Thu | May 14, 2026

Project STAR, JSSE launch weekly Q&A series on social IPO

Published:Thursday | June 29, 2023 | 12:37 AM
Julian Mair (right), chairman, Jamaica Stock Exchange, the co-sponsor and public funding lead adviser, Project STAR, speaks with other stakeholders following a press briefing at the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) head office in Kingston recently. Looking
Ian Allen
Julian Mair (right), chairman, Jamaica Stock Exchange, the co-sponsor and public funding lead adviser, Project STAR, speaks with other stakeholders following a press briefing at the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) head office in Kingston recently. Looking on are (from left) Keith Duncan, co-chair, Project STAR and immediate past president of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ); Major General Antony Anderson, commissioner of police; Saffrey Brown, project director, Project STAR; and Parris Lyew-Ayee, vice-president, PSOJ.

Project STAR, in collaboration with the Jamaica Social Stock Exchange (JSSE), will be launching a weekly virtual question-and-answer series on Thursday, June 29, for members of the public to get information about its social initial public offering (IPO), which was opened recently. The sessions will run for five weeks, ending July 27.

The first Q&A session will commence at 12 p.m. and will have key representatives from JSSE and Project STAR on hand to answer questions on the social IPO, the planned social return on the investment, and the impact the project has been having on the target communities to date. Persons can sign on to the session by accessing the Zoom log-in information on the Project STAR social media pages.

Project STAR is seeking to raise J$100 million or more from the social IPO, a non-tradeable social stock, which opened on June 22 and closes on August 18. According to Project STAR, any person or company may participate in the STAR social IPO. Participation can be by way of direct donations through the JSSE website, or through the purchase of social stock facilitated by a broker or any of the selling agent’s IPO platforms.

The funds acquired from the IPO will be used to: support the creation of safer communities with activities such as peace-building programmes, sports, parenting and safe spaces; improve education through collaboration to deliver after-school activities and life skills training for young people and students who need extra support, as well as mentorship.

In addition, the funds will support the strengthening of family and social well-being through partnerships that deliver family and parenting workshops. The funds will also help to boost job creation, strengthen entrepreneurship, and strategic investments at the community level, through training in hard and soft skills, as well as financial inclusion initiatives that create access to financing for nano and micro enterprises.

ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION

Project STAR is focusing on 10 communities; however, the PIOJ has listed 100 communities in need of interventions. Where there is an oversubscription, Project STAR said it will be able to expand to more communities.

The funds will be used to facilitate economic transformation by increasing the employment levels in communities by 10 per cent, or 6,500 persons employed through Project STAR; increased formalisation and access to financial services, and supporting three per cent of businesses in each community.

The co-brokers of the IPO are JN Fund Managers, Proven Wealth, JMMB Securities, FHC Investments, NCB Capital Markets, Barita, Mayberry Investments, Sagicor Investments, VM Wealth Management, and GK Capital Management.

Persons may contribute to the social IPO by contacting their broker to purchase stocks for a per share price of J$1, with a minimum purchase of 500 units; donate using a debit/credit card; or donate via online bank transfer to JSSE’s chequing account.