Entries are now being accepted for the Innovate Ghana Innovation Challenge 2025, a competition jointly organised by Innovate Ghana, Innovate Labs, and StArfrica, designed to discover energy-focused innovations with the potential to make an impact in both Ghana and Germany.
The challenge welcomes submissions from Ghanaian individuals, startups, academics, and early-stage enterprises across six priority areas: Decentralised Renewable Energy Systems, Energy Storage and Grid Resilience, Sustainable Cooking Technologies, Energy Efficiency in Buildings and Industry, Green Mobility and EV Infrastructure, and Waste-to-Energy Solutions.
To be eligible, applicant teams must be based in Ghana. While international collaborations are allowed, teams must show a clear commitment to local implementation. Each team member is required to hold at least a bachelor’s degree or a TVET certificate to demonstrate their innovation capability.
Selected finalists will benefit from mentorship provided by energy experts from Ghana and Germany, technical support for prototype development and testing, and, for the most promising submissions, access to Germany’s “EXIST Startup Grant” programme, which offers up to €10,000 in funding along with one year of mentoring and infrastructure support.
The initiative underscores the growing collaboration between Ghana’s innovation ecosystem and European energy-technology partners, highlighting a focused effort to tackle domestic and global energy challenges through locally driven innovation.
Entries will be accepted from 15 October to 15 November 2025. Shortlisted teams will attend a kick-off workshop in Accra, with the possibility of relocating to Germany in collaboration with the University of Koblenz and its partners. The final winners will be chosen during a pitch event planned for January 2026.
Applicants can access the full guidelines and submit their entries through the official website.
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