbursal period being specified in the document.  The IDB approves an average of $540M (US) annually for Caribbean projects, so as that amount leaves the pipeline at the approval end projects equivalent to that amount enter at the identification end.  The other IFI seem to have the same system, so there is a constant cycling of the funding available.

Table I: IDB Approved Funding

Total Available From IDB: $1,982.908M (US)

This table was derived from data available on the IDB website: www.iadb.org

Table II: World Bank Approved Funding

Total Available From World Bank: $499.02M (US)

This table was derived from data available on the World Bank website : www.worldbank.org

These funds were approved either in 2001 or 2002 and are available until 2007.

Total Approved by the EU: €510.5M (US$612.6M)

This table was derived from data available on the EU website

Table IV: DFID Approved Funding.

DFID has £96M (US$174.72M) for the Caribbean directly or indirectly for the period 2004/2007.

£36M is given directly: Guyana (£14.5M), Jamaica (£8M) and Dominica, St. Lucia, Grenada & St. Vincent (£13.5M).

£25M to CDB

13% of its EU Contribution

£27M has also been approved for Montserrat (2004/2006).

This information was obtained from the  DFID website

II. Summary

1.  We have had to revise the funding available upwards since it seems that the IDB, World Bank, EU and DFID have approximatley $3.27B(US) approved to be disbursed over the next 4+ years. Every year the IDB approves an average of $540M(US). It seems that the IFIs approve as much as they disburse thus there is a constant amount in the system to be disbursed. The sectors they are concentrating on at present are: Education, Health and Sanitation. The others do have funding but little in comparison.
2. Countries with the largest amounts are: Dominican Republic> Haiti> Guyana> Trinidad & Tobago> Jamaica> Barbados   
3. The flow of Specific Notices can be erratic. As far as it is possible to generalize, looking at them from 2002 to 2005 it seems that:

                      1. Months with most Notices: December/January, March & August

                      2. Largest Number per month: 27

                     3. Most Notices published in one day: 15

                     4. Most deadlines on one day: 7