Airtel Ghana has started the maiden Business Plan Competition dubbed, “Catapult your Business.”
The competition presents a platform for young women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) to pitch a business idea for seed funding and mentorship.
A release issued in Accra said “Airtel will target women in businesses such as food processing, architecture and food nutrition.”
It said successful entrepreneurs and experts from venture capital and technology firms, as well as Airtel Staff, would serve as mentors, judges and workshop presenters.
“The competition, which forms part of Airtel Ghana’s corporate social responsibility, is an extension of the company’s month-long celebration of International Women’s Day, which fell on March 8.
The release quoted the Director for Legal and Corporate Affairs of Airtel Ghana, Ms Hannah Agbozo, as saying that, "We believe women are imbued with the spirit to succeed. We also believe women have dreams, aspirations and ambitions but are unable to realise them due to inadequate opportunities and that is why we have set up this competition to fuel that hunger to reach the top.”
The launch of the competition, she said, “is a testament to our sustainable corporate social responsibility initiatives and our belief in the power of potential in our women.”
She added that through Airtel Ghana’s Catapult your Business competition, female students and local entrepreneurs would turn innovative ideas into actual businesses.
“We’re combining the best talents and resources from the universities with the brightest new ideas from the community, to grow entrepreneurship and to help make their ideas become enormous successes,” she added.
"Airtel Ghana’s Catapult your Business Competition is a great forum to nurture the talent and ideas being created by young women in STEM," the release also quoted the Head of Corporate Communications at Airtel Ghana, Mr Donald Gwira, as saying.
“The launch introduces participants to the competition's rules and judging criteria, and marks the official start of the three-week executive summary submission period. Following a series of workshops, mentor sessions and two rounds of judging with feedback, the competition will culminate on March 23, 2015, with a final presentation from five finalists and a public event awarding prizes to winners,” he added.