More than 1,000 Ugandan women entrepreneurs are set to receive grants of about Shs18 million each under a new green start-up programme aimed at accelerating women-led climate smart businesses.
The initiative known as the Investing in Young Businesses in Africa, Women Entrepreneurship for Africa (IYBA–WE4A) programme is being implemented by the Tony Elumelu Foundation in partnership with the European Union, the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), BMZ, and GIZ.
The programme will support 1,049 women-led enterprises across eight African countries, including Uganda. Each selected entrepreneur will receive USD 5,000 in non-refundable seed capital, along with business training, mentorship and acceleration support to help their green ventures grow and create jobs.
Programme partners say the scale-up reflects the urgent need to back women at the forefront of Africa’s green transition whether in waste management, clean energy, sustainable agriculture, eco-friendly manufacturing or circular-economy solutions. The initiative links economic empowerment with climate action, aligning with global sustainability goals while promoting inclusive growth across Africa.
The current call focuses exclusively on women entrepreneurs who either have a green business idea or are running an early-stage green enterprise in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Malawi, Senegal, Cameroon or Togo.
Eligible applicants must be 18 years or older and operating a business that is less than five years old. The application window runs from 6 October 2025 to 25 January 2026.
For Uganda, the opportunity complements ongoing efforts to expand women’s access to finance and markets while supporting innovative solutions to environmental challenges such as waste handling and clean energy access. The programme’s mentorship and business development components are designed to strengthen investor readiness and turn seed funding into measurable growth.
Despite leading many micro and small enterprises, Ugandan women continue to face barriers in accessing finance and markets, especially in green sectors where costs and compliance demands are high. The IYBA–WE4A model pairs non-refundable capital with structured technical support a combination seen as critical for sustainable business growth.
Beyond the Shs18 million grant, selected founders will go through an intensive acceleration journey covering business strategy, financial management, market access, and environmental impact measurement. Previous participants have reported increased confidence, customer acquisition, and investment readiness after completing the programme.
The Tony Elumelu Foundation has trained millions and directly funded tens of thousands of African entrepreneurs since 2015. This new collaboration takes that legacy further by focusing on women’s leadership in green innovation.
With Uganda’s expanding community of women business leaders and a national push for sustainable development, the programme could help unlock new investable models in sectors such as agri-processing, clean cooking, renewable energy, and recycling.