10 Entrepreneurs graduate from business start-up grant scheme

By Brittany Nawaqatabu

Ten aspiring entrepreneurs are set to receive $5,000 each after successfully completing the Graduate Business Start-up Grant Scheme programme, which aims to help turn innovative business ideas into viable enterprises.

The scheme was piloted in the 2024–2025 financial year and is a collaboration between the Tertiary Scholarships & Loans Service (TSLS) and the Fiji Commerce & Employers Federation (FCEF). More than 30 people have now successfully completed the programme.

FCEF Chief Executive officer, Edward Bernard said it is the first private sector, business incubator accelerator program in Fiji.

Graduates completed business training, received advisory services, undertook an attachment with other businesses and developed their business pitches to qualify for the grant.

“Graduates will be going through monitoring and evaluation to see what they’ve learnt through the program,” Bernard added.

The scheme was created to bridge a gap in the education system by encouraging graduates to pursue entrepreneurship rather than focusing solely on employment.

“If you look at the other entrepreneurship schemes, it’s about those who are unemployed or who have left school, there’s nothing in the education system,” he said.

TSLS Head of Student Services, Avinay Kumar said the day marked another significant milestone in the collective effort to empower young Fijians and foster a culture of innovation, entrepreneurship and self reliance.

“Initiatives such as this demonstrate our commitment to investing in future leaders, innovators and job creators who will contribute meaningfully to Fiji’s economic growth and national development,” he stated.

Kumar said the feedback process would allow them to monitor how graduates use the funds and ensure the money is put to good use.

Bernard added that the success of the programme will be measured by the number of new sales, new employees the graduates recruit, and their contribution to the community.

The 2027 Scholarship Policy will see the scheme phased out, but Kumar said they would monitor the outcomes of each graduate and could consider reintroducing the programme in the future if the businesses demonstrate sustainability and make a tangible contribution to the economy.

Aspiring Entrepreneurs

BA law and politics graduate Kava Masilagi said she will use her grant to buy all the necessary equipment to start her business.

Masilagi is the founder of Employment, Talents and Consultancy Hub (ETCH) – a business focussed on helping its clients map out their skills and careers and build their professional confidence.

“There is so much to be done with helping young people understand the skills they have and the different industries they can fit themselves into,” she said. 

Taking a different approach to entrepreneurship is Amelia Nadau, who is looking to turn tapa offcuts into a viable enterprise.

“My business is value-adding tapa where I make journal covers, hair accessories and jewellery from tapa off-cuts that would usually be considered as waste,” she shared.

Nadau said she identified a gap in the tapa business, where only larger pieces were being sold while smaller pieces and offcuts were often set aside and left unused.

She said the program helped her find a balance between her office job, master’s studies and now starting her business- Amelia Nadau Investments.

“I learnt a lot when it came to understanding how much to sell my products for and how it is important to take into consideration the time and resources put into your product,” she said.

Nadau sows her profits into the Campus Crusade Ministry and Scripture Union Ministry, where she volunteers.

For another graduate and the only male participant, Sunia Radigova, the grant represents the next step in turning his innovative digital application into a reality.

“Agri Reach is the first of its kind here in Fiji and is created for farmers and buyers in the country,” he said.

Ragiova said through agri reach, farmers will be able to sell their produce on a small scale, as well as to bigger institutions like hospitals and prisons.

He also plans to expand the reach of his application to the wider Pacific.

“ The training has given me valuable knowledge on how to cater to investors, work with cash flow and how to maintain and manage money,” he added.