Project Star Jamaica

What Project Star Jamaica does

Project STAR (Social Transformation and Renewal) is a non-profit social transformation initiative operated by the Social Transformation and Renewal Foundation Limited, a Jamaican-domiciled private foundation co-owned by the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) and the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF). Founded in 2021-2022, it operates as a five-year community-led development programme targeting five underserved Jamaican communities (Salt Spring, Savanna-la-Mar, May Pen, Parade Gardens, and Rose Gardens) with four-year intervention cycles in each. The core operating model combines community consultation via Community Transformation Boards, violence prevention through JCF partnership, employment and entrepreneurship training, financial literacy, education support, and post-disaster humanitarian response (notably medical hubs deployed after Hurricane Melissa).

The organisation delivers services through a network of strategic partners and corporate donors, including Project ALPHA (data analytics), Council of Voluntary Social Services, Violence Prevention Alliance, Social Development Commission, UNDP, and more than a dozen Jamaican corporate foundations (NCB Foundation, JMMB Joan Duncan Foundation, GraceKennedy, Sagicor, Digicel, Sandals, KPMG, Sygnus Capital, etc.). It is listed on the Jamaica Social Stock Exchange (JSSE) for social impact investing. The core technology is a community consultation and data-driven social intervention framework, with no proprietary software product; engagement with AI is limited to educational content in the SPARK! Youth Innovation Summer Camp and data analytics via Project ALPHA.

Revenue is derived from corporate donations, government grants, international development organisations (e.g., UNDP), and social impact investments through the JSSE; no commercial pricing applies as services are provided free to beneficiary communities. The programme employs approximately 10-20 core staff plus consultants, with active hiring in programme, education, and social services roles. Leadership includes Co-Chairs Keith Duncan (PSOJ) and Commissioner Dr. Kevin Blake (JCF), Project Director Saffrey Brown, and a management committee drawn from the Jamaican private sector.

Name

Project Star Jamaica

Legal name

Social Transformation and Renewal Foundation Limited

Website

https://projectstarja.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Project STAR is a Jamaican non-profit social transformation initiative co-owned by the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica and the Jamaica Constabulary Force, delivering community-led crime prevention, employment training, financial literacy, and education programmes across five underserved communities in Kingston, Clarendon, and Westmoreland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Development Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Infrastructure, Housing & Community Development (BPAGABAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Post-Conflict Recovery, Reconciliation & Social Cohesion Programs (BPADAFAL)

Keywords

• Community development services
• Youth empowerment programs
• Financial inclusion training
• Violence prevention services
• Social transformation initiatives

Headquarters

HQ city

New Kingston

HQ country

Jamaica

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: Project STAR operates as a non-profit foundation funded through donations from corporate partners, government grants, and international development organizations. The programme accepts local and international donations via bank transfer and online payment platforms. The Jamaica Social Stock Exchange (JSSE) listing enables social impact investing.
2. Corporate Partnerships and Sponsorships: Corporate entities provide financial support, in-kind donations (laptops, services), and volunteer engagement. Examples include KPMG (laptop donation), Sygnus Capital (J$5 million support), and various corporate donors listed on the website.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Project Star Jamaica (legally Social Transformation and Renewal Foundation Limited) is a non-profit foundation that delivers community-based social transformation programmes in underserved areas of Jamaica. It partners with residents to develop multi-year (5+ year) Community Transformation Action Plans (CTAPs) and implements integrated programming in violence prevention, youth empowerment, employment, financial literacy, healthcare access, education, and entrepreneurship through a co-ownership model.

Product overview

Project STAR (Social Transformation and Renewal) is a social and economic transformation initiative created by the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) in partnership with the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF). The program operates through a collaborative community consultation model that connects underserved communities with resources and services. The core product consists of multiple integrated program areas including community transformation boards for governance, employment and job placement services, financial literacy and inclusion programs, education and schools programs, entrepreneurship development, violence prevention interventions, and medical hubs. Key initiatives include the SPARK! Youth Innovation Summer Camp for teenagers, which delivers training in entrepreneurship, STEM, and life skills including artificial intelligence topics. The program targets five communities across Jamaica (Salt Spring, May Pen, East Downtown Kingston/Parade Gardens/Rose Gardens, and Savanna-la-Mar) with a five-year implementation timeline and is designed to address youth unemployment and vulnerability to crime in underserved areas.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FAHWUD: Community consultation and engagement methodology used by Project STAR to connect communities with resources and services.

