Wednesday, 21st September 2022 Nuku'alofa: Eight young Tongan men and women “Greenpreneurs” and their green enterprises have been selected to join the 2022 Pacific Green Entrepreneurs Network (PGEN) incubator program.

Successful entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to participate in a business plan competition to secure grant seed funding of USD$5,000 to help them grow their green business ideas and enterprises.

This year, as the local implementing partner, TYEE will co-facilitate the full PGEN incubator program in Tonga for the first time.  The Tonga Orientation Event, which marked the beginning of the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) program, was held at the Tonga Youth Employment & Entrepreneurship Inc. (TYEE) Youth Career Centre, in Mataika, Tongatapu.

Visiting Tonga for the first time was the GGGI Director General, Dr. Frank Rijsberman, accompanied by GGGI Regional Director, Ms. Katerina Syngellakis, and the GGGI Team in Tonga - Will Rolston and Lano Fonua.  The GGGI team was welcomed by TYEE director, Lusia Jones, who facilitates the program in Tonga.

In his remarks, Dr. Rijsberman stated that he started the Greenpreneurs program and GGGI to give young people a chance to start their green businesses and to provide the necessary tools for establishing a business.

“One important gap that a program like this can fill, is giving the chance to people with big ideas, specific space and plans but not necessarily the financial skills or the skills to run a business,” he said.

The network aims to support green and inclusive job growth by supporting entrepreneurs (particularly women and youth) to develop their green and sustainable businesses, whose business models include solutions aimed at contributing to their country’s climate and sustainable development goals in six Pacific Island countries - Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu.

The incubator program targets existing innovative early-stage green micro, small, and medium-enterprises (MSMEs) with demonstrated growth potential that are still in pursuit of a scalable and repeatable business model through localised virtual and physical training and courses, a mentorship program, in-person events, and networking opportunities.

In Tonga the eight selected applicants and their businesses are:

• Arthur Cocker, Defiant Robotics (Health, sanitation & hygiene)
• Faiana Feaomoeata, Pearls of Vava’u (Handicrafts & Creative Arts)
• Fane Kite, FANE (Manufacturing & Textiles)
• Brian Taunisila, Green Engine Solutions (Circular Economy & Waste Management)
• Kalisi Tuitavake, KALISI (Manufacturing & Textiles)
• Luseane Taufa, Believing in Grace Inc (Agriculture, Aquaculture & Agro-processing)
• Masina Valu, Knox Recycle Depo Ltd (Circular Economy & Waste Management)
• Serene Tay-Siasau, Mataliki cultural creatives Tonga (Circular Economy & Waste Management).

The Honourable Minister for Internal Affairs and Houma Council Chairman, Lord Vaea also attended the event.  In his remarks, the Honourable Minister spoke of the importance of identifying effective ways to communicate these initiatives to communities and the general public.  Moreover, he spoke of the importance of and informing the youth about climate change and what they can do to address or lessen its impacts.

The regional Pacific Green Entrepreneurs Network (PGEN) is a 3-year project funded by the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) and implemented by the Global Green Growth Institute.

Also attending the event were representatives from TYEE Board, management and staff, mentors, TYEE in-house youth business incubator and invited guests.
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About Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI):
Based in Seoul, GGGI is an intergovernmental organization that supports governments of developing countries to transition to a model of economic growth that is environmentally sustainable and socially inclusive. GGGI delivers programs in over 40 partner countries with technical support, capacity building, policy planning & implementation, and by helping to build a pipeline of bankable green investment projects. More on GGGI’s events, projects, and publications can be found on www.gggi.org. You can also follow GGGI on Twitter and join us on Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

About Tonga Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship Inc. (TYEE)
Established in 2014 as a registered non-governmental and not for profit youth support service organisation working with the aim to help young school-leavers in Tonga ages between 18 to 35 through skills development, employment services, entrepreneurship and mentorship support.

Calling all green entrepreneurs, for-profit early stage, social enterprises, micro and small enterprises that are driving change - socially and/or environmentally in Tonga to apply and scale their impact. Don't wait, apply now!

​Are you an early-stage green entrepreneur in the Pacific? Are you passionate about addressing environmental or social issues through your business? Want to build your business through training, mentoring, coaching & networking? Interested in winning USD 5,000 in seed grant funding? The wait is over!
 
In celebration of the International Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Day 2022 theme of ‘Resilience and Rebuilding: MSME’s for Sustainable Development’, the Global Green Growth Institute in partnership with the Qatar Fund for Development and Emstret, Samoa Business Hub, Tonga Youth Employment & Entrepreneurship and Vanuatu Chamber of Commerce and Industry is pleased to announce the much-anticipated launch of the Pacific Greenpreneurs Incubator Program 2022 Call for Applications.
 
