Standard Chartered opens applications for 5th women in tech programme

Standard Chartered Bank, in partnership with Village Capital, has opened applications for its fifth Futuremakers Women in Tech Accelerator (FWIT). This initiative supports women-owned and women-led tech businesses in Ghana.

The program will be run by the Ghana Climate Innovation Centre (GCIC) at Ashesi University. It is funded by the Standard Chartered Foundation. This effort aims to empower female entrepreneurs with essential skills, tools, and funding.

Women significantly contribute to Ghana’s economy. They own 34% of formal SMEs and 44% of micro-enterprises. However, many face challenges like limited access to finance and digital skills gaps.

The FWIT program addresses these issues. It equips participants with business development, leadership, and digital innovation skills.

This year’s selection will focus on inclusion. Preference will be given to women living with disabilities and those from underserved communities. Mansa Nettey, Chief Executive of Standard Chartered Ghana Plc, stated that the incubator cultivates innovators who inspire others.

Participants will go through a rigorous incubation process that ends with a pitch day. The top five finalists will each receive $10,000 as equity-free grants to grow their ventures.

Since its start, the program has supported 74 women-led businesses across various sectors. These include agriculture, fashion, renewable energy, health, education, and sustainability. So far, 21 businesses have received $210,000 in grants.

Applications for Cohort 5 are now open. This reaffirms Standard Chartered’s commitment to inclusive economic growth and gender empowerment in Ghana.