Flying the Ghanaian industry Brand

The Homegrown Awards 2007, a new initiative that celebrates the best Ghanaian companies and products and the people behind them, will be taking place in Accra on 30 August 2008.

The maiden edition of the awards showcase the diverse spectrum of Ghanaian companies, large and small, whose dynamism and innovation display a positive contribution to sustainable growth in Ghana. The awards programme intends to unearth and expose inspirational Ghanaian companies and individuals which have devised and built successful businesses for the creative benefit of Ghana.

The awards also showcase the qualities of vibrancy, creativity, energy and entrepreneurship.

“The Homegrown Awards have been introduced to shine the spotlight on Ghanaian companies who are making a real contribution to the promotion of innovation, employment, exports and consumer choice,” says Julius Hermann, CEO of Media Hype Limited, organizers of the awards.

While there is no cash incentive to winning an award, the recognition earned will have direct benefit on the bottom line of the winning companies. The Homegrown Awards is adjudicated by a representative panel of leaders from business, government, trade unions and the community, with local research advisory firm, Westpoint Consulting as the possible event statisticians.

Requirements for entry to the Homegrown Awards were tight. Ten prestigious categories, judged according to the size of the company, were created. The categories are:

Company of the Year; Woman Achiever of the Year; Corporate Social Investment Champion of the Year; Service of the Year; Product of the Year; Exporter of the Year; Deal Maker of the Year Entrepreneur of the Year; The President’s Award for Small Business Nation Builder of the Year Nominees are judged according to three main criteria: relevance to category, achievements chalked during the course of the business year and the benefit to Ghanaian consumers.

The 10 categories in the Homegrown Awards competition are designed to span a diverse spectrum of companies and as a result have attracted a variety of companies, large and small.

“The calibre of the 39 short-listed companies at this stage in the competition is extremely high,” says Finance Minister, Kwadwo Baah Wiredu. “Their entries illustrate a range of unique ways in which Ghanaian companies are visibly demonstrating a commitment to local content, quality, fair labour practice and environmental responsibility in their approach to business.”

Award winners will walk off with unique trophies modeled on a three-dimensional rendition of the Homegrown logo.

John Lynch Director of Communications The Homegrown Awards 020-8123706