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Top Shop
Crown The Best. Build the Rest.
The Top Shop Challenge
In October 2025 Hurricane Melissa tore through the middle and western parishes of Jamaica causing catastrophic damage to small shops, stalls, and vendors that anchor many of the vulnerable communities caught in the path of the storm. Entrepreneurs Across Borders (EAB) is launching the Top Shop Challenge, a four month recovery and development campaign that puts 100 microbusinesses back on their feet and gives them the tools to grow. We are seeking $81,600 in partner and sponsor support to fund the full campaign, from community engagement through a closing summit in Montego Bay in February 2027.
How it Works
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The Need
Small shops, corner stalls, and mobile vendors are the backbone of Jamaica's hurricane-affected parishes. They provide income, goods, and services their neighbors depend on, but most operate without the systems, marketing know-how, or capital to recover quickly on their own. Left unsupported, these businesses close, and the communities that rely on them lose both income and identity. Top Shop meets these entrepreneurs where they are and builds a structured pathway back to stability and growth.
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The Program
Top Shop runs October 2026 through February 2027 across 10 communities in Westmoreland, Hanover, St. Elizabeth, St. James, and Falmouth. One hundred participating microenterprises, small shops, corner stalls, sidewalk and mobile vendors, will work through a structured development pathway covering seven areas of business growth:
- Customer Engagement
- Marketing and promotion
- Store and shop setup and presentation
- Back-end business systems
- Business development and pitching
- Digital Transformation
- Partnerships
Participants compete on behalf of their community, and in addition to personal benefits, top performers also allocate prizes to support a local cause of their choice, a school, health center, or community center. The competitive format is intentional: it drives participation and turns individual business recovery into visible community benefit. Sponsors and partner agencies can also contribute products, services, and mentorship directly to participants and to the charities they represent.
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Closing Summit
The campaign culminates in February 2027 at the Montego Bay Conference Centre with the Jamaica Microbusiness Development Summit. The program brings together corporate, government, and non-profit sector leaders alongside Top Shop's highest performing participants for a day of panels, a keynote address, and an awards ceremony recognizing the entrepreneurs and communities that made the greatest gains.
Investment Opportunity
Investment Opportunity
The full campaign, covering project management, community engagement, capacity building, promotions, and the closing summit, is budgeted at $81,600 USD. Partner support is structured across sponsorship levels, each offering visibility and engagement opportunities across the campaign and at the summit:
| Level | Investment | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Platinum | $25,000 | Presenting sponsor recognition across campaign and summit; top billing at awards ceremony |
| Gold (2 available) | $15,750 each | Featured recognition across campaign materials and at the summit |
| Silver | $6,300 | Recognition across campaign materials |
| Bronze | $3,150 | Recognition at the closing summit |
Non-profit and government agency partners are also invited to contribute through financial donations, in-kind support, technical expertise, or programming aligned with their own community development priorities.
We would welcome the chance to discuss how a partnership with Top Shop aligns with your organization's goals. Please reach out to arrange a conversation.