The World Bank, Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), and Trust Valley has announced the opening of applications for the GovTech Innovation Challenge, a pilot programme that connects technology companies with government partners to address public sector challenges through digital transformation.

It is therefore inviting startups and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) worldwide to submit proposals that address tax administration challenges faced by the Ghana Revenue Authority, with a particular focus on informal sector income tax identification and e-commerce VAT identification and registration. 

The GovTech Innovation Challenge provides a secure and practical space to test new technology solutions for the public sector.

It aims to accelerate technology adoption in government services, improving efficiency, transparency and responsiveness to citizens by collaborating with the private sector and innovation companies.

 Innovation companies are invited to submit proposals for two key challenges: Informal Sector Income Tax Identification and Registration, and E-commerce VAT Identification and Compliance.

These initiatives aim to enhance tax administration efficiency and could be replicated in other developing economies. 

Three top companies will be selected from this call for proposals to work directly with the Ghana Revenue Authority on developing their ideas into functional Proofs of Concept. The selected teams will attend a 4-day bootcamp in Switzerland's Trust Valley ecosystem, receive expert mentorship, and participate in technical consultations.

The programme will conclude with a closing ceremony on December 2, 2025, in Geneva, where solutions and programme’s outcomes will be presented.