CDB’s USD$100,000 to develop Caribbean stock photography platform

Published on October 27, 2025

The Caribbean Development Bank through its Cultural and Creative Industries Innovation Fund (CIIF), has awarded a USD100,000 grant to NativeFoto Ltd., a Trinidad & Tobago-based creative enterprise, to develop and scale an innovative digital stock photography platform dedicated to authentic Caribbean visual content.

The project, titled “Unlocking Caribbean Pride Through Stock Media,” will create a centralised hub for Caribbean imagery and video, integrating cutting-edge technologies such as AI-powered tools and mobile-adapted user experiences.

The initiative aims to empower local creators, preserve cultural heritage, and strengthen the region’s creative economy by reducing reliance on foreign stock imagery.

Lisa Harding, Division Chief, Private Sector Division at CDB, underscored the Bank’s commitment to innovation and the creative economy, “CDB is proud to champion solutions that bridge creativity and technology.”

The winning proposal was selected from a pool of fifty-three applications from around the region with entries from eleven of CDB’s Borrowing Member Countries (BMCs).

The grant will enable NativeFoto Ltd., to expand its prototype into a fully functional regional platform, onboard over 100 photographers in its first year, and roll out features such as authenticity verification and sponsored collections celebrating Caribbean life.