Prospectus of STARTUP 10 Programme:

As National Coordinator for STARTUP 10 Program, I am pleased to share with you the prospectus of this initiative.

The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) has funded a programme entitled EMPOWERING ENTREPRENEURIAL SKILLS IN GREEN & BLUE ECONOMY IN MED AND AFRICA REGION
(Startup10). CIHEAM Bari is the implementing body of the programme and will be in charge of its execution from October 2023 for a period of two (02) years.

The Startup10 programme aims to promote food security and youth employment in ten (10) Italian cooperation partner countries (Albania, Algeria, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Tunisia and Uganda). In
particular, by building the capacity of business incubators, the project aims to promote the development of local start-ups operating in the green and blue economy sectors and involved in digitization processes.

Uganda is one of the programme’s beneficiaries’ countries and participates in the programme through the involvement of East Africa Entrepreneurs Association (EAEA) as the national business incubator for this program.As the National Focal Point, I’m in charge of coordinating, promoting and managing the activities carried out in the country, acting as a link with the CIHEAM Bari coordination team.

CIHEAM Bari already carried out some training activities for incubators’ staff aiming at improving skills in terms of identifying, setting up and managing business support services, as well as managing partnerships useful for sustainable business growth.

Very soon we will be ready to launch an open call for startups in Uganda; 7 startups will be selected for allowing them to participate in a 6-months coaching programme, at the end of which an opportunity to meet and collaborate with a senior Italian company is foreseen for some of them.

I’m sure that this programme is a really interesting opportunity for our country, for promoting food security and youth employment, for building up and reinforcing our innovation ecosystem and giving our young generation an attractive opportunity for growing their business.

We look forward to sharing with you the success stories of this initiative and the positive impact brought to the entrepreneurship ecosystem in Uganda.

Sincerely,
Tony Wamala
National Focal Point
STARTUP10 PROJECT
East Africa Entrepreneurs Association