New Business Challenge 2016 The Netherlands - Ghana 2016 – Sustainable Trade

The New Business Challenge 2016 (NBC) The New Business Challenge is an unique business case competition where 20 Dutch and 20 Ghanaian students/young professionals work together for 2 months in equally mixed teams on actual business cases from 5 companies. There is an extensive follow-up programme for all participants after the business case competition. The NBC is all about discovering new opportunities for the private sector and about maximizing the entrepreneurial potential of the participants. The NBC will be organized for three consecutive years (2016, 2017 and 2018) between which there will be a constant link and a continuous process of accumulating data and knowledge.

Aim of the NBC 2016 The NBC offers students and businesses a unique opportunity to uncover potential opportunities for trade and investment in Ghana and to create a network. The main thrust of this initiative is to encourage innovative entrepreneurship and an exchange of knowledge between the Netherlands and Ghana, facilitating a beneficial cross-over between education and practical experience. A second aim of the NBC is to contribute to the private sector development in both the Netherlands and Ghana. Dutch entrepreneurs receive help to create opportunities in the Ghanaian market and, at the same time, Ghanaian entrepreneurs are alerted to the many possibilities that the Ghanaian market offers. In addition, the challenge will promote closer networking and cooperation between educational institutions and the private sector in Ghana and in the Netherlands. In this manner the NBC contributes to the recruitment of talent and supports the aim to make education more practice-oriented. By creating media attention for the New Business Challenge, we will turn the spotlight on the many trade and investment opportunities in Ghana.

Overview NBC 2016       

5 companies, each with 1 business case 20 Dutch and 20 Ghanaian students/starters will work in mixed teams on business cases 10 mixed teams in total, teams consists of 2 Dutch and 2 Ghanaian students/starters 2 months of working on the business cases by the teams 2 study trips, one to the Netherlands and one to Ghana Fully organized program to guide the teams during the business case competition: event days, workshops and training sessions, online community and facilitators Extensive follow-up program which consists of a matching day, online community, in-house days, personal mentoring, incubator partners and more

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Program outline Program part Recruitment and pre-selection students/starters Kick-off event (final selection students/starters) Preparation Workshop Study trip NL Study trip Ghana Follow-up program Matching Day

Date 18 April – 20 May 3 June 30 June 8 – 17 July 27 July – 6 August Starting from August 7th October

Program visual overview

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Program description Recruitment and pre-selection students 20 top university students and recent graduates (starters) will be recruited and selected in both the Netherlands and Ghana for participation in the NBC. All information about the NBC is posted on the webpage of the NBC. To register, all candidates have to fill out the registration form and submit it together with a letter of motivation and an up-to-date curriculum vitae. 60 Candidates will be selected in both countries to participate in the Kick-off event. At the Kick-off events, 20 candidates will be selected to participate in the NBC 2016!

Kick-off event The Kick-off is the official start of the NBC and will be held simultaneously in both countries. This day is all about learning more about sustainable trade between Ghana and the Netherlands and selecting the very best 20 candidates that may proceed in this prestigious challenge. The 60 candidates that have been preselected in each country will have to convince the company representatives that they are the best and most motivated. The companies representatives will present their business cases to the candidates. In groups of two, the candidates will draw up a plan of action and cooperation, which they will present at the end of the day. All companies will choose the team that scores best, based on set criteria. As a result of this selection process, only the best and most motivated candidates will participate in the NBC. At the end of the day, 20 students & starters will have been selected in both countries.

Online working of the mixed teams After the official Kick-off, the Dutch and Ghanaian teams will be linked online. Each mixed team consists of 2 Dutch and 2 Ghanaian participants. Their first assignment is to write a joint plan of cooperation. This assignment, which will also help the participants to become acquainted with the other team members, is the first step towards the final solution of the business case. An online community will be available for all teams. This community will be available 24/7. The main focus is to provide the teams with a virtual meeting place where they can share contact information, messages, documents and other challenge related information. All teams will have a dedicated and closed group, where the sharing of information does not infringe with other teams.

Preparation Workshop Three weeks after the kick-off event, a Preparation Workshop will take place simultaneously in the Netherlands and Ghana. All the mixed teams have now been working online for almost 3 weeks. This period of working independently is important to unlock the entrepreneurial potential in the participants. This period raises a lot of questions which we can assist with in this preparation workshop to get them back on the right track with coaching, workshops and reassurance. The main goal is to guide and monitor team processes and prepare the teams for the intensive upcoming study trips.

