SNV Ghana, in collaboration with Innohub, has launched the GrEEn Acceleration Programme under the SNV Netherlands Development Organisation’s Boosting Green Employment and Enterprise Opportunities in Ghana (GrEEn) Project.
The launch took place during a networking session organised at Innohub Growth Centre on the theme: “Business Expansion into the Ashanti and Western Regions”, and brought together industry experts, SMEs, and other support stakeholders to discuss the importance of developing the SME and entrepreneurial ecosystems in the Ashanti and Western regions, with the goal of developing contributions to the green economy and making businesses ready for investment support.
The launch was held with the announcement of three selected participants who would go through the maiden edition of the GrEEn Accelerator Programme. The three were selected after thorough screening processes, interviews, and diagnostics exercises. Each SME will go through a series of tailored training and bespoke business development support that would help them develop a roadmap to achieving sustainable scale, create new decent jobs, and raise funding from the investing communities.
The selected participants are;
- Ropryn Company Ltd – Established in 2016, Ropryn produces fruits & vegetables (Horticulture Sector) for supply to supermarkets, and the hospitality industry. The company operates from Ahanta in the Western Region of Ghana. Led by Prince Manu Yeboah, the company currently has a staff size of 15 (11 Full time employees, and 4 Interns). Ropryn’s goal from the SNV GrEEn Accelerator program is to be able to raise capital, scale growth, and create jobs across West Africa.
- Pamela Chicks & Feeds – Pamela Chicks & Feeds operates a unique poultry farm business model that produces pullets (ready to lay birds) for supply to poultry farmers. The farm produces commercial poultry birds (chicken, turkey, guinea fowl) using mainly probiotics. This limits any use of antibiotics and artificial supplements. Pamela Agbotse leads a team of 7, who are experienced in various capacities of the company’s business operations. Pamela Chicks and Feeds looks forward to strengthening the company’s operating model and attaining investment-readiness to raise the capital needed to facilitate the strategic growth objectives.
- Premier Waste Services – Premier Waste Services is a waste management and recycling business, operating from two locations in the Ashanti Region. Premier Waste gathers plastic bottles and other plastic waste materials, which are converted into pet flakes for supply to industries and export markets. The company currently has a staff size of 25 (5 of whom are permanent, while the rest are gatherers and temporary factory workers). The company, led by Edmund Arthur Brown, is looking forward to attaining investment-readiness, which will allow him to raise capital to expand operations and increase the network of women and youth in its supply chain.
According to the CEO of Innohub, Mr. Nelson Madiba Amo “the program has been designed to catalyze the growth of the selected businesses, with complimentary services in critical areas like market development, investor matching and post program growth consulting support.”
The Senior Incubation & Acceleration Advisor for SNV Ghana, Miss Genevieve Parker-Twum who was also in attendance at the launch said, “The GrEEn Project at SNV, is committed to building strong resilient local economies that support the youth, women and returning migrants in the Ashanti and Western regions with business development and improved access to markets and capital”.
The GrEEn project, funded by the European Union is aimed at promoting employability and enterprise development thereby creating jobs for youth, women, and returning migrants, as well as supporting green businesses in Ghana.
