Over the past few years, young people in Ghana have been encouraged by government and development partners to venture into agriculture as a viable pathway to employment. In response to these calls, a growing number of youths are beginning to invest in the agricultural value chain by establishing agribusinesses, startups and service-oriented enterprises. However, many young agripreneurs continue to face several challenges, including limited access to agriculture finance.
This situation shows a mismatch between calls by policymakers for youth participation in agriculture and the availability of funding and support to enable them to establish and sustain viable agricultural enterprises. Without access to affordable agriculture finance, most young agripreneurs' aspirations to meaningfully contribute to national development through agriculture will not become a reality.
In an effort to close the funding gap and promote youth employability, some development partners through non-governmental organisations (NGOs), financial institutions and business incubators implement targeted programmes that provide grants and technical support to youth-led agribusiness enterprises. While these interventions are well intentioned, access to such funding opportunities remains limited for a significant number of young agripreneurs due to a number of less visible but critical barriers.
It is important to acknowledge that grants from development partners are not the only source of financing available to young people in agriculture. Though difficult to access, other sources of finance such as government-subsidized interventions, commercial bank loans, microfinance products and community-based Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLAs) all play a role in supporting youth agri-enterprises. However, this discussion focuses specifically on grants and financial solutions provided by development partners and NGOs which are often presented as more accessible and youth-friendly options compared to conventional financial products.
Stringent Eligibility Requirements
One of the most common barriers is the stringent eligibility requirements attached to many grant opportunities. Several grant calls require applicants to have a formally registered business with banking history, most of them requiring applicant enterprises to submit bank statements covering at least two years. While this may be reasonable from a risk management perspective, it effectively excludes early-stage youth-led initiatives, many of which are still informal or operating at a pilot level. For young people who are just transitioning from training and or apprenticeship into entrepreneurship, such requirements create an entry barrier that is difficult to overcome without prior support.
Unrealistic Capital and Revenue Thresholds
Closely linked to this challenge are the unrealistic capital and revenue thresholds set by some grant schemes. In recent times, some calls require applicants to demonstrate operating capital of at least GHS 150,000, while others mandate annual revenues of no less than GHS 500,000. For most youth-led agri-businesses, particularly those in rural areas in Northern Ghana, these figures are far removed from their current realities.
Grants labelled as "youth-focused" often end up benefiting more established enterprises owned by individuals outside the youth bracket — leaving young and emerging agripreneurs behind.
This situation ultimately diminishes young people's interest in agriculture and deepens their economic vulnerability.
Limited Grant Volume vs. Application Demand
Another overlooked issue is the limited number of grants available relative to the volume of applications. Many grant calls are designed to support a small number of grantees — and sometimes fewer than ten — despite attracting hundreds of applications. The competitive nature of the grant application process coupled with rigid eligibility criteria means that a large number of applicants are excluded regardless of the quality or potential impact of their ideas. Over time, repeated rejections can discourage young people from seeking funds from development programmes and may end up eroding their confidence and weakening their interest in the agricultural sector.
Practical Reforms to Address the Barriers
To address these barriers requires practical adjustments rather than wholesale redesign of grant mechanisms. Development partners and NGO-led interventions should consider introducing tiered grant windows that distinguish between early-stage, growth-stage and more established youth enterprises, each of which with their appropriate eligibility criteria. Simplifying documentation requirements for each category and recognising alternative forms of business validation, such as transaction records from mobile money platforms, could also expand access without significantly increasing risk.
Moreover, grant-makers should be more intentional and invest in pre-grant support, including proposal development, financial literacy training and feedback mechanisms for applicants especially the unsuccessful ones. Such deliberate measures would help young people improve their readiness to apply and succeed with future funding opportunities.
If development and NGO-led grants are to fulfil their promise of empowering young people in agriculture, they must be designed with a clearer understanding of youth realities in Ghana. Reducing hidden barriers and aligning requirements with the realities and experiences of agripreneurs will be essential to ensuring that grant financing becomes a genuine catalyst for sustainable agricultural development rather than an inaccessible ideal.