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Study trip to The Netherlands The 20 Ghanaian participants will visit the Netherlands and actually meet with their Dutch team members for the first time. This week is all about getting to know the business case better, getting to know each other better, getting to know the Dutch culture, develop their entrepreneurial skills and start working on the business case. A well-balanced program has been designed for this trip with workshops, trainings, fieldtrips and social activities. A representative of GNBCC and two Ghanaian coaches will accompany the Ghanaian participants. The two Dutch and two Ghanaian coaches will jointly provide coaching and guidance during the whole study trip.

Study trip to Ghana The Dutch participants will visit Ghana and meet their counterparts for the second time. This trip is all about experiencing the business case in real life, getting to know the Ghanaian culture, meeting with stakeholders and entrepreneurs, visit the relevant sights and finalizing the results. There will be many fieldtrips planned by the teams themselves and that is very much encouraged. A representative of SuMo and a Dutch coach will accompany the Dutch. The Dutch and Ghanaian coaches will jointly provide coaching and guidance. At the end of the trip, all teams will present their solutions to the companies and an independent jury. After all the presentations, the final will take place in the evening at August 4th at the Dutch Ambassador’s Residence in Accra. The company representatives will first choose the best team for their own business case. That will give us the 5 best ideas of 2016. The final verdict will be made by an independent jury. The jury consist of highly ranked people from universities, business and government to get a well-represented vote. The winning team will get an trophy awarded by the ambassador.

Follow-up There is a comprehensive follow-up program for the participants and participating companies and partners. Three tools are in place. All participants coming out of the competition will make a personal career plan and based on their needs connected to NAAG or PUM mentors and to internships, jobs or incubators. This program will be available for one whole year for each participant who just came out of the competition. Furthermore, many online and offline networking opportunities in Ghana and the Netherlands are available, also consisting of workshops and trainings that are provided all year round. A community manager in both Ghana as the Netherlands is in place to ensure the network and community is active all year round. The last tool is the Matching day. This day takes place a few months after the final and is all about networking, reflecting on the last competition and working on the future.

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Organizing parties The New Business Challenge is an initiative of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the RvO (the Netherlands Enterprise Agency). The project team implementing the NBC consists of SustainableMotion, Crosswise Works and GNBCC.

Partners The NBC 2016 has the following partners.

Background information on Dutch new trade policy Ghana is a country of great potential and it is seeing strong growth. As a result, Ghana is an interesting market for foreign businesses. However, a lack of knowledge about the country, and lack of experience, make many entrepreneurs reluctant to investigate the opportunities. The new trade policy - coupled with the New Business Challenge - will encourage businesses to take a good look at Ghana. In 2013, the Dutch Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation announced a new policy for aid, trade and investments. The policy document ‘A world to gain’ makes it clear that the Dutch relationship with developing countries is changing. Countries such as Ghana, Vietnam and Ethiopia are developing more quickly than expected and no longer wish to have an ‘aid’ relationship with the Netherlands; they want a more equal relationship, a trading relationship. At the same time, the aid budget is decreasing while private income in these countries is increasing. The private sector is increasingly active in developing countries. Companies and research institutions alike are actively involved in seeking solutions to global problems relating to food security and water. Dutch policies for trade and development cooperation are anticipating these changes. The present government is encouraging investment and trade activities that benefit both people and the environment, create employment opportunities and are – preferably – accompanied by the transfer of knowledge and skills. The Netherlands is failing to connect to the economic growth in Asia, Africa and South America. Trade still focuses on countries closer to home even though, thanks in part to our longstanding aid relationships, we often have close contacts with various countries on those continents. These contacts present opportunities for both sides. Dutch policy focuses on poverty reduction, helping the countries to increase their access to local and international markets, and improving their business climate. The four priorities of the policy (women’s rights and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), water, food security, and security and the rule of law) are relevant to global poverty reduction efforts and to the Netherlands’ own economic and other interests.

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For the cementing of reciprocal trade relationships it is important that markets are opened up and private sector development is encouraged. This means that entrepreneurs in transition countries can market their products in the European markets, and that Dutch entrepreneurs have access to markets in the transition countries. The development of the private sector hinges on inclusive and sustainable growth. In devising and implementing policy, we will make use of the knowledge and expertise of aid organisations and other civil society organisations, research institutions and businesses. Alongside the development of the private sector in the developing countries, Dutch businesses are also being encouraged to become more internationally minded. There are special funds to encourage Dutch entrepreneurs, especially those in the small- and medium-sized business sector, to become active in the transition countries. To quality for such funds, businesses must comply with guidelines for sustainability and socially responsible business practices.

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