The Israeli Embassy in Ghana, in collaboration with the Ghana Garden and Flower Movement, has opened applications for the fourth edition of the Israeli Green Innovation Competition (lGIC) for this year, 2022.

The Competition which was instituted in 2019, seeks to honour individuals and organizations that come up with innovative solutions to promote environmental conservation and agriculture in Ghana.

The application for the competition was opened at the launch of the 10th edition of the Ghana Garden and Flower Movement show- an initiative of Strategic Communications Africa Limited (Stratcom Africa).

The winner of this year’s competition will receive a fully paid trip to Israel to participate in industry-related meetings, excursions, and conferences to learn best practices, network, and seek potential investors to expand their existing business.

This year’s competition focuses on promoting sustainable green innovation initiatives by young Ghanaian startups. It focuses on innovative start-ups in the agriculture and horticulture sector which are in line with Israel’s commitment to stimulate both agriculture and innovation in Ghana.

Madam Shlomit Sufa, the Israeli Ambassador to Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, stated that she was pleased to support solutions that answered Ghana’s challenges in agriculture and climate change and support the SME ecosystem.

“As a country that finds innovation as the main engine for its economic growth, I am excited to be able to support solutions that answer Ghana’s challenges in agriculture and climate change, while at the same time support the SME ecosystem.”
Shlomit Sufa

Encouragement to Startups

Madam Sufa encouraged all, who were startups within the agricultural, horticultural, and environmental sectors to participate in this year’s competition. She called on individuals, who had ideas that could promote and support climate change to partake in the competition.

The Ambassador noted that to participate, startups must demonstrate innovative solutions to challenges within the agricultural, horticultural, or environmental sectors that promote green innovation in Ghana and support the Sustainable Development Goal 13, which called for urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.

“Participants will present their prototype or solution in a 90-second video clip, detailing all the essential information such as name, problem statement, benefits, and brief of how their innovative solution solves the sector’s challenges.”
Shlomit Sufa

The Ambassador disclosed that after the screening and short-listing process, six qualifying participants would be selected for the final pitch to be moderated by an expert team of judges. The finalists would have a five-minute timeframe to present their innovative solution.

Meanwhile, the 2020 and 2021 winners of the IGIC have stated that the youth in Ghana have the solution to what can propel the country forward. One of the winners shared his experiences with start-ups in the country and said it was always difficult. “You don’t have access to funds and even when your product has reached a certain stage that you need to scale up, the funds don’t come.”