The Boosting Green Employment and Enterprise Opportunities in Ghana (GrEEn) project is aimed at creating greater economic and employment opportunities for youth, women and returning migrants by promoting and supporting sustainable, green businesses in the Ashanti and Western Regions of Ghana.
The GrEEn acceleration programme aims at supporting and strengthening enterprises through the following:
- Environmental and social safeguards assessments
- Good manufacturing practices
- Eco-friendly packaging
- Dedicated portfolio analysts working with your team to develop Investment readiness documentation (under the acceleration program)
- GrEEn Innovation Challenge (opportunity to be awarded EUR 25,000.00 matching grant)
- Business Mentoring services
- B2B Industrial market linkages
- Tradeshows (Accra, Takoradi & Kumasi)
- Investment forums
- Diaspora Investor Engagements
Agriculture
Agriculture, including Climate-smart Agiculture, Agri-businesses and Agro-processing.
Renewable Energy
Renewable energy, including clean cooking, solar systems, energy efficiency.
WASH
WASH, including Waste management, Water purification, Recycling, Cleaning & Sanitary products.
How The Green and Innovative SMEs Are Selected!
- Stage 1: GrEEn staff and partner hubs review the applications according to a standard set of criteria
- Stage 2: SMEs that pass the initial screening stage are invited to join a 2-week bootcamp, where they are introduced to a brief overview of the acceleration program
- Stage 3: Further screening and selection is conducted post bootcamp based on the engagement, output and level of participation at the bootcamp stage.
- Stage 4: Due diligence is then conducted on the shortlisted applicants to select the final applicants for the Accelerator program.
Who Qualifies?
- The owner(s) of the business must be aged 15-35 years. (*Women can be above the age of 35, but no older than 40).
- The business must have a high potential for job creation among youth.
- The business must have been registered for at least two years.
- The business should be a for-profit entity.
- The entrepreneur must be available for the duration of the programme and must be able to attend at least 80% of all programme activities.
- The entrepreneur must be willing to make investments and changes in their business structure or operations (e.g. correct gaps in their governance structure, financial management, comply with standards, commit equity or savings, etc.)
- The entrepreneur must be willing to make changes to adapt his/her business model to be eco-inclusive or environmentally friendly.
- The business must have an innovative product or service in Agriculture, Renewable Energy and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) that is financially viable.
- The entrepreneur must be resident and have their business located in the Ashanti or Western Region for at least 6 months.
- Businesses located outside the Ashanti and Western regions must have significant operations in either of the two regions, and must demonstrate ability to create jobs in the said regions.
- The entrepreneur must not be engaged in any conflicting programme (i.e incubation and acceleration and/or dedicated business development services) for the duration of the programme.
