Selection

Timeline

July 6 - August 8 2026

Call for Applications

You are invited to apply to the CircularEconomy4Ghana Innovation Challenge.

The call for applications will be open from July 6 to August 8, 2026 at 23:59 UTC.

October 19-22, 2026*

Bootcamp

Bootcamp: If you are one of the 20 selected teams, you will be invited to travel to Accra, Ghana, and undergo a 4-day immersive bootcamp offering a farm field trip, technical guidance, business mentorship, and pitch training to prepare for the pitch-day on the final day of the bootcamp.

*The proposed date is indicative and may be subject to change.

November 2026 – January 2027

Accelerator Program

Acceleration Program: If you are one of the top 15 innovators, you will participate in a fully sponsored acceleration program, combining business training, scientific technical assistance, and funding supporting you in testing, validating, and preparing to scale-up your innovations.

February 2027

Demo Day

Demo Day: The acceleration program is officially adjourned with the Demo Day where you are given the opportunity to pitch your solutions to investors, industry experts, agribusinesses, scientists, governmental institutions, and partners alongside the other finalists.

February 2027 onwards

Post-accelerator support

Graduating teams will continue to be part of the Accelerate for Impact Platform’s startup portfolio, gaining ongoing strategic mentorship, facilitated connections to partners and access to CGIAR’s innovation platforms and scientific infrastructure.

Selection Process

Applications are assessed by the Selection Committee including industry experts representing CGIAR and project partners.

Evaluations are based on specific criteria:

Legal entity requirement: Registration as a legal entity is not required at the time of application. Applicants may be in the process of registering, and support will be provided as needed. Applications are accepted from registered entities as well as individuals or teams affiliated with a national or international research center or university in Ghana. Partnerships with international startups with a presence or willingness to establish operations in Ghana are encouraged.

Relevance to Ghana: Solutions must address key challenges in Ghana’s agriculture sector and fall under at least one of the project’s priority areas.

Technology and business readiness: Solutions must be at the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) stage, preferably with end-user testing completed. They should also be actively fundraising, ideally at the pre-seed or seed stage.

Scientific validation: Solutions must be scientifically sound, innovative, and offer improvements over existing technologies.

Value Proposition: Solutions must offer new or improvements over existing concepts, approaches, or technologies.

Sustainability and scalability: Business models should demonstrate market viability, growth potential, and competitive differentiation. It should be supported by documented evidence of market size, scalability, replicability, and transferability, and the ability to prevent competitors from replicating or infringing innovation.

Environmental and social impact: Innovations must show measurable positive impacts while mitigating environmental and social risks.

Team composition: Teams should be composed of two people, and have diverse, complementary skill sets and expertise in technical, scientific, or industry-specific fields, demonstrating inclusivity, dedication, and commitment to the innovation challenge. Teams will be assessed on a multi-tiered selection basis, each tier with a tailored set of criteria, including value proposition, sustainability, scalability, scientific relevance, and maturity, supported throughout by partners’ expertise and networks.

Please note : Selection criteria may evolve across different phases of the project, with additional requirements depending on the stage of evaluation.