MTN Business has awarded GH¢160,000 in cash prizes and business support packages to ten small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) under its MSME Day Business Pitch Competition.
The competition, organised as part of the company’s SME Accelerate Programme, brought together ten SMEs to present business proposals before a panel of judges.
The finalists were 10-10 Foodie, Awhenepa Cookery, Edible Treats, House of Lush, Manehlla Foods, Tahir Field Recycling, Tropical Snacks, Bubune Africa Limited, Dyluri Beauty and Lebenam Skin.
Five businesses, Tahir Field Recycling, Edible Treats, Dyluri Beauty, Manehlla Foods and Tropical Snacks, emerged as the winners. Each received GH¢30,000, bringing the total cash awarded to the top five businesses to GH¢150,000.
The winners also received Business Eye solutions and MiFi devices. The top three finalists will participate in the MTN Business Mini MBA Programme, delivered in partnership with Nova Business School, while the remaining finalists will receive entrepreneurship and skills development training through E4 Impact.
Although Tahir Field Recycling and Edible Treats recorded the highest scores during the competition, MTN Business awarded the same prize amount to all five winning businesses.
The remaining five finalists, 10-10 Foodie, Awhenepa Cookery, House of Lush, Bubune Africa Limited and Lebenam Skin, each received GH¢2,000 and business support tools, including Y’ello Biz Routers, Business Eye solutions and other digital products.
Speaking at the event, Senior Manager for SME Sales, Partnerships and Business Broadband at MTN Ghana, Mohamed Abubakar Siddiq, said the competition forms part of the company’s efforts to support SMEs.
“SMEs are the backbone of Ghana’s economy, contributing significantly to job creation, innovation and economic growth. At MTN, we understand both the opportunities and challenges that come with building and growing a business. Through initiatives such as the Business Pitch Competition and the SME Accelerate Programme, we are providing entrepreneurs with the funding, digital solutions and business knowledge they need to grow resilient and sustainable enterprises. Our goal is to help SMEs unlock their potential, create jobs and contribute meaningfully to national development,” he said.
Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Tahir Field Recycling, Tahir Pumar, said the award would support the company’s expansion plans.
“This recognition is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our team. The prize money will enable us to increase production capacity, expand our operations and create additional employment opportunities for young people. We are grateful to MTN Business for investing in the growth of Ghanaian businesses,” he said.
The Business Pitch Competition forms part of the SME Accelerate Programme, a year-long initiative that provides SMEs with business training, networking opportunities and access to digital solutions.
According to MTN Business, the programme is in its third year and has so far organised three SME clinics across three regions, reaching more than 700 SMEs. Three additional clinics are scheduled for Accra, Takoradi and Tamale. The programme also includes a Mini MBA training course for SMEs in partnership with Nova Business School.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
