STUDENT VENTURE SUPPORT TRAINING PROGRAMME
The Research and Innovation Directorate spearheaded a student venture support programme to develop and nurture innovative ideas of students and foster a culture of entrepreneurship. The University of Ghana leads the initiative in collaboration with the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), the University of Cape Coast, and external partners. The University of Ghana Business School (UGBS) supports the programme with mentorship and training.
In a student enterprise pitch competition, student-led teams shortlisted for presenting business proposals—evaluated for innovative concepts and commercial viability—pitch their ideas in the finale of the competition for grand prizes. Proposals are appraised by a panel of judges based on presentation skill, novelty, market potential, business model, environmental and social impact, and execution plan.
Thus far, various iterations of the competition have yielded six winning teams. Prizes include cash as well as training and mentorship at the UGBS Innovation and Incubation Hub with support from Impact Hub, Accra. Following intensive training to scale up proposals, viable commercial entities have been established and are operating. Training entailed a series of workshops and mentoring sessions, covering topics such as Design Thinking and Rapid Prototyping, Strategic Planning, Business Fundamentals, Fundraising Action Plan and Building, Building Powerful Business Relationships, Pitch DNA and Practice, Lean Methodology, Data and Metrics, Growth Hacking, Pitching and Storytelling. These form part of the project's capacity-building strategy.
Student Enterprise Pitch Competition- Winning Teams
Two iterations of the Student Enterprise Pitch Competition produced the underlisted winners. Teams in the first cohort, which won first, second, and third place, were:
McHan Organics 1ST
Team Members - Hannah Appiah, Nicholas Apenya Kofi, Emmanuella Egyir
Sector - Health, Agricultural Engineering/Extension, Manufacturing, Processing of cocoa pods into cosmetic products and detergents e.g. solid black soap, shower gel with mosquito repellant properties Let me know if you’d like these words formatted differently or used in a specific way (e.g., for a report, list, or keyword extraction).
Smart Farm 2ND
Team Members - Funchious Paul Mensah, Emmanuella Odoom, Paa Kwasi Saka Dankyi, Abubakar Fianu Ali
Sector - Food, Agricultural Engineering
A 'green' dryer to address the problem of sun drying and post-harvest losses. The technology is powered by solar energy and other renewable energy sources.
Eduvara 3rd Team Members -Raymond Dodzi Helegah, Priscilla Yamoah, Micheal Korangteng, Henritta Obeng, Dinah Adjeiwah Asare, Priscilla Dadzie
Sector - Digital Education
A school management Suite to address the inefficiency of administrative processes in education. With an offline-first approach, it tackles the challenge of limited internet connectivity in schools.
The second batch of winners, currently undergoing mentorship and business venture training are;
EcoFibre Solutions 1ST
Team Members - Godsway Kwame Awusi, Ernestina Baidoo, Edwin-Williams Gadabor
Sector -Sustainable manufacturing. Waste reduction, sustainability, and eco-friendly practices in the agricultural and packaging industries. Transforming agricultural residues into valuable resources. The project aims to convert rice husk, coconut coir, and pineapple leaves into self-binding fibers to create biodegradable food packaging and tableware.
Upcraft 2ND
Team Members - Chelsie Selby,Atari Phyllis Kobeh, Priscillia Ogor, Sydney Cudjoe
Sector Sustainable manufacturing. Upcraft is an initiative to transform plastic waste. into sustainable ecofriendly products of value. The team proposes to repurpose plastics, specifically plastic bottles and sachet water rubber bags, into beautiful ecofriendly products such as woven bags and jewelry, thus addressing the problem of plastic waste.
Todeka's Enterprise 1 1 1 3RD
Team Members - Bernice Forson, Paulina Toudeka, Josephine Toudeka
Sector Sustainable food system. Production of high-quality palm oil with no harmful additives. Minimizing post-harvest losses. Todeka's Enterprise proposes to address food safety and sustainable production in the palm oil industry. The mission is to support farmers and contribute to a healthier and more sustainable food system.