Orange Corners is an initiative of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in collaboration with MDF West Africa, the Ghana Innovation Hub and our private sector partners Fidelity Bank, Emergent Payments, Friesland Campina, Vivo Energy Ghana, Meridian Port Services (MPS), PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and Allianz.
Our ambition is to further develop and strengthen the entrepreneurship ecosystem in Ghana. We do this by enabling youth to formalise their existing companies and by providing entrepreneurs with the necessary opportunities, skills and access to markets and capital. The Orange Corners Ghana programme is a 6-month acceleration programme with 10 workshop days, several (online) masterclasses and individual coaching sessions. At the same time, Orange Corners Ghana serves as a bridge between these innovative entrepreneurs and the private sector and access to finance through our Orange Corners Innovation Fund. This offers a great benefit to all partners involved.
Application process
Online application
The application form becomes available on our website prior to the beginning of each six-month cycle. Fill in all required fields and submit via the online application form submit button. Please make sure to check your inbox regularly to see if you are one of the 25 selected companies for the selection bootcamp.
Bootcamp
25 companies will be invited to participate in a two-day-long selection bootcamp in which a jury decides who are best placed to join the acceleration programme. You are asked to bring your registration document and your past-year financial statements to this bootcamp, which will also include a one-on-one interview and a pitch.
Selection
Selection will be done according to the performance during the bootcamp and review of your documents. After the bootcamp, 15-20 companies will be visited at their company location for due diligence, out of which 15 will be selected to participate in the six month programme.
FAQ
What are the selection criteria?
• Your company is registered and has been making sales for at least a year
• You sell a product or service that offers a sustainable solution to a local social, economic or environmental challenge (impact)
• You have a financial statement for least the past year. This does not have to be an audited statement but should at least show your cost and revenue.
• You have multiple team members or staff and the applicant is between 18 – 35 years at the time of application (please note we expect the founder/CEO or another key decision maker to participate in the workshops)
• Your company is interested to apply for – and repay – a growth loan up to 50,000 euros at 5% interest with a 2-year tenor through the Orange Corners Innovation Fund (after successful completion of the programme)
• You are not participating in any other programs or competitions at the time of application
When can I apply?
Applications will open twice a year through our online platform.
How can I apply?
You can apply through the APPLY NOW button on this website that leads to our application form on the website as soon as applications open.
How will this programme benefit me?
We will offer you access to our working space, partners and our experts to help scale-up your business, in the form of training and coaching. During the 6-month programme we will have 10-15 workshop days, but will also engage with your business and team one-on-one, so we can support you when and where needed. If at the end of the program you have a clear investment need, you can apply for the Orange Corners Innovation Fund (managed by Fidelity Bank Ghana) for a growth loan up to 50,000 euros at 5% interest with a 2-year tenor.
How will I know if I’m selected?
You will receive an email through the email address you signed up with which lets you know whether you are part of the selection for the bootcamp and/or the acceleration programme.
When does the programme start?
The third cohort of Orange Corners Ghana has just graduated.
Cohort 4:
Application deadline : August 29, 2021
Selection bootcamp: Sept 9-10, 2021
Programme dates: September 2021 to March 2022
Cohort 5:
Application deadline : February 20, 2022
Selection bootcamp: March 1-2, 2022
Programme dates: March to July 2022
Does it cost anything to participate?
Participation in the programme is free of costs. However, we will ask for a deposit (which will be returned to you after completion of the programme) and we will require you to cater for your own transport costs to and from the Orange Corners location at the Ghana Innovation Hub.
Our partners
Want to work together?
The latest
Algerian Clean Energy (ACE) powers ahead with installing solar power systems in Sahara
We are a social enterprise that provides installations of residential solar photovoltaic system in areas that do not have access to electricity. Sixty kilometers from the capital of Algeria in Bordj Menaïel, lives Walid Amrous. During his search for work after his studies, he travelled far to find a job, as far as to the …
Ivoire Myciculture: cultivating oyster mushrooms in Bingerville
Our vision is to feed the population while preserving the environment for the generations to come. During the summer of 2019, the logistician Aka A. Ange Roland came across tiny bundles of oyster mushrooms in Bingerville, 10 kilometres east of Abidjan, the capital of Ivory Coast. Only two years after this discovery, with the support …
A small artisan family business in Bouira, Algeria
We hope to provide individuals with different ranges of body care products that are handmade, regenerating their skin whilst protecting their health. The pricky green fruits, known as cacti, taste sweeter than they look. A 2017 study by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) showed that these prickly pears could be the answer …
Where to find us
Orange Corners Ghana | Accra, Ghana | Ghana Innovation (Hub in the middle block of the Accra Digital Center), Ring Road West, adjacent State Housing Company | [email protected]
