The National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP) has begun disbursing grants to 3,212 entrepreneurs selected under the 2025 cohort of the Adwumawura Programme, a flagship government initiative aimed at boosting youth entrepreneurship and tackling unemployment.
The Adwumawura Programme was launched to equip young Ghanaians with the skills, mentorship, and funding needed to build sustainable businesses.
The disbursement of grants to these successful applicants, described as a major milestone in the Adwumawura Programme’s rollout, has now commenced, according to the government.
Beyond funding, it said, NEIP will provide post-disbursement monitoring and business advisory services to support the sustainability and success of the funded enterprises.
“The agency also announced that young entrepreneurs who missed out in 2025 will have another opportunity, as the application portal for the 2026 cohort will open soon.”
Shortlisting of Successful Applicants
In its 2025 run, the programme trained and mentored 10,887 beneficiaries nationwide, according to a statement by the Jubilee House.
Each beneficiary completed five weeks of intensive entrepreneurial training, followed by six months of structured post-training mentorship designed to refine their business models and strengthen operational capacity.
To move from training to funding, NEIP instituted a rigorous selection process overseen by a Grant Management Committee, made up of representatives from academia, government institutions, financial agencies, development partners, and the private sector, which was tasked with ensuring fairness, accountability, and merit-based selection.
The statement noted that beneficiaries submitted detailed business plans and innovations after training for review.
An initial one-week screening assessed each proposal against four key criteria, including scalability, job creation potential, sustainability, and feasibility.
It added that businesses had to demonstrate potential for growth, the ability to create at least two decent jobs, long-term viability, and practical readiness for implementation.
“Shortlisted applicants proceeded to a nationwide pitching phase, where they presented their business ideas before the Grant Management Committee. This stage provided an opportunity for further evaluation and validation of proposals, culminating in comprehensive assessment reports to guide final selection decisions. Following this rigorous process, 3212 successful beneficiaries have been selected across all regions of the country.”
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Source:
opemsuo.com