The 3rd edition of the Green Regional Trade Show has taken place in Takoradi, Western Region.
The event was intended to highlight green and circular economy market opportunities.
Giving his remarks at the 3-day GrEEn Regional Trade Show, the project manager of the GrEEn Project, Laouali Sadda, said, the project seeks to provide support for the growth of a green, climate as well as provide skills to young people in the Western Region.
He revealed that since 2021, SNV has carried out such regional trade shows to support green businesses.
“The GrEEn Regional Trade Show is intended to highlight green and circular economy market opportunities.
The GrEEn Project aims to support the growth of green, climate resilient and sustainable businesses as well as provide skills development to youth in the Ashanti and Western Regions.”
“Since 2021, SNV has been carrying out regional trade shows to support green businesses to increase their market access, promote their products and services and increase their sales so they can boost production and create jobs.”
On training and funding for entrepreneurs, Mr Sadda said, through the implementation of the GrEEn Incubation and Acceleration Programmes, 39 businesses have benefited from advisory support from partner hubs, and awarded grants to grow their businesses.
Apart from that, through the implementation of the GrEEn Project and the GrEEn Innovation initiative, million cedis have been awarded to sustain local businesses.
He also disclosed that the Young Entrepreneurs and Startups Support Fund, YESS Fund will be extended to September this year to enable more MSMEs in the green sector to be financed.
” I am proud to say that 39 of the businesses here today are graduates of our 6-month GrEEn Incubation and/or GrEEn Acceleration Programmes and have received training and business advisory support from SNV and our partner hubs- with some being awarded grants- to grow their businesses,” He said.
” Through the implementation of the GrEEn Project and the GrEEn Innovation Challenge- an initiative we rolled out to provide financial support to businesses with innovative ideas-, we have awarded over 3 million cedis to sustainable local businesses.”
” I am happy to use this opportunity to inform you that SNV is partnering with the Ghana Chamber of Young Entrepreneurs to extend by September this year the Young Entrepreneurs and Startups Support Fund (YESS Fund) to provide financing to more MSMEs in the green sector.” He added.
The Boosting Green Employment and Enterprise Opportunities in Ghana, popularly known as the GrEEn Project- is an action funded by the European Union and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Ghana which has been jointly implemented by SNV Ghana and the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) since 2019.