NOTES ON FINANCIAL PRODUCTS AVAILABLE TO SMES IN THE CASHEW AND OIL PALM VALUE CHAIN 

The Development Partnership with the Private Sector (DPP) is a matching fund under the Ghana Private Sector Competitiveness Program II (GPSCP II). It supports private sector actors in the cashew and oil palm value chains to improve processing, market linkages, business and product development, and skills development.

The fund provides co-financing for activities that enhance competitiveness in these sectors, with grants ranging from GHS 250,000 to GHS 3,000,000. Priority is given to proposals that focus on international market linkages, innovation, scaling potential, social inclusion (gender, youth), and environmental sustainability. The Second Call for Proposal has been launched. Details are available at www.gpscp2.com  

• Sector Focus: Must operate within the cashew or oil palm value chains. 
• Business Type: Open to private sector actors, including processors, exporters, aggregators, and cooperatives. 
• Financial Commitment: Applicants must provide matching funds, meaning they must co-finance the proposed project. 
• Project Scope: Must focus on processing, market linkages, business development, product innovation, or skills enhancement. 
• Social & Environmental Impact: Priority is given to projects that promote gender inclusion, youth participation, and environmental sustainability. 
• Scaling Potential: The project should demonstrate the ability to expand operations and create employment. 

The Ghana Tree Crop Diversification Project (GTCDP) Matching Grant supports agribusinesses and farmers in selected tree crop value chains. To qualify, applicants must meet the following criteria: 

• Sector Focus: Must be involved in cocoa, cashew, coconut, rubber, shea, mango, or oil palm production or processing. 
• Financial Commitment: Applicants must provide matching funds, either in cash or in-kind contributions. 
• Business Type: Open to private companies, cooperatives, farmer groups, and agribusinesses. 
• Project Scope: Must focus on productivity improvement, climate resilience, value addition, or market access. 
• Social & Environmental Impact: Priority is given to projects that promote gender inclusion, youth participation, and environmental sustainability 
• Scaling Potential: The project should demonstrate the ability to expand operations and create employment. 

Contact:

• Accra Office: Tsatse Dzani St, Adjiringanor, GPS Address: GD-253-5536, Phone: 030 398 1790 
• Kumasi Office: Lesley Opoku-Ware Drive, Danyame, GPS Address: AK-037-9711, Phone: +233 (0)322011435 
• Email: info@tcda.gov.gh 

• Solidaridad is working with the support of the KliK Foundation to implement the Sustainable Artisanal Palm Oil Processing Program (SAPP). This is an initiative aimed at modernizing small-scale palm oil processing centers, particularly in Ghana, to improve efficiency and reduce environmental impact. 
• Interested processors must submit a formal application to the program office, accompanied by an official letter from the Municipal/District Assembly indicating their knowledge of the intent of the mill owner to upgrade, letter from OPDAG indicating the membership status of the mill. The application must be delivered in hard copy to the Solidaridad office in Accra 

Contact:

• Solidaridad Network West Africa, Nico Roozen Heights, Block 14, Nii Sai Road, East Legon, Accra 
• PMB KD 11, Kanda, Accra, Ghana  
• 0501502586/0244366350 

The Ghana Investment Support Programme, an initiative designed to increase investment flows to underserved small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Ghana. The programme aims to drive sustainable and inclusive economic growth by supporting businesses that align with green, BOLD, and 2X objectives. 

• Boosting SME Investments: Helps unlock funding for businesses that contribute to environmental sustainability and economic inclusivity. 
• Supporting Financial Intermediaries: Works with banks and investment funds to channel resources effectively. 
• Driving Productivity & Job Creation: Focuses on increasing employment and income opportunities for target populations. 

General Eligibility Criteria 

• Business Type: Must be an SME operating in Ghana. 
• Sector Focus: Preference for businesses contributing to sustainability, inclusivity, and productivity. 
• Growth Potential: Companies should demonstrate strong potential for expansion and job creation. 
• Financial Viability: Must have a clear business model and financial projections. 
• Alignment with GHISP Goals: Businesses should support environmental sustainability or economic inclusiveness. 
• Minimum Revenue Threshold – SMEs may need to demonstrate a certain level of annual revenue to qualify for investment support. This ensures businesses have a stable financial foundation 

For precise revenue requirements, you can check the official GHISP website 

GIZ DeveloPPP is a funding programme initiated by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). It supports private-sector projects that contribute to sustainable development in developing and emerging countries. The programme is implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, alongside DEG Impulse GmbH. 

• Funding for Sustainable Business Initiatives: Companies can receive up to €2 million in financial support for projects that align with development goals. 
• Two Funding Options: 
  1. DeveloPPP Classic: Supports established companies expanding sustainable operations in developing countries. 
  2. DeveloPPP Ventures: Provides catalytic funding for start-ups with innovative business models. 
     

Focus Areas: 

• Sustainable supply chains  
• Digital transformation 
• Gender equality  
• Environmental and social standards. 

How to Apply:

Companies can participate in quarterly ideas competitions to secure funding. 

