Fifteen Ghanaian cultural and creative entrepreneurs have secured grant funding and extended mentorship under the second edition of the Creation Africa Ghana Incubation Programme, a French Government initiative to strengthen the country’s creative and cultural industries.
The beneficiaries emerged from an intensive four-week incubation that brought together 30 selected entrepreneurs out of over 400 entries from across the creative ecosystem, covering film, animation, fashion, publishing, content creation, music production, design and technology.
The programme, implemented in partnership with Impact Hub Accra, ended with a competitive pitch session evaluated by an independent jury, with 15 creative ventures receiving their awards at the residence of the French Ambassador to Ghana in Accra last Wednesday were selected for the next phase of support.
Top-performing enterprises, including Bravado, Mills Media, Clockwork Brand, Cinematheque Timtooni and TIISA Technology, received grants of up to €30,000 each to scale operations and expand impact within the creative economy.
As part of the award, the top five Ghanaian animation professionals would also be supported to participate in the 2026 Annecy International Animation Film Festival in France.
The remaining 10 awardees received grants ranging from €10,000 to €20,000, plus tailored mentorship, technical support and access to international networks.
They were “Mey Treats, Studio S, Scribble Works Publishing House, Si Hene Foundation, Park Cultural Production, Songs in Conversation, Trybe, Wollo, Bantama Blues Ltd, and Kura”.
The flagship Creation Africa Ghana Incubation Programme was designed as a beneficiary-centred intervention to equip cultural and creative entrepreneurs with the knowledge, networks and capital required to grow competitive businesses capable of succeeding on the global stage.
Nurturing generations
Speaking at the awards ceremony, the French Ambassador to Ghana, Diarra Dimé-Labille, described Creation Africa Ghana as one of the Embassy’s flagship programmes designed to nurture the next generation of African creative entrepreneurs.
“Creation Africa is first and foremost an incubation programme.
We are celebrating the conclusion of its second chapter tonight,” she said.
She commended participants for the quality of their projects and the collaborative spirit during the bootcamp, noting that several partnerships had already emerged among them.
Ambassador Dimé-Labille said the programme sought to build sustainable businesses capable of creating jobs and generating positive social and economic impact.
“You represent all sectors of the creative and cultural industry.
What you have in common is a desire to develop your creative project and turn it into a solid and viable business,” she added.
Bridging gap, appreciation
The Executive Secretary of the Ghana Creative Arts Agency, Gideon Aryeequaye, said initiatives like Creation Africa Ghana were bridging the gap between artistic talent and entrepreneurship.
He assured that the agency would continue to support creatives and give visibility to sectors previously sidelined.
"We will continue to provide support for creatives and ensure that every domain that has been sidelined in the past is made more visible.
“We will ensure that we acknowledge the talents we have and create opportunities for them to thrive both locally and internationally," he said.
For his part, Junaid Timtooni Yakubu, founder of Cinematheque Timtooni and top beneficiary, expressed gratitude to the French Embassy for the opportunity to share his work and win a €30,000 grant to expand his business.
Mr Yakubu added that the €30,000 grant award would be a major boost for the growth of his enterprise and also share his experience with other creatives as well as employ young talents for his venture.
