GrEEn Business Plan Competition
The Boosting Green Employment and Enterprise Opportunities in Ghana (GrEEn) project Business Plan Competition is a yearly competition aimed at supporting entrepreneurs and businesses who have outstanding, innovative green business ideas. It is part of the implementation of GrEEn’s entrepreneurship skills development intervention, which is based on the Opportunities for Youth Employment (OYE) approach. For its 2021 edition, a total of up to EUR 60,000 will be made available in the form of matching grants for up to 20 entrepreneurs.
Objectives
Provide incentives for young people in the Ashanti and Western regions of Ghana to join the OYE programme, stay and complete the entrepreneurship pathway.
Encourage service recipients to design and develop innovative green business ideas into business plans based on the market realities.
Identify and support the most innovative and promising microbusiness ideas for upscaling.
Raise awareness of business opportunities in the green and circular economy, particularly in Ashanti and Western regions of Ghana.
Eligibility criteria
Be a graduate of the OYE Entrepreneurship Pathway training.
Fall into one of SNV’s three focal sectors: Agriculture, Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency, and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene.
The idea/innovation must indicate economic, environmental and social impact:
Economic benefits: income generation, financial sustainability of the business, etc.
Environmental benefits: reduction and recycling of waste; reduction of carbon emissions and pollution; protection of biodiversity and ecosystem; mitigation/adaptation to climate change, etc.
Social benefits: employment opportunities for youth, women and disadvantaged groups; access to essential services at the community level, etc.
The business must be operational, i.e., new ideas must have been pre-tested
Business should be located in the Ashanti or Western regions of Ghana
In the case of group enterprises, all partners must have roles/contributions clearly spelt out.
Entrepreneurs and their business should not be receiving any support from other initiatives, or if they are, must show how GrEEn support will complement support from other initiatives.
Show evidence of his/her/group ability to match the grant in-kind and in-cash with a minimum of 20% own equity.
Equity contribution could be savings, loans, machinery, land or others linked to the business.
A plot of land will be equivalent to GHS 1000; machinery will be costed up to GHS 1,500.
For loans, the maximum amount is GHS 1,000; salaries do not qualify as a cash contribution.
Owners of the business should be involved in the management of the business.
Complete the online application and submit a business plan using the GrEEn Business Plan Competition standard template.
Main award categories
Special award categories
Targeted regions
Ashanti and
Western regions
Application process
The application process is in two phases:
Download the GrEEn Business Plan Competition standard template here.
Complete the online application here and submit your application along with the completed Business Plan Competition standard template.
Deadline:
Wednesday, 26 May 2021
Partner service providers
Ashanti region: CDC Consult I Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) I Whizzy Academy
Western region: Cerath I Goshen I Ce Sult Services Ltd
Greater Accra region: Innohub Growth Center
National: MDF West Africa
Download the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) document here for more information.