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Standard Chartered Opens Applications for Cohort 5 of Women in Tech Incubator
Standard Chartered Bank Ghana PLC, in partnership with Village Capital is excited to announce the call for applications for the 5th Cohort of the Standard Chartered Women in Tech (FWIT) Incubator Program. A flagship initiative under Standard Chartered's global Futuremakers program and implemented by the Ghana Climate Innovation Centre, empowers women-led and women-owned businesses with the tools, training, and funding needed to leverage technology and build scalable, innovative businesses that address Ghana's pressing economic and environmental challenges for sustainable growth and social impact.
Despite women driving 34% of formal SMEs (World Bank, 2023) and 44% of micro-enterprises (Ghana Statistical Service, 2021), persistent barriers like limited access to finance (65%), digital skills gaps (40%), and regulatory hurdles (35%) (Mastercard Index, 2023) hinder their growth. The FWIT program directly tackles these challenges, fostering sustainable businesses with measurable social impact.
Apply here to join the next generation of innovators!
Whats New in Cohort 5?
This year, we are doubling down on inclusion, with priority given to
Women entrepreneurs living with disabilities.
Five standout ventures will earn $10,000 grants to accelerate their growth.
Founders from historically underserved regions (Upper East, Upper West, Northeast, Savannah, and Central regions)
Benefits of the Programme
Selected participants will receive:
World-class training
A "Mini MBA" in business development, leadership, and digital innovation
Personalized mentorship
One-on-one advisory sessions with industry experts
Masterclasses & networking
Access to workshops and connections with top entrepreneurs
Support services
Legal, financial, and tech development guidance
Funding opportunity
Top five finalists receive $10,000 (GHS equivalent) in equity-free grants
Who Can Apply?
Eligible applicants must:
Be Ghanaian women owning at least 50% of a registered business
Have a business that has operated for at least 12 months
Use technology or innovation in their product/service
Demonstrate social, economic, or environmental impact
Commit to full participation in the incubation process
(Women with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply!)
Why FWIT?
Since 2020 FWIT has
73
total businesses supported in Cohort 1, 2, 3 & 4
22,751
customers served products & services
923
expression of interest
$210,000
received by businesses as grant
#1
women-led incubation programme in Ghana
10 of 16
regions represented in Cohort 1 & 2
53
jobs created by all FWIT businesses
GH₵ 3.1M
cumulative revenue by all FWIT businesses
Unleashing the power of Women leading Businesses using Technology
The Futurewomen In Technology Incubator, is Africa’s leading incubator programme for female-led and founded businesses. The incubator provides business management training, mentoring and seed funding. It aligns with calls for more diversity in technology, entrepreneurship and for more opportunities for women to develop entrepreneurial and leadership excellence. This is part of the bank’s Sustainability and Community Engagement strategy and focuses on supporting innovation, infrastructure and technology.
