Are you an entrepreneur running a small enterprise (SME) in Ghana and looking to upgrade your business?
Apply now for WIDU.africa’s next Thematic Call #GreenGhana. Entrepreneurs with sustainable & innovative business models can receive a Grant and free Business Coaching to develop their businesses further.
Applications are open!
Apply now for WIDU’s next Local Call in Ghana. Small businesses with innovative & green business ideas can receive a Grant and Coaching.
Why are we offering a WIDU Thematic Call #Green in Ghana?
Small businesses with green business models have the potential to contribute significantly to sustainability goals, elevating the standard of living for community members and fostering regional and national development. These enterprises can achieve financial success by focusing on sustainable green projects while generating substantial societal benefits. By providing communities with sustainable and affordable solutions, small enterprises can address the key drivers of poverty and reduce carbon emissions simultaneously. These positive societal and economic impacts are driven by a combination of factors, including:
- Creating local renewable energy jobs
- Reducing health risks, costs, and burdens
- Reducing energy costs
- Improving energy resilience.
Who can apply for #GreenGhana?
This new Thematic Call program is open to all green businesses located in Ghana, seeking opportunities to upgrade their existing business with a sustainable & innovative business model.
Eligible Green Sectors
Application and Grant Amount
We will now explain the application process for our Thematic Call and how the Grant amount is calculated.
The Process
The application process consists of three phases:
- Registration and Business Description: Entrepreneurs register, describe their business, and outline how they plan to use their private investment and the WIDU Grant, including completing a business plan.
- Private Investment and Documentation: Entrepreneurs spend their private investment according to the investment plan and upload receipts to the platform to verify the investments.
- Grant Investment: Entrepreneurs receive and use the WIDU Grant as outlined in their business plan, documenting their investments on the platform. During this process, entrepreneurs receive three free coaching sessions. The process chart below illustrates detailed steps.
How we Calculate the WIDU Grant Amount
Entrepreneurs can invest a minimum of 500 euros or a maximum of 2,000 euros. WIDU multiplies this amount by a factor of 2.5 to determine the grant amount.
This leaflet provides you with general information about the Local Call: #GreenGhana. It can be downloaded and printed in the following language: English.
Freqently Asked Questions (FAQ) about Local Calls
1. What are Thematic Calls?
Our Thematic Call #GreenGhana is a Local Call. Local Calls are the newest financial instrument on the WIDU platform designed to support small enterprises interested in building a sustainable green future in their community, with a focus on job creation potential. These Calls do not require involvement from diaspora donors.
2. Am I eligible to take part?
- Applicant must be 18 y/o or older
- Applicant must be a Ghanaian national
- Applicant must be the business owner
- The business must have been operational for at least one year. A proof of existence is required.
- The business must be a small or medium-sized enterprise with less than 20 employees.
- The business must aim at job creation, particularly jobs for women
- If you have already participated in WIDU’s Thematic Call #Digitalization Call that we offered last year in Ghana, your project must be fully closed.
3. How much is the Grant?
With the Thematic Call #GreenGhana, the entrepreneur’s investment is multiplied by 2.5:
- Minimum: For a Private Investment of 500 EUR (approx. 8,000 GHS), you will receive 1,250 EUR Grant (approx. 20,000 GHS).
- Maximum: For a Private Investment of 2,000 EUR (aprox. 32,000 GHS), you will receive 5,000 EUR Grant (aprox. 80,000 GHS).
4. What is the difference between the Thematic Call and the Original WIDU Grant funding program?
#GreenGhana is a “Thematic Local Call” and a Grant instrument of WIDU that does not involve diaspora donors. This means that applicants do not need a diaspora member to apply for #GreenGhana.
Another difference is that the grant amount is calculated based on the entrepreneur's investment amount: private investment x 2.5 = grant amount.
5. How does the application process work?
The application process is entirely online and consists of three phases: Registration, Private Investment & Grant Investment. Entrepreneurs must fill out an investment plan and spend both the Private Investment as well as WIDU Grant according to this plan. After investing this money, entrepreneurs must document their spendings by uploading receipts to the WIDU platform. Throughout the process, entrepreneurs receive one free coaching session per each application process phase.
After the application period closes, the most promising applications will be selected. You will be informed of the decision via e-mail.
6. How to get in touch with us?
Kindly contact us via e-mail: ghana@widu.africa.
About Our Partnership
We are implementing this funding programme – the Thematic Call #GreenGhana – together with our partner, the “Support to the Private and Financial Sector (PFS) Programme”. Both the PFS and WIDU.africa projects are implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. PFS, in addition, is co-funded by the European Union. We are united by the goal of promoting the employment situation in MSMEs in Ghana.
Learn more about our partner “Support to the Private and Financial Sector (PFS) Programme”.