France has deepened its partnership with Stanbic Business Incubator Limited (SBIL) to support Uganda's green entrepreneurs. The programme, valued at about Shs2.8bn grant from the French Embassy and Shs400bn co-financing from Stanbic Bank Uganda, aims to connect entrepreneurs to finance, markets, technology, and French companies. The initiative targets 200 women and youth-led green enterprises in the Kampala Metropolitan Area and Hoima.
The programme was launched in 2025 with a €450,000 grant from the Embassy of France, with a total investment estimated at about Shs2.9 billion. Virginie Leroy, French Ambassador to Uganda, said the decision to deepen the partnership with SBIL was based on the existing capacity of the incubator and its focus on women and young people. Leroy added that the programme was not ending with the graduation of 106 entrepreneurs under the Stanbic GreenTech Accelerator and Incubation Programme in Kampala on Sept.18.
The first cohort has focused on businesses in the green economy, with entrepreneurs receiving support to strengthen business models, pitch to investors, build networks, and identify potential markets. Leroy said the programme was not ending with the graduation, with France signing a new commitment to support another 200 entrepreneurs during the next phase. The next phase will also introduce an international dimension, with 10 entrepreneurs from the inaugural cohort traveling to France to engage with French green technology entrepreneurs.
The French government wants to support Uganda's private sector across different stages of business development, including incubation, acceleration, affordable financing, and connections between companies. Leroy said the French-Ugandan economic agenda would also focus on green growth, decarbonisation, renewable energy, and digitalisation in financial services. She cited agriculture as an area where digital technology could give farmers access to weather information, commodity prices, and buyers.
Mark Ocitti Ongom, chief executive of Stanbic Uganda Holdings Limited (SUHL), said the partnership demonstrated the role of collaboration in supporting sustainable economic growth. Ongom said Stanbic Bank, the anchor subsidiary of SUHL, had about Shs400 billion available in financing for women and youth, providing a potential financing pathway for entrepreneurs seeking to expand their operations.
Minister of State for Gender and Culture Mary Kamuli Kuteesa said the private sector initiative complemented government programmes aimed at widening access to capital, skills, and markets. Kuteesa urged Ugandans to support local businesses by purchasing their products, arguing that domestic demand was important for enterprises seeking to grow and create jobs.
Several beneficiaries who spoke to The Independent said the programme had strengthened their corporate governance capabilities and better positioned their businesses to pursue future growth opportunities. The programme represents a broader shift from entrepreneurship training towards building connections that can help Uganda's emerging green businesses become more investment-ready, commercially viable, and capable of creating jobs and supporting Uganda's green transition.
Key points
- France has committed to supporting another 200 entrepreneurs in the next phase of the programme.
- The programme aims to connect entrepreneurs to finance, markets, technology, and French companies.
- The partnership includes a Shs400 billion co-financing from Stanbic Bank Uganda.
