One of the winning teams
The Design and Technology Institute (DTI) has rewarded five Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) with a total seed capital of $25,000 to support their business ideas.
The five finalists were selected out of a shortlist of 15 teams that went through a six-month training in problem identification, research, ideation, and prototype development which commenced on 15th December 2021.
The competition forms part of DTI’s three-year partnership with the Mastercard Foundation under Young Africa Works “Transforming youth TVET livelihoods for sustainable jobs’’.
The project seeks to provide 40,000 direct and indirect work opportunities for the youth with creative and innovative ideas in agriculture, water and sanitation, plastics recycling, e-waste, and other sectors of the economy.
Founder and CEO of DTI, Constance Swaniker, congratulated the five teams on their well-deserved qualification for the grand finale.
She said the participants, as part of the competition, were involved in in-depth research and engagement with communities to co-design solutions to address communal problems sustainably.
“The winners will graduate and advance with their prototypes into a six-month pre-acceleration programme.
The pre-acceleration programme will serve as a platform for the winners to gain extensive business management, financial and operational resources, and will be the catalyst for fundraising activities and investment opportunities at DTI,” she said.
Ms. Swaniker said as a TVET centre of excellence, DTI believes that empowering youth-led SMEs is crucial in driving Ghana’s economic development and accelerating progress towards achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
“We are thrilled to be able to provide opportunities for youth-led SMEs to scale up and reach their entrepreneurial potential through our Community Innovation Project, and we look forward to seeing the amount of growth their businesses experience,” she added.
She further indicated that as West Africa’s premier prototype development centre, DTI is on a journey to train and develop learners who are attuned to the socio-economic needs of people, community, and businesses, and are ready and willing to develop innovative solutions to meet such needs to generate income for themselves and also create sustainable jobs for the youth.
The winners were selected by a panel of judges drawn from industry and academia to evaluate the ideas for their originality, practicality, potential impact, and scalability.
Winners
The overall winner, Master Kraft developed a multi-purpose wheelchair for the aged and the physically challenged received $ 10,000.
The first runner-up, Tom SB developed a burglar-proof security system and received $ 7,000, while the second runner-up, Quickserve developed a mobile app for the supply of welders and digital innovators and received $ 5,000.
Consolation prizes were given to two SMEs, FIRM-JZ which developed a Multipurpose Ladder Trolley, and Nine Tech Engineers, and they each received $ 1,500.
Ultra-Modern Machine Workshop, Makerspace
DTI also commissioned an ultra-modern machine workshop and makerspace for effective teaching and training at the institute.
The machines will enable the learners to effectively work on their ideas and concepts, design and develop prototypes, and also ensure products developed are precise and meets the requirements of industry and consumers.
Ms. Swaniker urged the industry to collaborate with TVET institutions such as DTI to develop products that are relevant to them.
“We are open to working closely with industry to champion a cause aimed at developing prototypes and products that will address the needs of industry whiles creating jobs for the youth’’.
The events were attended by representatives from the Ghana TVET Service, CTVET, Ghana Standards Authority, Financial institutions, academia, industry experts, learners, and young entrepreneurs.