More than 600 small businesses across the South Pacific, including 402 in Papua New Guinea, have benefited from the YES GROW Business Development Training programme, a flagship partnership between BSP Financial Group Limited and Australian Business Volunteers (ABV).
The milestone was marked on Wednesday, 4 February, 2026, with the graduation of the 2025 YES GROW cohort, celebrating 19 Papua New Guinean entrepreneurs who successfully completed the six-month business development programme.
The YES GROW (Your Enterprise Scheme) programme begins with an intensive week of business training, followed by personalised coaching and mentoring designed to strengthen participants’ commercial capability, resilience and long-term business vision.
BSP Group Chief Executive Officer Mark Robinson said the initiative has supported 602 small businesses across the South Pacific.
“This brings alive BSP’s purpose — to champion prosperity in the South Pacific — by developing business skills that directly create employment and change lives. While much attention is placed on large-scale projects in PNG, small and medium-sized businesses are the lifeblood of the economy and deserve equal focus and support. This is one of the key reasons BSP launched its dedicated Business Bank in April last year,” Robinson said.
Since its inception eight years ago, YES GROW has expanded from Papua New Guinea into BSP markets in Fiji, Samoa and Tonga, with confirmed plans to launch in the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu in 2026.
“It’s incredibly inspiring to see the individuals participating in the programme — both tonight’s graduates and alumni from previous cohorts. YES GROW is more than a training initiative; it is a movement. It builds capability, confidence and community among entrepreneurs, empowering them with the tools they need to succeed,” Robinson added.
BSP also acknowledged the contribution of Australian Business Volunteers, along with the coaches and mentors who deliver the programme across the region.
ABV Chief Partnership Officer David Faulmann said the initiative highlights the determination of local entrepreneurs.
“The YES GROW programme demonstrates the power of committed local business owners, with women and men across PNG showing relentless dedication to building stronger, more resilient enterprises. ABV is proud to partner with BSP on a programme that unlocks opportunity, strengthens communities and proves what’s possible when skills, ambition and the right support come together,” Faulmann said.
Looking ahead, BSP reaffirmed its commitment to the partnership, with four YES GROW training cycles planned this year in Lae, Mt Hagen and Buka, alongside the establishment of a Regional YES GROW Alumni Development Programme across PNG and the Pacific.
