Background

The Mona Entrepreneurial and Commercialization Centre (MECC), formerly known as the Mona Business Support Services (MBSS) was an under-capitalized start-up and business incubator on the Mona Campus of the University of the West Indies (UWI). A full service entity that provided Space, Support and Business Advisory Services. MBSS's core mandate had been the development of local and student entrepreneurship. It focused on the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and supported the ICT needs of the large Call Centre, with which they were co-located.

After a period of inactivity. a rebranded Mona Entrepreneurial and Commercialization Centre (MECC) emerged as a Social Enterprise with a focus on serving the vulnerable community and a mandate for commercialization and Technology Transfer. This mandate is consistent with the economic push from the Government of Jamaica as well as many development agencies in the region. MECC remains a University owned mixed use incubator offering flexible arrangements for entrepreneurs.

Despite our many challenges, in our almost seven years of existence, we (as MBSS and as MECC) have serviced over 100 clients (rental, short term as well as incubatees/entreps) with more than 1,000 jobs created and 5,000 entrep contacts. Our clients and alum have recieved over US$2.5 million in awards, grants & investments. Among our portfolio we have award winning entreps including two who have won awards for innovation, one for resilience at StartUp Chile Demo Week, another for social enterprise, three Young Leaders of the Americas Fellows (YLAI) and numerous competition winners and finalists on campus, in National, Regional as well as International Business Model Competitions etc . Our clients have new opportunities because of inhouse legal support to facilitate Intellectual Property Strategy Development and Internationalization.