60 teams inducted into 2026 GSTEP finalist stage

Sixty student teams from across four regions have officially been inducted into the finalist stage of the 2026 Ghana Science & Tech Explorer Challenge Prize (GSTEP), marking the start of the next phase of the national STEM innovation competition.

The teams were drawn from Greater Accra, Eastern, Ashanti and Volta Regions and formally welcomed during a series of regional induction ceremonies held between February and early March. In total, 10 teams were inducted in Greater Accra, 16 in the Eastern Region, 23 in Ashanti, and 11 in the Volta Region.

This year’s selection process was highly competitive. From an initial pool of 120 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 five-minute pitch video showcasing their innovation.

These submissions were carefully assessed, and teams that demonstrated strong technical promise, clarity of concept and potential for real-world impact were selected to advance to the finalist stage.

Now in the Finalist Stage, which runs from March to May 2026, the selected teams will refine their ideas, develop more advanced prototypes and gain exposure to real-world STEM applications and entrepreneurial thinking.

As part of this phase, each finalist team will receive seed funding from the GSTEP Consortium to acquire additional tools and materials needed to build their final prototypes.

Teams will also participate in industry visits to leading academic institutions and companies, giving them the opportunity to experience how STEM concepts are applied in real-life settings and how their ideas could one day contribute to Ghana’s development.

During the Volta regional induction, the region’s STMIE Coordinator, Rosemary Enefa Ahiadeke, encouraged students to fully embrace the opportunity.

“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,” she said.

Throughout the inductions, students participated in practical training sessions covering intellectual property, entrepreneurship, finance and budgeting, business planning, as well as marketing and communications.

These sessions emphasised that building an innovation goes beyond developing a functional prototype. Students were introduced to the importance of protecting their ideas, planning for sustainability, and communicating clearly about the problems their solutions aim to address.

Teachers, STEM coordinators, coaches and mentors also took part in capacity-building sessions focused on project management, leadership and emotional intelligence. The sessions were designed to equip facilitators with tools to guide teams effectively while nurturing student confidence throughout the challenge.

Daniel Ewusi Essel, who leads STEM Curriculum and Training at the Practical Education Network, called for more support to expand the programs reach.

“The potential we are seeing from these students is remarkable. And programs like GSTEP show that innovation can start in the classroom. With stronger partnerships and support from the broader education and STEM ecosystem, we can scale this initiative and help more young people develop the skills and mindset needed to drive Ghana’s future development” he said.

The Ghana Science & Tech Explorer Challenge Prize (GSTEP) is designed to nurture young innovators by encouraging students to identify problems in their communities and develop practical solutions through science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

As the 2026 finalists move into the next phase of the competition, teams will continue refining their prototypes with the support of mentors, coaches and their communities ahead of the final exhibition and awards ceremony later in the year.