Background
The UDS Business Innovation and Incubation Centre (UDS-BIIC) seeks, among others, to develop the business acumen of students, alongside academic training, to enable them take advantage of business opportunities available to them under the supportive environment provided by the University for Development Studies (UDS). The Vice-Chancellor’s Business Innovation Award Scheme (VCBIAS) is part of efforts by the UDS-BIIC to identify and support potential entrepreneurs among students of UDS. The award emphasizes the need to give students an early start to participate in opportunities provided by domestic and global markets. The specific aim of this award scheme is to nurture potential business leaders among students of the UDS. Specifically, the scheme seeks to: identify viable business ideas among students; provide the necessary support to enable students realize their business ideas; and provide financial support to enable students actualize their ideas.
The 2020 Award
The 2020 award focused on the theme ‘the use of standards and packaging in marketing’. considering entries under the following sub-themes irrespective of the product or service:
o Standards: Quality, Certification, Weights and measures
o Packaging: Labelling, Materials (Environmentally friendly materials, preservation, etc.), Design
Benefits of the Award
Awardees will have the benefit of:
· Business incubation services from UDS-BIIC
· Access to experienced mentors
· Workspace
· Additional support from experts in the UDS
· Cash award of between GhC 15,000.00 and GhC 20,000.00 each
· Support to access finance
The Call and Selection Processes
Advertisement was made at the end of September inviting entries from UDS students. This lasted till the 20th of October. At the end of the period 31 applications were received.
Selection process was in 4 stages. A first shortlisting of all the applications based on the criteria of the call. This was completed on the 26th October with 21 proposals selected. All the 31 applicants were informed of the outcome of the shortlisting. The second stage involved pitching of the business ideas before a panel of 4 judges. This was done on the 5th of November. The 4 panel of judges include; 2 staff from UDS, the Regional Manager of the NBSSI and a successful private businesswoman (Alumnus) CEO of Amaati Company Limited. The judges made comments and contributions to improve the business ideas and their presentation skills. Twelve business ideas were selected for the next stage. The third stage involved pitching again before the same panel of judges which was done on the 19th November. At this stage all the presentations were very competitive but at the end 8 business ideas were selected for the final contest.
At the final stage the 8 finalists pitched their business ideas before a large audience at the Multipurpose Auditorium, Tamale Campus on Thursday 26th November 2020. At the finals we had three judges, The Northern Regional Manager of NBSSI, a Private Consultant and one staff of UDS.
Though all the business ideas were good, they were not strictly within the theme. They were the nearest to the theme. The contest was keen since all the business ideas were promising, the presentations were made very well, after the previous experiences. Three business ideas were adjudged the best for the award. They are:
First; Suleman Mariam, Sahel Delight, a third-year student in the Department of Family and Consumer Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Nyankpala Campus, who made a soft drink from shea pulp.
Second; Christiana Opoku, an MPhil Environment and Resources Management student, Wa Campus, who is making biodegradable packaging material (plastic) from false yam plant (Icacina oliviformis)
Third; Assiffuah Hasford Kojo Ainoo, Organicals Enterprise, an MPhil Biotechnology student, Nyankpala Campus, who is making Wah Insecticide Spray, organic insecticide for the control of fall army worm and mosquito
Attendance at the finals
One hundred and fifty-three (153) people attended the finals held at the Multipurpose Auditorium. Among these are the Pro. Vice-Chancellor, some Deans and Directors, HoDs, the Chief Director, Ministry of Business Development representing the Minister, CEO TECHGULF Ghana limited, the judges, Regional heads of Ghana Standards Authority, National Service, Agricultural Development Bank (ADB), United Bank of Africa (UBA), NBSSI, GRATIS Foundation, etc.
The chairman of the occasion was Mr. David Antwi Ofori, Head of Operations, Accra Digital Centre and Executive Director of Ghana Oracle Digital Entrepreneurship Programme (GODEP).
Funding
The award scheme was funded by donations from the University for Development Studies, UDS Alumni Association, Agricultural Development Bank, Amaati Company Ltd, Techgulf Ghana Ltd and some individual alumnus. We are still raising funds to meet all our commitments.
Challenges
1. Due to the absence of students on campus the call did not attract the number of applications expected. Some faculties were not represented.
2. Students’ attendance to the programme was low despite adverts on all their platforms.
3. The media disappointed us during the finals. The television stations we invited did not send their men to cover the programme.
4. Since this scheme is the first of its kind in the university, there was no guidelines to follow hence we had to plan everything by ourself. We made a few mistakes but we have learnt to do things better next time.
5. Raising funds was not easy in this COVID period when all businesses and individuals are going through financial challenges.
What next
All the contestants will be enrolled into the BIIC’s incubation programme. They shall be nurtured until their products or services get to the market and they are making profit. The award winners will be part of this programme. Disbursement of the award will be as and when the need arises.
Appreciation
We are grateful to UDS Management for the support and encouragement given us thus far. We also appreciate all who supported us in diverse ways, in cash and in kind.
We appreciate the hard work of the BIIC; the Director, the Principal Administrative Officer, Mr. Balma Yakubu and Mr. Peter Panford.
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