YouStart

The YouStart Programme is a Government of Ghana initiative to support the youth build commercially viable businesses to create a million jobs in the economy over the next three years. The objective of the programme is to build an entrepreneurial nation through a youth-centred approach.

As part of the programme, beneficiaries will be trained on the rudiments of entrepreneurship and business management to enable them to start and expand their own businesses. They will also receive Business Development Support Services from resource persons to enable them to scale up their businesses and receive funding (capital injection) over three years.

The YouStart programme is partly funded with proceeds from the Electronic Transactions Levy (E-levy).

YouStart Target Beneficiaries

The Programme primarily targets Ghanaians within the following categories:

Ghanaians between 18 and 40 years with brilliant and workable business ideas.
Youth-led businesses, including youth-led MSMEs.
Entrepreneurs above 40 years but with over 50% of their employees being youth

YouStart Sub Programmes

YouStart has three main sub-programmes targeting different categories of businesses and entrepreneurs. They include YouStart Commercial, District Entrepreneurship and the Grace Programmes.

1. YouStart Commercial Programme

is designed to support Small and Medium-sized Enterprises to scale up. This sub-programme primarily targets brownfield businesses and is implemented in partnership with commercial banks.

2. YouStart District Entrepreneurship Programme

is designed to support start-up entrepreneurs, rural enterprises, individuals with workable business ideas, and group businesses. This sub-programme will be based on the geographical spread of the MMDAs across the country.

3. YouStart Grace Programme

is spearheaded by the Faith-Based Organisations across the country. This sub-programme focuses on providing technical skills training and business development support to individuals and businesses to enable them to become employable and scale up their businesses.

Components of the YouStart Programme

1. Training and Capacity Building

provide technical support to individuals and group businesses by helping them improve their knowledge, skills and other resources for business growth and development.

2. Business Advisory Support Services

provide services to help businesses grow faster, reduce costs, manage risks and regulation, and leverage talent.

3. Compliance and Quality Assurance Services

Assisting beneficiaries to conform to standards, regulations, and laws.

4. Access to Market, Technology and Procurement Opportunities

Providing market access, technology and market linkage opportunities through Trade Fairs, Online Database, Linkages to Government Agencies, Procurement Opportunities, Equipment & Technology Support etc.

5. Access to Finance

Assisting trained and qualified beneficiaries with financial support in the form of loans. Each trained applicant will be assessed based on a credit scoring model before disbursements.

Priority Sectors

The following sectors will be prioritised by the programme; however, programme support will not be limited to entrepreneurs within these sectors only.