Products and services

• SPARK! Youth Innovation Summer Camp A summer innovation camp targeting youth in participating communities to build creativity, leadership, and entrepreneurship skills. Designed for residents of underserved Jamaican communities where Project Star Jamaica operates.
• Employment and Job Placement Services Workforce readiness training and job placement assistance for community residents, helping participants access employment opportunities in and around their neighborhoods.
• Financial Literacy and Inclusion Programs Educational programming that equips community residents with personal finance, savings, and banking knowledge to support financial inclusion and economic mobility.
• Medical Hubs Initiative Community-based healthcare access points providing medical services and health education to residents of underserved Jamaican communities.
• Education and Schools Programs School-based and out-of-school educational support programs for children and youth in participating communities, complementing the formal education system.
• Violence Prevention and Safety Interventions Community-led safety programmes designed to reduce violence and create safer environments in underserved neighborhoods where Project Star Jamaica operates.
• Entrepreneurship Development Programs Training, mentorship, and micro-enterprise support services that help community members start and grow small businesses within their neighborhoods.

Quantifiable outcome

• Crime reduction: Salt Spring recorded no murders or shootings since start of 2026; significant decline in violent crime in Kingston Central
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and key collaborator.

• Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022PSOJ is a co-owner of Project STAR, collaborating with JCF to drive fundraising efforts and spearhead community job creation and economic transformation programmes. Utilizes member network for professional expertise and governance systems. Co-chairs the Oversight Board.
• Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022JCF co-owns Project STAR and assumes responsibility for designing interventions to establish safe spaces, support social development, and foster community relations. Actively participates in Community Transformation Boards and co-chairs the Oversight Board, leading sustained interventions and data collection.
• Project ALPHA (Dr. Parris Lyew-Ayee)coreTechnology or IntegrationBoutique data analytics consultancy led by renowned crime and national security analyst. Provides analytical expertise and data-driven insights to inform Project STAR's targeted interventions in communities.
• Council of Voluntary Social Services (CVSS)key collaboratorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCVSS mobilizes civil society organisations towards increasing community action and participation in Project STAR initiatives.
• Social Development Commissionkey collaboratorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorking to increase participation in communities through civil society organisations, supporting Project STAR's community-led development approach.
• Violence Prevention Alliancekey collaboratorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAims to prevent violence through public health approaches, providing technical expertise in violence interruption and prevention strategies.
• Jamaica Stock Exchange / Jamaica Social Stock Exchangekey collaboratorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJSE enables social impact investing through the JSSE platform where Project STAR is listed, engaging the Jamaican economy in promoting sustainable Social Capital Market.
• Ministry of National Securitykey collaboratorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment ministry providing strategic alignment and support for Project STAR's crime prevention and community safety initiatives.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Food for the Poor Jamaica: Large Jamaican non-profit delivering community-based social services, food security, housing, and disaster relief to underserved communities. Directly comparable in geography, beneficiary profile, and donor-funded operating model.
• Habitat for Humanity Jamaica: Community-development NGO operating across Jamaica on housing, livelihoods, and resilience in low-income communities. Comparable on mission, geography, donor-funded model, and community-board governance structures.
• Peace and Love in Schools (PALS) Jamaica: Jamaican non-profit focused on youth violence prevention, life skills, and school-based intervention in high-risk communities. Highly comparable target population, geographic focus, and violence-interruption methodology.

Broad incumbents

• Partners of the Americas: Hemispheric NGO with deep Caribbean programming on workforce development, community resilience, and youth inclusion. Comparable on multi-country community programming, partnership-led model, and donor-funded structure.
• UNDP Caribbean: Multilateral development agency already partnering with Project STAR on Cash for Work in Jamaica. Comparable on community resilience, youth employment, and social-cohesion programming across the Caribbean, but at the scale of a UN agency.
• Mercy Corps: Large international humanitarian and community-development NGO active across Latin America and the Caribbean, including Jamaica. Comparable multi-pillar community programming but at far greater scale and geographic breadth.

Emerging players

• Roca Inc. US-based non-profit using behaviour-change, employment, and violence-interruption programming with high-risk young men. Comparable evidence-based, data-driven approach to community violence reduction, though geographically focused on Massachusetts.
• Cure Violence Global: US-origin non-profit that deploys violence-interruption and public-health-style community interventions globally. Comparable methodology (violence as epidemic, trained interrupters, community partnerships) but operates outside the Caribbean.

Others

• Sagicor Foundation: Jamaican corporate foundation funding community development and youth programmes. Already a Project STAR donor — listed as a peer to reflect comparable Caribbean CSR/community-development funding posture, not direct competition.
• Acumen: Global impact-investment fund that channels philanthropic capital into social enterprises addressing poverty. Adjacent rather than competitive; relevant as a potential social-impact-investor counterpart and capacity-building partner.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/projectstarja
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCdZkPi9UPUNgvHw-K6HMACA
• Facebookfacebook.com/projectstarja
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/projectstarja
• Instagraminstagram.com/projectstarja

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Project Star Jamaica