World Bank, SECO and Trust Valley Launch GovTech Innovation Challenge to Support Tax Administration by GRA
The World Bank, Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), and Switzerland’s Trust Valley have opened applications for the GovTech Innovation Challenge, a pilot initiative designed to connect technology companies with government institutions to drive digital transformation in the public sector.
The 2025 edition of the programme, announced on July 28, seeks innovative solutions to support the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) in tackling two critical tax administration challenges: informal sector income tax identification and registration, and e-commerce value-added tax (VAT) identification and compliance.
According to the organisers, the initiative provides a secure testing ground for technology solutions that can enhance efficiency, transparency, and responsiveness in government services. The programme will pair selected startups and SMEs with the GRA to co-develop functional proofs of concept (PoCs).
Programme Structure
Three companies will be chosen from this global call for proposals. The selected firms will work directly with the GRA and receive expert mentorship, technical consultations, and exposure to Switzerland’s Trust Valley innovation ecosystem during a four-day bootcamp scheduled for November 26 – December 2, 2025.
The programme will conclude with a closing ceremony and presentations at the GovTech Conference in Geneva on December 2, 2025.
Eligibility Criteria
Participation is restricted to early-stage startups, scale-ups, and SMEs with fewer than 75 employees and annual revenues below $5 million. Applicants must demonstrate relevant expertise and commit to full participation in programme activities. Large corporations and multinationals are excluded.
Key Dates
Call for Proposals launch: July 28, 2025
Information sessions with GRA: August 18 – September 12, 2025
Application deadline: September 12, 2025
Selected proposals announcement: October 3, 2025
Bootcamp in Switzerland: November 26 – December 2, 2025
GovTech Conference (closing): December 2, 2025
Companies may apply to one or both challenge statements—Informal Sector Income Tax Identification and Registration or E-commerce VAT Identification and Compliance—via the official portal: https://govtech.trustvalley.swiss/challenge.
The organisers stressed that solutions piloted under the programme could serve as scalable models for other developing economies seeking to improve tax administration through digital innovation.
