The National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP) has continuously demonstrated its socio-economic commitment to national development by living up to its core mandate of providing business development services, startup incubators, and funding for young businesses, new innovations, and ideas in order to help them become a full-blown success.
NEIP, since its inception, has promoted economic growth and job creation by supporting business ideas, stimulating innovation and entrepreneurship, which in turn have immensely led to the creation of new jobs and the growth of industries.
These interventions, undoubtedly, have had some positive boomerang effects on the overall economy under His Excellency President Nana Akufo-Addo.
It is in the same direction that NEIP on Tuesday 12th September officially launched the long-awaited maiden edition of the “National Innovation Challenge” at its Head Office at Cantonments in Accra.
The National Innovation Challenge is seeking to reward the best 10 innovations and business ideas geared towards supporting innovative and new Ghanaian entrepreneurs right from scratch.
The application portal is now open for 2 weeks which final pitching will be held come October 11, 2023, at the Accra digital centre.
For more information on the National Innovation Challenge, visit the official NEIP website www.neip.gov.gh.
The competition is on the theme: “Creating Sustainable Development Through Collaboration Innovation and Commercialization” is also aimed at inculcating and nurturing an innovation culture amongst the Ghanaian population whilst finding practical innovative solutions to everyday problems.
The National Innovative Challenge is now open to individuals, startups, and organizations to apply starting from today with no age restrictions, and applicants from various backgrounds and locations are encouraged to apply.
The competition methodology focuses on these core business sectors, Agriculture, Fintech and Technology, Manufacturing and processing, General Business, and any other economically viable area.
Addressing the press launch in the early hours of the day, the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of NEIP Ms. Abigail Swad Laryea mentioned that the National Innovation Challenge is an initiative that seeks to uncover and foster innovative ideas from persons who are visionary but need the necessary boost and upliftment to enable them to harness raw ideas to their maximum potential.
“The government of President Nana Akufo-Addo, through the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program is continuing to do its part to provide some of the key enablers that make innovation a success for the Ghanaian public through programs such the National Innovation Challenge. The National Innovation Challenge is an initiative which seeks to uncover and foster innovative ideas from persons who are visionary but need handholding to enable them to develop those raw ideas into their maximum potential.
…The aim of this competition is to inculcate and nurture an innovation culture amongst the Ghanaian population whilst finding practical innovative solutions to everyday problems. Through this initiative, new ideas are pitched by participants before a panel of judges out of which the best 10 are selected for funding from the ideation stage till commercialization,” she emphasized.
She added that “the application is open to everyone, with no age limit, no language barrier nor religious barrier, all that is requested is that your ideas should be innovative, creative, able to solve a problem, have a market potential, have a commercialization and presentation quality and above all, the applicant must be a Ghanaian as defined by law.
…Again, during the application, applicants must note and acknowledge these issues: Summary of the idea being presented, Problem statement, Solution to the problem statement, and Market viability of the concept. All applicants must strictly adhere to the submission guidelines outlined, including providing the necessary documentation, forms, or presentations as specified.
She then urged all Ghanaians to apply and stand a chance of winning some funding support.