Rapid Response Mechanism Grant – Ghana

Grants from the Mechanism can be used to support alignment of existing reforms or for new policy reform initiatives aimed at improving the business enabling environment for the oil palm and cashew value chains.

Specifically, grants from the Mechanism can be used for contracting experts to review or contribute to policies and reforms, to provide input to the design of public support programs, to capacitate working groups responsible for policy development and review or carry out studies in preparation of forthcoming policies, reforms and support programs.

The Ghana Private Sector Competitiveness Program II (GPSCP II) is initiated through a bilateral initiative between the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and the Government of Ghana. This program is being implemented jointly by NIRAS International Consulting and Proforest. By building on the achievements of GPSCP Phase I, the second phase (GPSCP II) aims at continuously improving the enabling environment for the cashew and palm oil sectors and contribute to higher private sector productivity and competitiveness by fostering inclusive and sustainable growth through enhanced trade and competitiveness.

Program goal: Fostering inclusive and sustainable growth through enhanced trade and competitiveness in oil palm and cashew value chains.

Priority Activities

RRM will prioritize funding for the following:

• programs that align and streamline existing duplicated policies in the oil palm and cashew value chains
• programs that align old policies to current government industrialisation agenda
• development of special policy initiatives on cashew processing, including elements toward their implementation
• peer exchanges to relevant countries for lessons learnt toward developing new policy initiatives for the cashew and oil palm value chains
• programs that build the capacity of sector working groups to develop sector-informed inputs for policy reforms

Indicative Grant Size

• This grant offers up to GHS3 million per grant to MDAs. RRM applicants will be required to make in-kind counterpart contributions toward program implementation.

Duration: 2023- 2027

Country: Ghana

Criteria

The following are highly recommended:

• Joint applications from MDAs that comprehensively tackle a range of (related) policy issues
• Applications that include elements towards policy implementation (piloting) and make a clear case on how uptake and sustainability of the programs will be assured.

For more information, visit NIRAS International Consulting.