APPLY NOW to participate in the Pacific Greenpreneurs Incubator Program 2022!

• Incubator Details: www.pacificgreenpreneurs.com/incubator
• Application Form: https://bit.ly/PacGreenInc22 
• Application Guidelines: https://bit.ly/PacGreenIncGuide22

Women and youth entrepreneurs are strongly encouraged to apply. Teams or individuals from Fiji, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu with for-profit businesses are eligible. 
 
Applications close on 31st July 2022. The program will run from August 2022 - February 2023.
 
For more information, visit www.pacificgreenpreneurs.com.
 
In addition, we would be grateful if you could share the information above widely with your relevant networks.

The Island Innovation team will be on the ground at the 2022 UN Ocean Conference, providing live coverage and synopsis to connect islands around the world to what’s happening in Lisbon. The goal is to ensure everyone has the opportunity to benefit from the discussions taking place on the future of the ocean, especially those living on islands and coastal areas.

The forthcoming Ocean Conference, co-hosted by the Governments of Kenya and Portugal, comes at a critical time as the world is strengthening its efforts to mobilise, create and drive solutions to realise the 17 Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. As one of the first milestones of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ newly launched Decade of Action for the Sustainable Development Goals, the Conference will propel much needed science-based innovative solutions aimed at starting a new chapter of global ocean action.

​I am an official Island Innovation Ambassador and I care about the future of our ocean. I invite you to register for the Island Pavilion and receive daily updates, news and extra resources from the UN Ocean Conference.

​Learn more at https:/ islandinnovation.co/un-ocean-conference

We (GGGI Pacific) are pleased to partner with E-Space, Greenhouse Coworking, Samoa Business Hub , Tonga Youth Employment & Entrepreneurship Inc. - TYEE and Vanuatu Chamber of Commerce and Industry to celebrate International Women’s Day by having a talanoa session on “Women in Green Innovation in the Pacific”.

Stay tuned, we have great panel members lined up for you!
Date: 8th March 2022 @ 2pm Fiji Time (UTC +12)
Register now https://bit.ly/pgenIWD

This article was first published in GGGI Pacific Green Entrepreneurs Network website on 13th October 2021 

NUKU’ALOFA, Wednesday 13th October 2021: Today marked a unique joint implementation of the Global Green Growth Institute’s (GGGI) Pacific Green Entrepreneurs Network (PGEN) Program with their local partner on the ground, Tonga Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship (TYEE). The MoU was signed virtually by Dr. Frank Rijsberman, Director-General of GGGI and Lusia Latu-Jones, President/Director of TYEE.

The MoU will facilitate strategic partnership and close collaboration between GGGI and TYEE to promote sustainable development in Tonga through the GGGI Pacific Green Entrepreneurs Network Program that seeks to deliver economic growth that is both environmentally sustainable and socially inclusive, in support of green job growth through green entrepreneurship, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Paris Climate Agreement.

“We are excited with this unique joint implementation of the Tongan version of the Pacific Greenpreneurs program with TYEE, “MAFOA ‘A E ATA – Youth Innovation Challenge” as a collaboration between TYEE, Breadfruit Consulting and GGGI”, said Ms. Latu-Jones.

The 3-year PGEN program is funded by the Qatar Fund for Development and implemented by GGGI. PGEN aims to support green and inclusive job growth by supporting entrepreneurs (particularly women and youth) develop their green and sustainable businesses - contributing to their country’s climate and sustainable development goals in Fiji, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga, and Vanuatu.

The MoU was also followed with the signing of the Consultant Contract with TYEE’s Tonga Green Entrepreneurs Consultant, Ms. Latu-Jones who will be providing Tonga participants with more information on the program, which will start in early November 2021. 

The MoU is effective from the date of signing. GGGI and TYEE will continue to communicate effectively through regular consultations to revise ongoing cooperation activities and identify opportunities and follow-up activities for enhancing collaboration.

About Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI):
Based in Seoul, GGGI is an intergovernmental organization that supports governments of developing countries to transition to a model of economic growth that is environmentally sustainable and socially inclusive. GGGI delivers programs in over 40 partner countries with technical support, capacity building, policy planning & implementation, and by helping to build a pipeline of bankable green investment projects. More on GGGI’s events, projects, and publications can be found on www.gggi.org. You can also follow GGGI on Twitter and join us on Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
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About Tonga Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship
Tonga Youth Employment & Entrepreneurship Inc. (TYEE) is a non-government organization established in 2014 which provides youth services aimed at helping young school leavers aged 18 to 35 to gain meaningful employment or become successful entrepreneurs through skills development and mentorship support. TYEE seeks to promote green entrepreneurship and innovation as a viable career path for aspiring young entrepreneurs. More on TYEE’s events and publications can be found on www.tyeetonga.org. You may also follow TYEE on Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and LinkedIn.