Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export), in representation of the EU-LAC Digital Accelerator, and Boost Acceleration Camp officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) today, marking a significant step toward advancing entrepreneurship, innovation, and private sector development across the Dominican Republic and the wider Caribbean. The signing took place in Santo Domingo as part of the yearly Boostcamp 2025, an event bringing founders, corporate and investors from the Dominican Republic, Latin America and the rest of the Caribbean to forge partnerships and develop collaborative opportunities. This year Boostcamp 2025 was organised as part of the wider programming that took place in the Dominican Republic for Global Entrepreneurship Week 2025.

Under this new partnership, Caribbean Export and the other partners of the EU-LAC Digital Accelerator will work with Boost to enable startups and corporates in the Dominican Republic to participate in the EU-LAC Digital Accelerator. Additionally, these organisations will work on expanding access to finance, mentorship, market opportunities, and technical support for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), including high-growth startups, youth-led and women-led ventures, and innovation-driven firms seeking to scale regionally and internationally.

The MOU establishes a framework for cooperation across several key areas, including:

• Collaboration under the EU-LAC Digital Accelerator, an initiative funded by the European Union that promotes bi-regional partnerships between startups and corporates in Europe, Latin America, and the Caribbean.
• Entrepreneurial and startup acceleration, through joint events such as pitch competitions, innovation challenges, hackathons, and business development programmes.
• Pipeline development and ecosystem strengthening, supporting the identification and preparation of promising MSMEs and startups.
• Capacity building, with training focused on export readiness, digital transformation, green innovation, scaling, and investor preparation.
• Access to finance and investor linkages, leveraging both organizations’ networks of angel investors, corporate partners, development institutions, and early-stage funds.
• Support for corporate–startup collaboration, catalysing innovation by connecting enterprises with business challenges and technology-driven solutions.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Leo Naut, Deputy Executive Director of Caribbean Export and representative of the EU-LAC Digital Accelerator noted:

“This partnership reinforces our ongoing commitment to build a resilient and globally competitive Caribbean private sector. By working together with Boost, especially in initiatives such as the EU-LAC Digital Accelerator, we can strengthen the pipeline of innovation-driven enterprises, support more Dominican and Caribbean startups to scale across borders, and create greater opportunities for access to finance, technology, and new markets.”

Boost Acceleration Camp highlighted the strategic value of the alliance, particularly for early-stage ventures aiming to accelerate growth and expand regionally.

“This collaboration with Caribbean Export allows us to amplify the support we offer to founders and innovators, while positioning the Dominican Republic as a gateway for startup expansion across the Caribbean,” emphasized Santiago Camarena, President of the Board of Directors, Boost AC.

Both institutions affirmed that the partnership reflects a broader vision to enhance competitiveness, foster digital and green transformation, and promote inclusive economic growth across the region.

The MOU enters into force on the day of signature and will guide joint initiatives over the next two years.