60 Teams Enter 2026 GSTEP Finalist Stage

2026 GSTEP finalists

 

Sixty student teams from four regions have officially made it to the final stage of the 2026 Ghana Science & Tech Explorer Challenge Prize (GSTEP), as the stage is set for the students to battle it out for the coveted trophy and bragging rights to the national Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) innovation competition.

The teams were drawn from Greater Accra (10), Eastern (16), Ashanti (23) and Volta (11) regions and formally welcomed during a series of regional induction ceremonies held between February and early March.

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 which runs from March to May 2026.

The selected finalist teams would be required to refine their ideas, develop more advanced prototypes and gain exposure to real-world STEM applications and entrepreneurial thinking.

As part of this phase, each 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 Science, Technology, Mathematics, and Innovation Education (STMIE) Coordinator, Rosemary Emefa 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,” she stated.

She also commended teachers and coordinators “who’ve walked with them through this journey. You’ve helped shape innovators.”

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

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 programme’s reach.

“The potential we are seeing from these students is remarkable. And programmes 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 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.

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