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Products and Services

HCC Startup Challenge

The Center organises annual business competitions for members in the HCC Community. The aim of the competition is to award the best business proposals a prize and provide support to turn these
proposals into successful businesses. The Center seeks to Challenge Student Entrepreneurs to Dream, Experiment, Iterate, and Persist.

Guiding Criteria and eligibility for participation: Only members of the HCC community qualify to participate in this challenge. The Competition is for student-created, student-managed, and student-owned business “ventures” (proposed businesses). In other words, students must:

  1. Have played a major role in conceiving the proposed venture
  2. Have key management roles in the proposed venture

The competition is available to teams with at least 2 students each but no more than 4. Each team must have 1 adviser or mentor who must be a faculty member or staff of HCC to serve as a guide during the development of the business plan and pitch presentation.

Prior Activity Guidelines:

  1. A proposed venture may compete only once per year in the competition.
  2. Proposed ventures earning more than GHc2,5000.00 in revenues prior to the competition are excluded.
  3. Proposed ventures that have legally set up a proposed venture identity or have undertaken any other formal start-up activities prior to the current academic year are excluded.
  4. Team members may have worked on an idea or new technology in previous academic years or even prior to entering the school, provided that their proposed venture meets the preceding requirements of this section.

Procedure for accessing the service

  1. To enter the program each competing team must Complete the registration form either online or at the Center’s Secretariat along with a stated business idea.
  2. Training is provided to the applicants to write a five-page business concept note within a specified time frame.
  3. The concept notes received are reviewed by a team of experts empaneled by the Executive Director
  4. The successful participants are invited for training on developing business plans and are requested to submit a 20-page business plan within a certain time period.
  5. Business plans are received from participants
  6. A team of experts are empaneled to evaluate the business plans.
  7. The authors of viable business plans are invited to pitch their business ideas and are evaluated for soft values such as ethics, philanthropy and character.
  8. Winning plans are awarded with a grant to implement the plan
  9. The CEPE may have further participation in the venture either through debt or equity.
  10. The authors of winning proposals are referred to appropriate supporting structures in government or industry for further support to implement the venture.

Business Bootcamp

The Center shall organize annual boot-camps for businesses and individuals to display their services, products, talents and solutions. These boot-camps shall be organized in a Christ-centered environment to
create the required ethical display and patronage.
Guiding Criteria and eligibility for participation: This service shall be available to all businesses within the business community in Ghana.

Procedure for accessing the service

  1. Applicants will fill an application form either on line or at the Center’s Secretariat expressing interest to participate.
  2. Applications received shall be reviewed by the Executive Director with assistance from the Center’s Coordinators.
  3. Qualified applicants are invited to attend the boot camp at the scheduled date.
  4. After the boot camp, participants shall sign off an evaluation report.
  5. The CEPE Governing Board shall review the evaluation reports on regular basis. These reports shall be used as basis to improve subsequent boot camps.

Business and Ethics Training

The Center shall organize seminars, workshops and informal knowledge sharing events to provide students and the entire HCC community with the required knowledge and competence to engage in viable and
ethical businesses. The pool of business experts shall be used to provide the training along with the faculty and other staff of HCC.

Guiding Criteria and eligibility for participation: This service shall be available to all members of the HCC community and members of the Churches of Christ in Ghana.

Procedure for accessing the service: To participate individuals must register with the Center on or before the day of the training.

Venture Capital

The Center shall invest in viable ventures either through debt or equity instruments. The Center shall support potential entrepreneurs by evaluating their plans and providing support to further enhance these proposals. Viable plans shall be supported through either equity or debt instruments.
Guiding Criteria and eligibility for participation: Investment proposals are open to all entrepreneurs within the HCC community seeking funding for new businesses at the seed, start-up or early stages of the business life cycle.
Procedure for accessing the service: Generally, applications shall be reviewed by the Center’s Secretariat from interested businesses and presented to CEPE Governing Board for evaluation on the basis of the
following criteria:

  1. High barriers to entry
  2. Complementary management teams
  3. Scalability of the business
  4. Differentiated value propositions

Prohibited Investment
In as much as the Center encourages individuals and groups to make profitable investments, business ventures in the following areas shall not be eligible for support of the Center.

  1. Alcoholic Business
  2. Gambling
  3. Weapons
  4. Tobacco
  5. Adult entertainment where the age and consent of the individuals involved is not known.