Contact:

• The GIZ Ghana Country; German Development Cooperation House, 7 Volta St, Accra, Ghana 
• Tel: +233 30 294 7632 / +233 30 294 7736 

MOVE is funded by the European Union (EU) under the Samoa agreement with the Secretariat of the Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The Matching grant is an element of the Business Support Facility for Resilient Agriculture Value Chains project being implemented by Agri-Business Facility (ABF) and GIZ/MOVE. While ABF focuses on cocoa, maize, and livestock (sheep, goat, cattle), MOVE focuses on the cashew value chain. 

There is also a matching grant for the rice value chain being funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation as well as the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) for rice producers, millers and input suppliers. 

The GIZ MOVE (Market-Oriented Value Chains for Jobs & Growth in the ECOWAS Region) program aims to improve income and employment prospects in West Africa by strengthening rice and cashew value chains.  

• Focus: Must be involved in rice or cashew production and processing. 
• Geographical Scope: Open to applicants from Key MOVE’s implementing countries thus Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Senegal as well as 79 African, Caribbean and Pacific member states of OACPS 
• Private Sector Engagement: Supports private sector businesses, including processors, exporters, cooperatives, and agribusinesses. 
• Sustainability & Inclusion: Priority is given to projects that promote climate resilience, gender inclusion, innovation, linkages, and youth empowerment. 
• Project Scope: Must focus on market linkages, business development, innovation, or skills enhancement 

Contact:

• Market Oriented Value Chains for Jobs and Growth in the ECOWAS Region (MOVE) 
• P. O. Box KIA 9698, H/No. 313A, Cotonou Street, East Legon Residential Area – Accra, Ghana 
• Tel: 0244339293 /0207705401/2 
• Fax: +233 207705428 
• Email: move@giz.de 

Investisseurs & Partenaires (I&P) is an impact investment group dedicated to financing and supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and start-ups in Sub-Saharan Africa. Their financing support includes: 

1. Equity Investments 

I&P provides minority equity stakes in African SMEs, meaning they become a strategic partner without taking full control of the business. This allows entrepreneurs to retain decision-making power while benefiting from financial backing. 

2. Investment Funds 

I&P manages several investment funds tailored to different business needs: 

• I&P Afrique Entrepreneurs – Supports high-growth SMEs with long-term financing. 
• I&P Développement – Focuses on early-stage businesses with strong potential. 
• I&P Acceleration – Provides smaller investments to help businesses scale. 

3. Business Support & Governance 

Beyond financing, I&P actively participates in the governance of companies they invest in, offering strategic guidance and operational support. 

4. Sector-Specific Funding 

I&P has a strong focus on agriculture, education, healthcare, and renewable energy, ensuring businesses in these sectors receive tailored financial solutions. 

RDF Ghana LBG, a rural development fund, was established in 2016 by DANIDA, as part of Denmark’s transition from aid to trade with Ghana by 2020. Its guarantors are the Government of Ghana (through the Ministry of Finance) and the Government of Denmark (via the Impact Fund Denmark, formerly the Investments Fund for Developing Countries). RDF Ghana promotes access to finance to MSMEs in the agricultural and renewable energy sectors through three main products: 

• Lines of Credit – RDF provides wholesale funds to financial and non-financial intermediaries, enabling them to extend credit to agricultural and renewable energy MSMEs. By offering lines of credit, RDF addresses liquidity constraints faced by these intermediaries, enabling them to scale up their lending activities, including to underserved beneficiaries who would otherwise have been excluded due to limited funding availability. 
• Credit Guarantees – RDF offers a 50.0% portfolio loss guarantee to financial institutions to protect against defaults on agricultural and renewable energy loans. RDF’s credit guarantee is designed to achieve additionality by encouraging financial institutions to expand lending to the agricultural and renewable energy sectors, which are deemed higher risk, as well as encourage lending to underserved segments such as smallholder farmers. 
• Technical Assistance: RDF provides Technical Assistance to both financial intermediaries and beneficiaries, ensuring businesses have the skills and knowledge to maximize the impact of funding received. 

Injaro Investments is an Africa-focused private equity and private credit fund manager. It deploys capital and solutions to create value for investors and partners while improving the performance and impact of African businesses. The firm manages several funds, including the Injaro Ghana Venture Capital Fund (IGVCF), which supports high-potential businesses in sectors like agribusiness, education, financial services, healthcare, and manufacturing. Injaro also operates the ABC Fund that offers a set of financial products, including loans and equity, specifically tailored to the needs of smallholder farmers and Agri-SMEs to support sustainable and inclusive agricultural value chains.

The Fund has portfolio companies in Ghana but currently focusing on investments outside Ghana. 

Injaro Investment Advisors Limited (IIAL) provides investment advisory services, structuring, research, and project management, specializing in sustainable growth and development across Africa. 

The Fund has portfolio companies in Ghana but currently focusing on investments outside Ghana. 

Plutus Investment Ltd is a Ghanaian SEC-licensed investment advisory and fund management firm. Plutus partners with both local and foreign financial institutions, fund managers and impact investors to deliver risk-adjusted returns through strategic capital deployment in emerging markets. As an investment advisory firm, Plutus focuses on assisting clients/businesses, especially agri-businesses and small to medium scale companies, to be investor ready; to raise capital for growth, expansion, re-financing, or re-structuring.

• Investment advisory – we offer business advisory services, business structuring in support of agribusinesses and SMEs 
• Funds management – high net-worth individuals, welfare funds, provident funds, endowment, and foundation funds  
• Pension Fund Managers – both private and institutional