Standard Chartered Bank, in partnership with Village Capital, has launched the call for applications for the fifth cohort of its Futuremakers Women in Tech Accelerator (FWIT).
The initiative aims to support women-owned and women-led, tech-enabled businesses in Ghana’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
This year’s programme will be implemented by the Ghana Climate Innovation Centre (GCIC) at Ashesi University, with funding from the Standard Chartered Foundation. It is part of the bank’s broader mission to empower female entrepreneurs with the skills, tools, and funding needed to drive sustainable growth and innovation in Ghana’s tech sector.
Despite women contributing significantly to Ghana’s economy, owning 34% of formal SMEs (World Bank, 2023) and 44% of micro-enterprises (Ghana Statistical Service, 2021), many still face challenges such as limited access to finance, digital skills gaps, and regulatory barriers. The FWIT programme seeks to address these issues by equipping participants with business development, leadership, and digital innovation skills.
“This year’s cohort selection will place a renewed emphasis on inclusion, with preference given to women living with disabilities and those from underserved communities. Our Women in Tech incubator cultivates a generation of innovators, creating leaders who will inspire others to recognise their potential for impact.” said Mansa Nettey, Chief Executive of Standard Chartered Ghana Plc.
Participants will undergo a rigorous incubation process, culminating in a pitch and demo day. The top five finalists will each receive $10,000 (in Ghana cedi equivalent) as equity-free grants to scale their ventures.
Since its inception, the programme has supported 74 women-led businesses across sectors such as agriculture, fashion, renewable energy, health, education, and sustainability. Of these, 21 have received a total of $210,000 in grants, highlighting the programme’s role in fostering impactful, scalable innovation led by women.
Applications for Cohort 5 are now open, reaffirming Standard Chartered’s commitment to inclusive economic growth and gender empowerment in Ghana.
Standard Chartered Bank Ghana PLC
Standard Chartered Bank Ghana PLC is Ghana’s premier bank, established in 1896. We are a leading international banking group, with a presence in 52 of the world’s most dynamic markets.
Our purpose is to drive commerce and prosperity through our unique diversity, and our heritage and values are expressed in our brand promise, here for good.
Follow Standard Chartered on Twitter, LinkedIn and Standard Chartered Bank Ghana PLC on Facebook.com/StandardCharteredGH, on Instagram StanChartGH or visit www.sc.com/gh.
GHANA CLIMATE INNOVATION CENTRE (GCIC)
The Ghana Climate Innovation Centre (GCIC) is an institute of Ashesi University, and a pioneering business incubator with a unique focus on developing sustainable SME ventures and entrepreneurs in Ghana’s ‘Green Economy’.
The centre’s mission is to develop and support an exceptional set of transformational entrepreneurs who are pioneering innovation and adaptive or mitigating solutions for economic resilience and climate change issues in Ghana.
The GCIC does this through the provision of premium business advisory and business mentoring services, technical support in the development, prototyping and testing of their innovation, as well as financial grants to qualifying SMEs within the incubator.