The Ghana Science and Tech Explorer Prize (GSTEP) Challenge has officially entered its most exciting phase yet — the Finalist Stage. After months of innovation, collaboration, and impressive creativity, 50 outstanding teams from across Greater Accra, Eastern, and Ashanti Regions have been selected to move forward in the competition. These young innovators now begin their journey toward the 2025 GSTEP Awards and Exhibition.
This year’s selection process was rigorous. From an initial pool of 105 semi-finalist teams, each team was required to submit three key components: a Business and Team Canvas, a working Minimum Viable Product (MVP), and a Pitch Video. These materials were assessed by two independent STEM-skilled assessors, and teams that demonstrated technical promise, clarity of idea, and potential for real-world impact were selected to move forward.
Now in the Finalist Stage, which runs from March to May 2025, the 50 selected teams will refine their ideas, develop working prototypes, and gain valuable exposure to real-world STEM applications and entrepreneurial thinking.
The stage kicked off with Finalist Induction Ceremonies held in each region, where teams were formally welcomed into the finalist cohort. At these sessions, they received guidance on everything from marketing and communications to intellectual property, business planning, and hands-on STEM activities. Teams also had the opportunity to meet their assigned Business Mentors and Technical Coaches, who will work with them over the next few months to shape their projects into full-fledged innovations.
As part of this next phase, each finalist team will receive seed funding from the GSTEP consortium to acquire the additional tools and materials they need to build their final prototypes. They’ll also participate in industry visits to top academic institutions and companies, where they will experience firsthand how STEM concepts are applied in real life and how their ideas could one day contribute to Ghana’s development.
Community support also plays a vital role at this stage. Teams are encouraged to reach out to local professionals, tradespeople, and community leaders such as MPs, Assemblymen, and PTAs to offer guidance, materials, and services to bring their projects to life. This approach is designed to keep innovation rooted in community needs and build long-term support systems around these young changemakers.
Francis Ahene-Affoh, who leads Partnerships and Alliances at the Partnership Bureau, shared:
“We’re entering the exciting part of the challenge. The children are now being supported with financial aid to improve their prototypes for the Exhibition and Awards Ceremony. We’ve already provided some materials, but the seed funding given to finalist teams will go a long way to help them develop refined versions of their ideas. We are truly grateful for the continuous support from the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service. We’re also calling on private sector STEM enthusiasts and ‘STEMpreneurs’ to join us in making this journey a grand success.”
The Greater Accra Regional STEM Coordinator also shared her encouragement during the induction:
“STEM is the future, and these young people are the future of Ghana. GSTEP is giving them a rare opportunity to dream, build, and showcase their brilliance — they must not take it for granted. I also want to commend the teachers and coordinators who’ve walked with them through this journey. You’ve helped shape innovators.”
As these 50 teams progress, the excitement continues to build toward the 2025 GSTEP Exhibition and Awards Ceremony, where they will showcase their final innovations to industry leaders and the public.
