By Benjamin Nii Nai Anyetei
Enterprise Group PLC has launched Enterprise Spotlight, a national entrepreneurship challenge designed to empower young innovators and provide them with funding, mentorship, and national exposure to scale their businesses.
The programme is expected to help young entrepreneurs expand their businesses, gain valuable skills, and create jobs, contributing directly to economic growth in communities across Ghana. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) account for about 90% of all businesses in Ghana, provide around 80% of total employment and contribute about 60 to 70% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) underscoring the critical role entrepreneurial ventures play in the economy.
With youth unemployment still high around 32.5% among persons aged 15 to 24 and 21.9% for those aged 15 to 35, many young Ghanaians continue to face limited job opportunities, highlighting the importance of entrepreneurship as a pathway to economic empowerment and self‑employment.
The initiative, launched in Accra, is being implemented in partnership with the Springboard Road Show Foundation.
The competition is open to entrepreneurs aged 18 to 40 across all sectors of Ghana’s economy, with women and persons with disabilities strongly encouraged to apply.
Competition Structure and Prizes
Through a nationwide application process, the Enterprise Spotlight Challenge will select 24 entrepreneurs who will go through a rigorous assessment journey before a national broadcast audience while competing for financial support to grow their businesses.
At the end of the competition:
The overall winner will receive GHS100,000.
The first runner-up will receive GHS80,000.
The second runner-up will receive GHS50,000.
In addition, semi-finalists will receive GHS10,000 each, while quarterfinalists will be awarded GHS5,000 each to support the growth of their businesses.
A special Most Resilient Award worth GHS10,000 has also been introduced to recognise and support an entrepreneur living with a disability.
Mentorship and National Exposure
Beyond the financial rewards, organisers say the programme is designed as a multi-layered support system that will equip participants with mentorship, counselling, and access to broader markets.
Every entrepreneur selected for the programme will be enrolled in a structured mentoring and counselling programme and will have the opportunity to showcase their businesses on Springboard, Your Virtual University, while gaining access to Springboard’s nationwide network of more than one million young Ghanaians.
The programme will also provide participants with psychosocial support through trained psychologists and counsellors to help them navigate the challenges associated with building and scaling businesses.
Commitment to Entrepreneurship
Managing Director of Enterprise Life Assurance Company Limited, Jacqueline Naadu Benyi, said the initiative reflects the organisation’s long-standing commitment to entrepreneurship and national development.
According to her, Enterprise Group believes that business growth and national development are closely linked, adding that the company is investing in entrepreneurs who are building businesses, creating jobs and solving real problems within communities across Ghana.
She noted that Enterprise Spotlight has been several years in development, with the idea conceived during the company’s centenary reflections two years ago.
Platform for Entrepreneurs
Executive Director of the Springboard Road Show Foundation, Comfort Ocran, described the challenge as a major opportunity for entrepreneurs seeking platforms to expand their businesses.
He said Ghana’s entrepreneurs are ready to grow but often need the right opportunities and platforms, stressing that Enterprise Spotlight is intended to open that door by connecting them to networks, mentorship, and systems that have transformed young Ghanaians for over two decades.
Disability inclusion consultant and member of the judging panel, Michael O. Asare, welcomed the programme’s strong focus on inclusion.
She said entrepreneurship requires resilience and innovation, adding that inclusive initiatives such as Enterprise Spotlight create opportunities for persons with disabilities to showcase their talents and contribute to national development.
Applications for the Enterprise Spotlight Challenge are currently open.
Eligible applicants must operate a registered business in Ghana and fall within the 18 to 40 age bracket.
The application deadline is April 6, 2026.
