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Programs

ENTREPRENEURSHIP - START SMART (Youth 2 Skill) Initiative

Youth Enterprise Development Through Micro-Grants, Coaching & Market Linkage An economic empowerment program by Donnes Hope Foundation Africa

START SMART is designed to move young people from ideas to income through structured enterprise incubation, micro-grants, savings discipline, and cooperative market access.

We don’t just fund businesses.
We build entrepreneurs.

Program Overview
  • Annual Target: 10 beneficiaries
  • Structure: 4 cohorts (40 youth per cohort)
  • Duration per Cohort: 12 weeks intensive + 6 months post-grant mentorship
  • Focus: Early-stage entrepreneurs and youth with viable business ideas
What START SMART Provides

Micro-Grants

  • Seed capital for validated business ideas
  • Performance-based disbursement model
  • Average grant size: (Define based on budget e.g., GHS 1,500–3,000)

Business Coaching

  • Business model refinement
  • Financial literacy & bookkeeping
  • Branding & market positioning
  • Sales & customer acquisition
  • Legal & compliance basics

Market Linkage

  • Cooperative buying power
  • Access to bulk suppliers
  • Partnership showcases
  • Exhibition & demo days
  • Digital marketplace onboarding

Savings Groups & Cooperatives

Each cohort forms:

  • A structured savings group
  • Weekly contributions model
  • Peer accountability system
  • Rotational lending support

This ensures sustainability beyond grant funding.

Who Qualifies?

 Age Requirement
  • 18–35 years old
 Business Status

Applicants must fall under one of the following:

  • Idea-stage entrepreneur
  • Early-stage business (0–2 years)
  • Informal micro-business seeking structure
 Income Threshold
  • Monthly income below defined economic ceiling
  • Limited access to capital
 Commitment Requirements

Applicants must:

  • Attend all 12 weeks of training
  • Participate in savings group
  • Submit monthly business reports
  • Commit to cooperative engagement
 Priority Consideration
  • Young women entrepreneurs
  • Persons with disabilities
  • Rural & underserved youth
  • Youth transitioning from apprenticeship programs
Selection Criteria (Internal Scoring Framework)
Criteria Weight
Business viability 25%
Financial vulnerability 20%
Commitment & availability 20%
Market potential 20%
Community/job creation potential 15%

Minimum qualifying score: 70%

START SMART (Youth 2 Skill)
Application Form

Personal Information
Business Status
Financial Situation
Business Idea & Viability
Commitment & Cooperative Participation

Are you willing to:

Supporting Evidence [Uploads]
Declaration

By submitting this application, I declare that:

✔ I confirm the information provided is accurate.
✔ I understand this is a competitive program.
✔ I commit to active participation if selected.

Monitoring & Success Metrics

We measure:

  • Business survival rate (12 months)
  • Revenue growth percentage
  • Savings compliance rate
  • Job creation numbers
  • Cooperative trade volume
  • Loan repayment rate (if applicable)