The Challenge

At the start of the New Business Challenge five companies have formulated a business case regarding their activities or plans in Ghana. They need fresh and out-of-the-box insights and solutions of entrepreneurial students and young professionals to take the next step. After the program Ghanaian participants get access to the New Career Platform: a dedicated place to inform young talent about starting a professional career in Ghana.

The Change

All businesses found possible solutions for their case, several businesses asked Ghanaian starters to become interns or employed them and the business representatives have appreciated the out-of-the-box approach of the challenge. All Ghanaian and Dutch participants had an unforgettable experience of working in another context. Business representatives and participants have positively evaluated the programme as follows:

“The skill set of the participants in the teams was very varied and therefore they were able to view the problem from different perspectives.”

“The strict selection process helps to create great student teams that can come up with useful solutions to difficult problems."

"I discovered my passion for international cooperation.”

The Partnership

The New Business Challenge is organized by Sustainable Motion, The Ghana Netherlands Business Council and Crosswise Works. It’s powered by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Ghana and Spring Talents. Ghanaian partners include: Ashesi University and Central University.

The Opportunity

Since 2019 the program aims to further support participants that have entrepreneurial aspirations. In 2020 we organized a Virtual Business Challenge, with over 48 alumni joining. Twelve teams worked together in cross-cultural teams to provide a solution for two business cases. It was an opportunity to support a Ghanaian business that sought to innovate and use the Covid-19 crisis as an opportunity