57 entrepreneurs and SMEs receive support under EU programme
A total of 57 entrepreneurs and SMEs (25 for cohort 1 and 32 for cohort 2) in the SNV’s Netherlands Development Organisation three sectors have received business advisory services including support to build businesses that have proper management systems, operating eco-inclusive business models that offer environmental and social benefits to their communities, compliance with regulation and that attract investment.
The SNV Ghana, with funding from the European Union, is implementing the Boosting Green Employment and Enterprise Opportunities in Ghana (GrEEn) Project in the Ashanti and Western regions of Ghana. Under the GrEEn Project, SNV has been providing 6-months free incubation and acceleration services to selected entrepreneurs in partnership with business hubs in the Ashanti, Greater Accra and Western regions of Ghana.
The GrEEn Incubation Programme (available in the Ashanti and Western regions) and GrEEn Acceleration Programme (available in the Greater Accra regions and facilitated by Innohub, SNV’s business hub partner) provides green start-ups and growing businesses the training and support to expand or be investment ready, respectively.
The SMEs are expected to have increased access to new and existing markets and sources of funding. Currently a third cohort of SMEs have been recruited in the 3 regions and begun the business advisory support. In December 2021, a total of 12 entrepreneurs received a matching grant of GHS 1,170 million from the European Union under SNV’s GrEEn Project to help them expand their business as part of the GrEEn Innovation Challenge. Another 21 entrepreneurs from the Ashanti and Western regions received a matching grant of over GHS 400,000 under the GrEEn Business Plan Competition to kick-start their green businesses and inventions.
The European Union Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jutta Urpilainen, who visited Ghana as part of her tour, met with young Ghanaian entrepreneurs and also introduced some business ideas to them. She also discussed challenges and opportunities in the dynamic Ghanaian business context.
“Entrepreneurs trigger positive changes in their communities by creating jobs and by developing innovative solutions to local and global issues such as climate change”. She stated.
Source:3news
