ACET Business Transform

Growing Investment Grade SMEs

Towards increasing the impact of its activities on the continent, ACET is implementing a new private sector development project in Ghana dubbed, ACET Business Transform, targeting Early to Growth Stage SMEs that have a manufacturing or assembly component in their business model.

The program seeks to develop a number of carefully selected SMEs through free, top-tier technical and managerial services, mentorship, coaching, direct financial support, and transactions advisory services.

Program objectives

The primary objectives of the program are:

To get the SMEs investment-ready (backed by investment readiness certification from ACET); and

To integrate the SMEs into regional markets or global value chains of large multinationals

Who we’re looking for

The Ventures

  • Have manufacturing or processing as a central pillar of their business model.
  • Are legally incorporated and duly licensed to operate in Ghana.
  • Have between 6 and 100 full time employees.
  • Have earned more than $100,000 in annual revenues within the past 3 years.
  • Have financial statements for at least one year within the past 3 years.

The Owners/Entrepreneurs/CEOs or Leaders who…

  • Are willing to commit the time, information and effort required to participate in the program.
  • Are seeking to rapidly expand their business to serve other geographical areas.

* Interested firms must demonstrate a viable business model, traction and growth potential, while addressing the needs of the country in diversifying its export basket and contributing to local employment and value addition.

Special areas of interest

Our priority sectors include, but are not limited to:

Agri-processing

Light manufacturing

Woodwork and furniture assembly

Cleaning products

Essential oils, perfumery, cosmetics and toilet preparations

Inorganic chemicals

Plastic materials (building materials, sheeting)

What can you expect from the program

Technical and Managerial Assistance

  • Our technical support will begin with Gap Analysis, performed by a global consulting firm to determine issues that need to be addressed to make your business investment ready.
  • Based on the results of the Gap Analysis, our consultants will work with you to develop an intervention plan to address the identified gaps within the shortest possible time.
  • Once the Intervention Plan has been reviewed and approved, we will assemble the human and capital resources necessary to execute it.
  • The Intervention Plan for each SME will be unique and tailored to fill specific needs of the company.
  • We will also hold periodic group events to enable participating SMEs leverage the network effect of the cohort, and to share lessons and best practices.

Inspirational Mentorship

  • SMEs in the program will receive mentorship from seasoned captains of industry and eminent group of influencers in Ghana and beyond. The mentors will not only inspire and challenge the SMEs, they will also help open doors for the SMEs in their growth journey.

Hands-On Coaching

  • SMEs participating in this program will benefit from hands-on coaching by active seasoned mid-career functional experts, such as logistics managers, marketing managers, production managers, etc. of highly successful companies within the same industries/sectors as the SMEs we work with. Our coaches will avail to the SMEs modern state-of-the-art tools and resources for managing day-to-day operations of their businesses.

Financial Support

  • The program will support SMEs who may require some financial assistance to implement basic recommendations emanating from the technical assistance provided by partners, towards making them investor ready.

Investment Readiness Certification

  • A key objective of our program is to develop a pipeline of investment ready SMEs. Our certification framework will bring objectivity to the measurement of the level of readiness of SMEs enrolled on the program. The framework will enable us to grade and certify SMEs before and after they have participated in our program. It will provide standardization for our program, so that when a particular SME is certified “investment ready” according to our investment readiness framework, potential investors can reasonably know what to expect of the company in question.

Our financial support will cover essential spending such as:

  • Business travel
  • Marketing cost
  • Equipment and hardware purchases
  • Other approved essential expenses

Timeline