Nature of Business Investment support to be provided by CEPE

  1. Loan and a Mentor

The Center may support start up entrepreneurs with concessionary interest-bearing loans as capital for their investment. When loans are provided to a client, the Center shall continuously monitor the business. The center shall be involved in the appointment of the members of the boards of such businesses. The center may support up-to a maximum of 60% of the total capital required and the entrepreneur shall be required to inject a minimum of 40% of the capital in equity.
In addition to the loan support, the entrepreneur will be assigned a successful entrepreneur as a mentor to provide guidance and advice.

2. Equity Investment and Mentor

Similar to the loan investment, the Center may provide monetary support in the form of equity to viable businesses. In addition to the equity support, the entrepreneur will be assigned a successful entrepreneur as a mentor to provide guidance and advice.

Type of Business required by CEPE for Support
To successfully secure support from the Center, the new entrepreneur shall be required to register the proposed business in any of the following forms:

  1. Sole Proprietor
  2. Partnership
  3. Company Limited by Shares
  4. Company Limited by Guarantee

Procedure for Support
To receive support an individual shall follow the procedures laid down below:

  1. Complete the CEPE investment support form
  2. Submit the completed forms along with a detailed business plan (The Center shall assist individuals to prepare such plans if required).
  3. The entrepreneur pitches the business plan to the CEPE Governing Board.
  4. CEPE Governing Board to review the business plan and make a decision on whether CEPE should provide support.
  5. The decision of the CEPE Governing Board is communicated to the entrepreneur.

Research

The Center shall regularly conduct empirical research into emerging business and ethical issues to help in its decisions. The Center shall also offer grants and awards to researchers and institutions to search for
answers to business challenges in the Ghanaian market.
Guiding Criteria and eligibility for participation: This shall be available to all researchers within the HCC community especially; students and faculty members to support their research activities.

Procedure for support

  1. Based on the available funding, the Center shall advertise within the community the researchable areas of interest within the scope stated above for funding.
  2. Members of the community shall be required to submit their research proposals.
  3. A formal presentation of the proposals shall be made at the HCC seminars.
  4. The Center shall constitute a panel that will evaluate the proposal presentations and select suitable proposals for funding based on availability of resources.

Day of Philanthropy

The Center shall set aside a day to celebrate the charitable works of members of the community and other notable philanthropist within the Ghanaian society. The purpose of this day is to showcase the generosity of individuals to HCC community and Ghana and encourage them to continue to in their good works. Another purpose is to raise funds in support of HCC scholarship activities.

Guiding Criteria and eligibility for participation: This shall be available to all philanthropists within the HCC community and notable philanthropists in Ghana.

Procedure for support

  1.  The Center shall advertise to members of the community to nominate individuals who have made positive impact in the society for celebration.
  2. The Executive Director with assistance from the coordinators shall develop criteria for the selection of individuals who will be celebrated at the one day event for the approval of the CEPE Board.
  3. The Center shall develop a program for the day and introduce activities that can help raise the targeted funds.

HCC Talent Hunt

The Center shall collaborate with the Student Representative Council (SRC) to organize entertainment competitions or talent shows to encourage the students to showcase their talents in music, acting, comedy and other artistic endeavors. Talented individuals shall be identified for mentoring. Identified talents shall be supported to take advantage of their talents.

Guiding Criteria and eligibility for participation: This service shall be available to all students of HCC.

Business Advisory Nurturing

The Center shall create a pool of business experts to support the Center’s vision of entrepreneurship, philanthropy and ethics in the various areas of business including Legal, tax, accountancy, finance, treasury, marketing, digital business, human resource management, and technology. They will offer advisory support to entrepreneurs.

Guiding Criteria and eligibility for participation: This service shall be provided for every business start-up that require assistance in the areas of expertise available in the pool.

Procedure for accessing the Product

  1. Applicant must fill application form at the center secretariat any day within the year providing details of the nature of business and the type of assistance required or fill the online form.
  2. Application shall be reviewed by the Executive director with assistance from the center coordinators.
  3. The executive director shall seek approval from the governing board of the center.
  4. The executive director shall appoint from the pool of expert two or more experts to provide mentoring service to the applicant on the areas required.
  5. A three-party memorandum of understanding shall be signed by the applicant, the center and the experts to be used as the guiding document for the mentoring process. The MoU shall provide details of the duties of the experts, the center and the applicant with clear timelines.
  6. After the performance of the mentoring service, both the expert and the applicant shall sign off an assessment report.
  7. The governing board shall on regular basis review the assessment report which shall be used as a measure of performance of the pool of experts.