Owners of 500 business enterprises are set to benefit from a 3-week training program provided by the Stanbic Business Incubator Limited (SBIL), with funding from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad), through Deutsche Gesells chaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)’s Employment and Skills for Development in Africa (E4D) Programme.
The training which started on February 20, will focus on access to markets, access to finance and business operational skilling, all which are necessary for start-ups management and growth.
Speaking at the training launch, at the SBIL premises in Kololo, SBIL Chief Executive, Tony Otoa said priority has been given to female-owned enterprises. “However, to qualify for the training, these businesses had to prove that they had been in existence for more than two years, have at least five employees and are operating within Kampala, Mukono and Wakiso”, he elaborated.
SBIL initially developed the Enterprise Development Program (EDP) in 2018 supporting 190 Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Kampala, to focus on identifying and building the capacity of enterprises that could potentially penetrate and actively participate in Uganda’s natural resource sector.
In 2019, E4D began supporting the Incubator’s growth and expansion to support 300 Ugandan SMEs to become more competitive, attain sustainable growth while also creating jobs in Gulu and Mbarara districts.
In 2021, E4D launched a new project to further upscale and expand the Incubator’s reach across the country to cover at least 20 districts through 4 branches.
The E4D Uganda programme Team Lead Donald Agaba, said E4D will continue to promote local employment through capacity development in partnership with the Incubator. He discussed the needs of MSMEs in Uganda and their critical role as a backbone to the economy and, a massive provider of jobs.
He went on to mention that this current partnership has created at least 1,377 jobs as of December 2022 according to early tracer study results. “Key sectors of focus include agribusiness, food and beverages, trade, consumer goods and supplies, green businesses, tourism, hospitality and catering services,” Agaba said.
“Others include; construction, fabrication and civil works, transport and logistics, health, professional services, power, and infrastructure,”Agaba added.
About GIZ E4D programme
GIZ E4D is an employment promotion and skills development programme commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and co-funded in Uganda by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad) and is implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).
Meanwhile, the Stanbic Business Incubator Limited (SBIL) supports and nurtures MSMEs to prepare them for growth. The SBIL is a subsidiary of Stanbic Uganda Holdings Limited (SUHL).
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