The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA)

Healthcare in the Caribbean is fragmented. A patient in Jamaica can’t easily share their medical records with a specialist in Trinidad. Disease surveillance across islands is slow and manual. When hurricanes hit, health systems struggle to maintain continuity of care. And with limited clinical infrastructure spread across dozens of islands, delivering quality healthcare efficiently is a constant challenge.

The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) is offering $500,000 per venture to change this through their Digital Health Sandboxes program. This isn’t just funding—it’s a regulatory sandbox where health tech startups can test innovative solutions in a controlled environment while working directly with Caribbean health authorities to shape the emerging regional digital health framework.

For health technology startups registered in CARICOM member states, this program provides capital, regulatory guidance, and market access to build solutions that work across the Caribbean’s unique context: island geography, limited infrastructure, hurricane vulnerability, and the need for cross-border interoperability. You’re not just building a product—you’re helping create the digital health infrastructure for an entire region.

What makes this program distinctive is the regulatory sandbox component. You get to test your solution in real clinical settings while working with regulators to ensure it meets emerging Caribbean health data governance standards. That regulatory clarity and validation is invaluable for scaling across the region and potentially exporting to other island nations globally.

At a Glance

What This Funding Covers

The $500,000 supports both product development and regulatory validation:

Clinical Validation ($180,000): Your solution needs to prove it works in real Caribbean clinical settings. This component funds pilot studies with hospitals and community clinics across multiple islands, clinical outcome measurement and data collection, integration with existing health information systems, and training for healthcare workers using your platform. Caribbean health authorities want evidence, not promises. These pilots generate the data you need to convince regulators and procurement committees.

Data Infrastructure ($150,000): Caribbean health systems need interoperability—the ability to share data securely across islands and systems. This funding supports building interoperability layers that connect to national health information systems, consent management tools that comply with CARICOM data protection standards, analytics capabilities for population health insights, and security infrastructure protecting patient data. Privacy and security aren’t optional—they’re fundamental to regulatory approval and user trust.

Market Entry ($90,000): Building a great product isn’t enough—you need to get it adopted. This component funds localization for different Caribbean markets (language, cultural adaptation, local payment methods), integration with payers (insurance companies, government health programs, employers), marketing and sales across CARICOM markets, and business development with ministries of health and large health systems. Caribbean markets are small individually but significant collectively if you can operate regionally.

Community Resilience ($60,000): Caribbean health systems must function during hurricanes and other climate shocks. This funding supports patient education ensuring people can use your solution effectively, offline-first features that work when internet is disrupted, hurricane recovery protocols for maintaining care continuity, and community engagement building trust and adoption. Solutions that work during disasters are especially valuable in the Caribbean context.

Beyond the direct funding, selected ventures get regulatory mentorship from CARPHA and national health authorities, clinical trial matchmaking with regional hospitals, cloud infrastructure credits and cybersecurity support, and commercialization training focused on government and insurance procurement.

Who Should Apply

This program is designed for health tech ventures ready to operate in the Caribbean’s unique context. You’re a good fit if:

You Have a Working Product: This isn’t for ideas or prototypes. You need a minimum viable product already deployed with at least one clinical partner. CARPHA wants to support ventures ready to scale, not early-stage R&D. If you’re still building your MVP, wait until you have real-world deployment before applying.

You’re Caribbean-Based and Led: The program prioritizes ventures registered in CARICOM member states with Caribbean nationals in key leadership roles. This isn’t for international companies parachuting in—it’s for building Caribbean digital health capacity. If you’re an international company, partner with a Caribbean entity and ensure meaningful local leadership.

You Understand Caribbean Health Priorities: Your solution should address regional health challenges like non-communicable diseases (diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease), telemedicine for geographically dispersed populations, cross-border health data sharing, or climate resilience of health systems. Generic health tech that could work anywhere is less compelling than solutions tailored to Caribbean needs.

You Take Privacy and Security Seriously: Caribbean health authorities are developing data governance frameworks, and they want solutions that respect patient privacy and data sovereignty. You need clear consent management, compliance with CARICOM model legislation, robust cybersecurity, and commitment to keeping Caribbean health data under Caribbean control. If your approach is “we’ll figure out privacy later,” you’re not ready.

You Can Demonstrate Sustainability: The program wants ventures that can become self-sustaining, not perpetually grant-dependent. You need realistic financial projections showing a pathway to sustainability within 24 months through government contracts, insurance reimbursement, employer sales, or other revenue models. Caribbean health budgets are limited—show how you’ll create value worth paying for.

Insider Tips for a Winning Application

Emphasize Regional Interoperability: The Caribbean’s strength is regional cooperation. Show how your solution works across multiple islands, integrates with different national health information systems, and enables cross-border care coordination. Solutions that only work in one country are less valuable than those designed for regional deployment from the start.

Demonstrate Cultural Competence: Caribbean populations are diverse—different languages, cultures, health beliefs, and literacy levels. Show how you’ve co-designed your solution with Caribbean patients and healthcare workers, adapted to local cultural contexts, and ensured accessibility for diverse populations. Generic solutions designed elsewhere and dropped into the Caribbean rarely work well.

