As the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP) moves into the disbursement phase of the Adwumawura Programme for its 2025 cohort, new details show that the funding will reach 245 persons with disabilities among the 3,212 young Ghanaians selected to receive grants.
The full breakdown of the 10,887 participants who completed training and advanced to the selection stage shows 6,801 males, 4,077 females and 245 persons with disabilities, reflecting an effort by the programme’s nine-member selection committee to apply inclusive criteria across the evaluation process.
The committee, which included representatives from the British Council, the Ghana Chamber of Young Entrepreneurs and the Ghana Enterprises Agency, assessed business plans submitted by shortlisted applicants on criteria covering viability, scalability, job creation potential and sustainability. Successful proposals advanced to a nationwide pitching exercise before a 13-member Grant Management Committee, which included representatives from Absa Bank Ghana, the Venture Capital Trust Fund (VCTF) and the National Youth Authority (NYA).
To support accountability and track outcomes beyond the grant stage, NEIP has deployed the Adwumawura Monitoring and Evaluation App, a digital platform designed to track the performance of funded businesses in real time and support follow-up assessments.
The programme, implemented by NEIP under the Ministry of Youth Development and Empowerment, attracted more than 120,000 applications when it launched in April 2025 under President John Dramani Mahama, with a target of creating 10,000 youth-owned businesses annually over four years. The 2026 cohort application portal is expected to open in due course.
