Businesses and entrepreneurs supported through AMI programmes since 2014
100K+
young entrepreneurs targeted in Ghana under Green RISE Africa (16% of the programme’s 67,000)
10,720
Funded by the Mastercard Foundation, delivered in partnership with Acumen
4 years
About Green RISE Africa
Green RISE (Resilient Impact through Sustainable Entrepreneurship) Africa is a five-year program led by Acumen, in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, building a resilient African green economy powered by women and young people. AMI is delivering the Ghana pilot in partnership with Acumen, reaching 67,000 young people aged 18–35 with work-enabling support in green and greening sectors, across Nigeria, Ghana, Rwanda and Sierra Leone — 10,720 of them here in Ghana.
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In Ghana, we're contracting Business Development Service providers and local ESOs to do what they already do best — reach and support nano- and micro-entrepreneurs — and pairing that reach with AMI's curriculum, diagnostic tools and data systems.
Who we're looking for
Established ESOs
You run structured enterprise support at volume, with the systems to report on individual-level data. We want to pair that scale with a fully built curriculum and diagnostic. • Two+ years of continuous operation • Documented track record with micro or nano-enterprises • Operational presence, with staff, in at least two Ghanaian regions • Reporting systems ready for milestone-based, individual-level data
Local BDS providers
You have real relationships in green value chains — especially climate-smart agriculture (fish smoking and coastal post-harvest, shea and northern agroforestry, cassava and gari processing, horticulture and village poultry), our lead sector for Ghana, as well as circular economy (waste sorting and plastics recovery, clean cooking retail and briquettes) and renewable energy (solar distribution and agency) — even if you’re not a large institution. Rural and peri-urban reach counts in your favour. • Two+ years of operation, Ghanaian bank account • Track record with micro-entrepreneurs • Existing trust within a specific community, sector or region • Staff based in at least two Ghanaian regions — see the note below if you currently operate in only one
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Paid, milestone-based work — contracted and paid as entrepreneurs are sourced, diagnosed, trained and reach a verified income outcome.
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AMI's curriculum, tools and systems — GROWPro's practical business curriculum and learning platform, the Green RISE diagnostic, and the verification instrument, fully supplied.
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Your team gets certified — facilitator training and certification your staff keeps using after this programme ends.
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Credibility and network — delivery under a Mastercard Foundation and Acumen programme, with a named AMI partner manager and, where relevant, introductions to anchor firms in the programme's value chains.
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Eligibility first — Ghanaian registration, two years’ operation, financial footing, delivery capacity, staff presence in at least two regions.
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Track record — two reference projects, focus on micro/nano-enterprises and women.
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Operational fit — where you're based, and whether it matches where the programme needs delivery.
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Cost-effectiveness — a traceable cost per Youth in Work outcome, unpadded and clearly assumed.
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Green-sector reach — scored as a bonus, not a requirement. Reach through fish processing associations, shea cooperatives, cassava/gari clusters, horticulture or village poultry networks, waste-sorting and clean-cooking retail chains, solar distribution networks, anchor firms, offtakers or distributors all count.
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Prepare a written proposal against the RFP headings.
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Submit it to AMI by the proposal deadline.
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AMI reviews against the eligibility and scoring criteria.
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Shortlisted applicants are invited to a follow-up conversation.
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Partnership terms are agreed and onboarding begins.
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Can we apply if we've never worked in a green sector?
Yes. Green-sector specialisation is scored positively but isn't required — what matters is your ability to reach and serve entrepreneurs, including through anchor firm, offtaker, cooperative or distributor relationships. -
What does 'milestone-based' mean in practice?
You're paid as entrepreneurs move through defined stages — sourced, diagnosed, trained, and verified into a work outcome — rather than a single upfront fee. -
Do we need to build our own training content?
No. AMI supplies the GROWPro curriculum, learning platform, diagnostic and verification instruments, and trains your staff to deliver them. -
We only operate in one state — can we still apply?
Ghana’s RFP requires staff-based presence in at least two Ghanaian regions for every applicant. If you currently cover one region, consider a consortium bid — the RFP permits this, with a lead applicant carrying fiduciary and reporting responsibility. -
What if we're a smaller organisation without formal impact reporting?
Smaller BDS providers are one of the two segments this programme is actively seeking. What matters most is a genuine, trusted network — reporting is supported by AMI's data platform and training. -
Can we bid for a value chain outside the three named sectors — for example cocoa or textiles?
Climate-smart agriculture (including fish smoking, shea, cassava/gari and horticulture/poultry), circular economy and renewable energy are the three named sectors for Ghana. Beyond those, the RFP still invites bidders with a strong case in an adjacent green value chain to make it, with evidence of the entrepreneur volume available.
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