Are you an entrepreneur in Cameroon, Ghana or Togo, running a micro or small business that contributes to the digital transformation in your country? Or do you want to integrate digital technologies into your small business to improve your productivity and sustainability?
WIDU offers you the opportunity to do so through the new #DigitalizationCall!
Why Digital?
With the rapid global development of new communication technologies, digitalization has become essential to African micro and small businesses. Digitalization facilitates access to new markets and improves performance through swift adaptation to new tools and more efficient and sustainable methods of communication and production.
In this context, WIDU aims to encourage digitalization in Africa. WIDU offers personalised business coaching and financial support to micro and small businesses to develop their access to new technologies.
Target Sectors #DigitalisationCall
Digitalization Call - Process and Financing
About The #DigitalizationCall
1. What is the #DigitalizationCall?
With the rise of digital technologies, digitalization has become essential for African micro and small enterprises to facilitate their access to new markets, improve their performance and productivity, through rapid adaptation to new technology tools and more efficient and sustainable methods of communication and production.
Through this new financial support and coaching instrument, WIDU aims to facilitate access to new technologies in Africa and enable micro and small businesses to adapt to a global digital environment in perpetual evolution.
2. Who is eligible to apply?
Applicants need to
• hold the Ghanaian, Cameroonian or Togolese citizenship
• be 18+ years old
• have an existing small business
If you meet these criteria, apply now!
3. How are grant recipients selected?
There are multiple selection criteria that will be taken into consideration:
• Impact on digitalization
• Overall quality of application (completeness, coherence, etc.)
• Employment creation
• Creation of income
• Degree of innovation
Female entrepreneurs are specifically encouraged to apply.
4. What do selected entrepreneurs get through the #DigitalizationCall?
Only Ghanaian, Cameroonian and Togolese entrepreneurs who fulfill the requirements can apply online.
10-20 applicants will be selected per country to receive a WIDU grant and business coaching.
The grant amount is calculated by multiplying your investment by 2.5
Example 1 (minimum amounts):
• Ghana: For your investment of ~ 3867 GHS, you will receive ~ 12892 GHS as a grant.
• Cameroon/Togo: For your investment of ~ 200 000 XAF/XOF you will receive ~ 656 000 XAF/XOF as a grant.
Example 2 (maximum amounts):
• Ghana: For your investment of ~ 9669 GHS, you will receive ~ 32231 GHS as a grant.
• Cameroon/Togo: For your investment of ~ 490 000 XAF/XOF you will receive ~ 1 640 000 XAF/XOF as a grant.
Furthermore, selected entrepreneurs will receive three personalized coaching sessions.
5. What is the difference between our Local Call and our other WIDU Grants?
The #Digitalization Call is exclusively for innovative digital start-ups or existing micro or small businesses that want to digitalize their operations and only for businesses in Ghana, Cameroon and Togo.
This is the only grant type of WIDU that does not involve diaspora members.
The grant amount is calculated based on the investment amount of the entrepreneur: private investment x 2.5 = grant investment
6. How does the application process work?
The application process is entirely online.
Hand in your application here.
After the closing of the application period, the most promising applications (10-20) will be selected. You will be informed of the decision by e-mail.
7. How to get in touch with us?
If you have difficulties with the online processes, please send us an email:
Ghana: ghana@widu.africa
Cameroon: cameroun@widu.africa
Togo: togo@widu.africa
Business coaching is an important part of the Local Call support program. It helps entrepreneurs to improve their managerial and soft skills. Find out more about WIDU Business Coaching.
