[Consultancy] Expressions of Interest (EOI): Local Partner Organizations- Pathways to Scale (P2S), Ghana

Expressions of Interest (EOI): Local Partner Organizations- Pathways to Scale (P2S), Ghana

Release Date: 15th June, 2026 

Location: Ghana, rural and peri-urban areas across all regions 

Contract Term: One-year partnership with potential extension (aligned with P2S program duration and performance) 

Deadline for Submission: 10 July,  2026 

 

Background 

The Mastercard Foundation Pathways to Scale (P2S) is a five-year young women-focused program, implemented in partnership with WUSC and supported by Seedstars. Operating in Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria, and Rwanda, P2S strengthens women-owned and women-led enterprises through provision of gender-focused business development services and access to finance to unlock 93,000 work opportunities for young women, particularly young rural women.

P2S responds to systemic barriers that limit women’s enterprise growth, including restricted access to finance, weak ecosystem support, and the exclusion of refugees, displaced women, and women with disabilities. The program supports women-owned and women-led enterprises primarily those led by young women (18–35) selected for their enterprise growth potential and capacity to create sustainable employment.

By providing women-owned and women-led enterprises with concessional loans, impact-linked incentives, and tailored business development support, P2S advances the well-being and resilience of young rural women in East and West Africa. This is achieved through increased access to dignified and fulfilling work, resulting from sustainable enterprise growth.

Definition of Local Partner Organizations
For the purposes of P2S, local ESOs are entities registered in Ghana and capable of supporting micro, small, and medium enterprises in Ghana. These organizations primarily deliver capacity-building services to entrepreneurs, including, but not limited to, incubators, accelerators, venture studios, development organizations, training providers, and associations. The core focus of local partners in this program in Ghana is to deliver business development services to young rural women entrepreneurs in agriculture, as well as to businesses that generate employment and value chain opportunities for young rural women. Refugee and displaced young women (RDPs) will also be among those supported through this initiative.

We are therefore seeking organizations with a demonstrated track record of scaling businesses, increasing revenue, and creating meaningful employment opportunities for young rural women through their business development services. Ideally, we aim to engage local partners offering both technical and financial readiness support to young rural women entrepreneurs. This support aims to enable companies to scale through targeted business development support and access to finance, and, consequently, to support the creation of jobs for young women across the region, promoting their well-being and economic resilience.

Scope of Work
The selected local partner organizations will be expected to implement specific activities in the following areas:  

a) Outreach and selection of program participants
The selected local partners will primarily collaborate with previous Mastercard Foundation programs in Ghana to identify young women entrepreneurs to receive additional business development and financial support to scale their businesses. In addition, local partners will leverage their own networks and engage in on-ground mobilization and outreach to women-led and women-owned enterprises in rural and peri-urban areas and support the screening of potential new and pre-selected program participants. 

  b)  Data collection and MERL
The selected partners will be required to use the P2S data platform to track their interactions with the program participants, use the platform for data collection and reporting while ensuring data quality and completeness, as well as support the program participants to use the platform for their business coaching and development activities. 

c) Provision of business development services 
The local partners selected will be the primary business development partners for the women entrepreneurs. The local partners will do this via the P2S platform, bi-weekly coaching to the entrepreneurs and providing tailored support to the enterprises.  

d) Access to Finance support
The selected local partners will also support the women entrepreneurs to access the concessional loans provided by P2S. This involves assisting the women participants from the initial loan application process to post-loan BDS, monitoring and reporting. 

Note: On an as-needed basis, the local partners will engage in community buy-in activities to support norm change, to improve young rural women’s participation in P2S programs. These could include engaging and sensitizing community leaders, working with male advocates and holding dialogues with parents. 

  

Minimum Qualifications 

• Registered in and operational in Ghana.  
• At least 5 years of experience supporting MSMEs with a focus on young women in rural and peri-urban areas. 
• Proven track record of mobilization, business development support, and technical assistance. Experience in financial readiness and investment readiness support for entrepreneurs is an added advantage. 
• Ability to mobilize in underserved areas and work with diverse stakeholders and gatekeepers (e.g., local leaders, male champions). 
• Familiarity with digital reporting and willingness to adopt and use the P2S digital platform for data collection, reporting, and enterprise support. 

Expected timeline 

Expression of Interest opens 

15 June,  2026

Expression of Interest application closes 

10 July, 2026 

Shortlisting 

11 July - 21 July, 2026 

Due Diligence 

July 25, 2026

Enhancement week 

August 4-7, 2026

Partners Onboarding 

August 27,2026

Application Instructions 

Interested organizations should submit the following: 

1. Complete the EOI survey and submit a financial proposal via the Application link.  
2. A valid certificate of registration (Attached on the link) 
3. A financial proposal based on the attached budget guidelines. The proposed budget should fall within the range of $170,000 to $200,000 (USD) for a two-year period, with light follow-up support in years three and four. Please ensure that payments are indicated in the local currency at the exchange rate in effect at the time of the transaction.

Submission Deadline: 10 July, 2026.

For any queries about the application, please email p2s@wusc.ca and dadotey@wusc.ca.  We welcome and encourage applications from all qualified organizations that meet the minimum criteria. Only shortlisted organizations will be contacted. P2S and its partners will not bear the cost of application or any other costs incurred by the Applicant in putting together their response to the EOI.