Ghanaian renewable energy company Dyson Energy has won the top prize at the 2026 ShEquity Climate-smart SME Showcase and Pitch Finale, securing a €25,000 grant to support its carbon certification journey.

Dyson Energy and agribusiness firm Gateway Feeds emerged as the top two performers from a field of ten climate-focused small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) during the finale held at the Coconut Grove Hotel in Accra on Tuesday, June 30.

Speaking to Myjoyonline.com after the event, Managing Director of Dyson Energy, Michael Matthews, said the grant would be used to finance the company's carbon certification process and train more Ghanaian women as solar engineers.

He expressed gratitude to ShEquity for the initiative and pledged that Dyson Energy would serve as a committed ambassador to support the programme's objectives.

"We are grateful for this opportunity and remain committed to contributing to the success of the initiative while expanding opportunities for women in Ghana's renewable energy sector," he said.

Managing Partner and Chief Finance Officer of ShEquity, Benson Njiru, said the programme was designed to identify and support high-potential Ghanaian businesses capable of meeting international carbon credit certification standards.

"The two winning companies, each receiving a €25,000 grant, have demonstrated strong financial viability, robust gender and climate impact, and significant potential to participate in carbon credit markets," he said.

Mr Njiru urged the beneficiaries to utilise the grants strictly for their intended purpose, including engaging technical consultants and implementing activities necessary to achieve carbon certification.

Over six months, participating businesses received training on internationally recognised carbon certification standards, including Verra, Gold Standard, and I-REC.

The capacity-building programme formed part of the ShEquity Technical Assistance Facility, a pilot initiative funded by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).

Thirty gender-responsive green SMEs were selected to participate in the wider programme. Of these, 15 businesses received customised Carbon Opportunity Maps to support their entry into carbon markets, while the ten finalists were connected with investors and carbon certification bodies.

According to the organisers, these partnerships are expected to help participating businesses align their operations with international climate frameworks, including Article 6 of the Paris Agreement and Ghana's Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).