Address Hurricane Resilience Explicitly: Hurricanes are a fact of life in the Caribbean. Your solution must function during and after disasters. Describe your offline capabilities, data backup and recovery procedures, communication strategies when internet is down, and how you’ll support care continuity during emergencies. This isn’t a nice-to-have—it’s essential.

Show Clear Reimbursement Pathways: Caribbean health systems have limited budgets. Explain specifically how you’ll get paid—government procurement processes, insurance reimbursement codes, employer contracts, or patient payments. Vague claims about “multiple revenue streams” aren’t enough. Show you understand Caribbean health financing and have realistic plans to capture value.

Include Caribbean Clinicians in Your Team: Technology alone doesn’t transform healthcare—you need clinical expertise. Strong applications include Caribbean clinicians in key roles, clinical advisory boards with regional representation, and evidence of ongoing clinical input in product development. If your team is all engineers, add clinical advisors.

Plan for Talent Development: CARPHA values ventures that build Caribbean capacity. Describe how you’ll train Caribbean healthcare workers, employ local technologists, and transfer knowledge to regional partners. Ventures that extract value without building local capacity are less attractive than those investing in Caribbean talent.

Application Timeline

The June 30, 2025 deadline is for the cohort focusing on hurricane readiness and chronic disease management. Here’s a realistic timeline:

March 2025: Attend the pre-application webinar. CARPHA hosts these to explain the program, answer questions, and help applicants understand what makes a strong proposal. Participation isn’t required but is highly recommended. Use this time to align your sandbox testing hypotheses with CARPHA priorities.

April 2025: Submit your application including technical architecture diagrams, regulatory compliance plan, clinical validation strategy, financial projections, and team information. This is detailed work—expect to spend 60-80 hours on the application plus significant time from technical and clinical team members.

May 2025: If shortlisted, complete cybersecurity audit and ethics board review. CARPHA will arrange these, but you need to be responsive and provide requested documentation quickly. This validates that your solution meets security and ethical standards.

June 2025: Begin sandbox testing with regulatory mentors and patient advisory councils. You’ll deploy your solution in controlled settings, gather data, and work with regulators to ensure compliance with emerging standards. This is intensive, hands-on work.

July-October 2025: Continue sandbox testing, iterate based on feedback, and gather evidence of impact. CARPHA provides ongoing mentorship and connects you with clinical partners and potential customers.

October 2025: Present outcomes to regional regulators and investment partners at a showcase event. This is your opportunity to demonstrate what you’ve learned, show your impact, and attract additional investment or customers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which CARICOM countries are eligible? All CARICOM member states including Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago. Check CARPHA’s website for the complete list.

Can international companies apply? International companies can participate as partners in a consortium, but the lead applicant must be a CARICOM-registered entity with Caribbean nationals in key leadership roles. The program prioritizes building Caribbean capacity.

What if we don’t have all the required privacy certifications yet? You need clear privacy frameworks and commitment to compliance, but you don’t need to be fully certified before applying. Part of the sandbox is helping you achieve compliance. Show you understand the requirements and have a plan to meet them.

How much of the $500,000 is cash versus in-kind services? The mix varies by venture needs. Some funding is direct grants for clinical validation and development. Some is in-kind support like cloud credits, regulatory mentorship, and market access. CARPHA works with each venture to structure the support appropriately.

Can we test our solution in multiple countries? Yes, and this is encouraged. Regional solutions are more valuable than single-country ones. CARPHA can help facilitate multi-country pilots and regulatory engagement.

What happens after the sandbox period? Successful ventures graduate with regulatory clarity, clinical evidence, and market traction. Many secure follow-on investment, government contracts, or insurance partnerships. CARPHA maintains relationships with alumni ventures and can facilitate ongoing support.

Do we need to have revenue before applying? No, but you need a realistic plan for achieving sustainability. Early-stage ventures with clear paths to revenue are fine. Ventures with no plan for how they’ll ever make money are not.

How to Apply

Ready to build Caribbean digital health infrastructure? Here’s what to do:

Step 1: Confirm your eligibility. Are you CARICOM-registered? Do you have an MVP deployed? Do you have Caribbean nationals in leadership? If yes, proceed.

Step 2: Attend the March 2025 pre-application webinar. Register through CARPHA’s website. Use this to understand program priorities and ask questions.

Step 3: Develop your technical architecture and regulatory compliance plan. Document how your solution works, how it integrates with existing systems, and how it meets privacy and security requirements.

Step 4: Design your clinical validation strategy. Which hospitals or clinics will you pilot with? What outcomes will you measure? How will you gather evidence?

Step 5: Build your financial model showing path to sustainability. What are your revenue sources? What’s your timeline to profitability or self-sustainability?

Step 6: Prepare your application with all required components: technical architecture, regulatory plan, clinical validation strategy, financial projections, team information, and letters of support from clinical partners.

Step 7: Submit by June 30, 2025 and prepare for potential cybersecurity audit and ethics review.

Visit the official CARPHA Digital Health Sandboxes page for detailed guidelines and application materials: https://www.carpha.org/

Questions about eligibility, technical requirements, or the sandbox process? Contact CARPHA’s digital health team—contact information is available on their website. They can provide guidance and connect you with potential partners.

The Caribbean needs digital health solutions designed for its unique context. If you’re building them, this program can help you validate, scale, and create lasting impact across the region.