Innovation & Entrepreneurship Program
Program Goal
To promote sustainable livelihoods and economic independence by equipping women, youth, and MSMEs with formal and non-formal skills for transition into decent work, agri-preneurship, and value-driven enterprises.
Target Reach
300,000 youth, women entrepreneurs, smallholder farmers, and MSMEs
Strategic Focus Areas
- Competence-based skilling (formal and informal) for market relevant/demand driven skills in:
- Agri-skills, Agribusiness & value addition targeting 10 priority commodities
- Agritourism and rural hospitality
- Digital skills for individual and rural enterprise
- Business modelling, incubation, start-up tools and transition to work/incomes
- Financial literacy and market access
- Enterprise development through:
- Strengthening operations & financial services access for farmer entrepreneur groups, VSLAs, SACCOs and cooperatives
- Prioritization and addressing of market bottlenecks and Linkages to resources & formal markets
- MSME development support (Enterprise upgrading, Graduation of enterprises, Business incubation, capacity building and tailored growth acceleration support)
- Business planning and investment-readiness support
Current / Previous Project(s)
Flagship Project: CommonGround – Pathway 3 (2022–2026)
A strategic initiative designed to unlock market access, strengthen crop value chains, and enhance enterprise viability for rural communities especially women and youth in the Rwenzori, Kigezi, and Elgon regions.
There exists investment opportunities to:
- Skill 300,000 vulnerable women and youth in formal and non-formal skills in agribusiness, agrotourism and entrepreneurship
- Avail starter pack/tools for their transition to work and decent incomes
- Support their business incubation, launch and product development
- Review/Update/Develop competence-based skilling and training materials
- Establish/Strengthen private sector actor relationship for an enabling environment for an enabling environment for women and youth transition to decent work & incomes
