Who are we looking for?

We are looking for committed early-stage WASH entrepreneurs from 18 to 35 years old who have developed a solid business idea or a prototype and aim at creating impact in rural and urban areas in Ghana. Here is what you need:

• You have a business idea in the water, sanitation or hygiene sector based on a well-identified problem
• You know where you intend to implement your business activities – or you are already operating at little scale
• You already reflected on a revenue stream to ensure the financial sustainability of your social business
• You have already taken actions to develop your business – or, if not, you know what the next steps would be to develop your business
• You are committed and ready to invest time in your business to reach the implementation of a pilot project in the coming year

Useful definitions

• Social business: A social business is a business created and designed to address a social/environmental problem (i.e. the lack of access to improved WASH services). As a business, the business is financially self-sustainable and part of the profits are reinvested in the business itself, with the aim of increasing impact (i.e. reaching new underserved communities).
• Pilot project: A pilot project is a small-scale, short-term experiment that helps to test, learn, and validate how your social business might work in practice.

Eligibility criteria

• You are between 18 and 35 years old at the beginning of the programme (in September)
• You are a Ghanaian citizen and currently live in Ghana
• You are the founder or co-founder of your business
• You are able to understand and discuss technical subjects related to your project in English
• You have access to a computer and a reliable internet connection
• You are available to participate in two in-person bootcamps anywhere in Ghana and to attend online sessions in the coming year

What does the participation cost?

Participation in the programme is free of charge. This means that all direct costs related to participating in the incubation programme, including trainings, networking events, transportation, accommodation, meals are covered by us. Participants also have the opportunity to access a seed-funding of up to USD 5,000. This fund is to be used exclusively for the pilot project developed during the programme.

How much time do I have to commit to participating in the programme?

Participation in the WASH Incubator Ghana is a time-intensive endeavour and will require an average dedication of 15 hours per week. However, during peak moments throughout the programme, the time commitment may be higher. Additionally, participants must be fully present for all programme components, including the face-to-face bootcamps, which will last for 5 consecutive full days. Availability to travel for these trainings is a prerequisite! The programme starts in September 2024 and ends in August 2025, with the most intense phase taking place from September 2024 to May 2025.

Application process

For your application, you must fill in an online application form answering questions regarding your personal information, your business idea and about your background and motivations: the form contains 40 questions and last about x minutes.

The submission of your application must be done before 28 July 2024.

Only complete forms (answering all questions), with detailed answers, will be considered. In addition to the form, you will have to submit your CV and, if possible, a link to a 2-minute video. At a later stage you may be asked to submit a reference letter.

The organising teams will announce the selected entrepreneurs in August 2024.

General application tips

• Start the application as soon as you can: you will need time to make the video and think your answers and submitting your application before the due date gives you time to deal with any unforeseen technical issues
• Work on your answers: the best answers respond to the question directly and concisely after some reflection so as not to leave out any essential details. Build in time for several rounds of proofreading and review. Provide as much numeric/statistical evidence as possible
• Don’t copy-paste from other applications: this is probably not your first application, and you may want to use something you have already written. However, copy-pasting without adapting the content to the specific question will probably lead to irrelevant answers, as well as give the impression that there was not enough effort put into the application. Also, don’t repeat the same information in each question, be specific to what is asked.
• Prepare your answers off-line: do not prepare your answers in the online form; you risk losing your work because of a poor internet connection or a webpage crash. Instead, we encourage you to download the application form (available HERE) and to write your answers below each question. Take careful note of the word limit for each open question and be sure you don’t exceed this number in your response (word processing software includes a word count function).
• Ask other people to proofread your answers: working in a text document will allow you to send it to proof-readers and asking people to read your applications is always a good idea to make sure you are explaining yourself well. Once you achieved the final version of your answers, just copy-paste them in the online form.