The YES (Your Enterprise Scheme) GROW Business Development Program, delivered in partnership with BSP Financial Group Limited, is underway in Lae—bringing together 18 local businesses from sectors including agriculture, construction, electrical, transport and retail.
This cohort joins more than 600 small businesses across the Pacific Islands region that have taken part in YES GROW since the program began seven years ago, including over 400 in Papua New Guinea.
Co‑designed by ABV, the program begins with an intensive week of face‑to‑face business development training, followed by personalised coaching and mentoring that strengthens commercial capability, resilience and long‑term business vision.
In Lae, the group is highly engaged, with strong peer learning and practical discussions reflecting the diversity of industries and the many family‑run enterprises taking part.
We’ve also seen SMEs supporting their fellow SMEs in action, through workshop activities and ongoing engagement through online support groups moderated by BSP and ABV—an early example of the local networks the program helps to build.
A key takeaway from the training has been participants’ introduction to business model planning to help them clearly understand and strengthen how they create and deliver value.
Through hands‑on exercises, participants mapped out their own business models—in those models, they identified opportunities for growth, efficiency and long‑term sustainability.
Across 45 completed training rounds in PNG, Fiji, Samoa and Tonga, YES GROW has been powered by over 3,000 volunteer hours from Australian skilled business volunteers with deep experience across finance, marketing, business strategy and management.
The program continues to champion inclusion, with 50% of all participants to date being women‑led businesses, a milestone both partners are committed to growing.
The Lae cohort is now moving into 1:1 coaching and business site visits, applying their learning in real time with ABV volunteer support.
Through YES GROW, BSP and ABV are working together to build the capability of local businesses—supporting more resilient, investment‑ready enterprises across PNG and the Pacific Islands.
