The EYB programme in Uganda is coordinated by Enterprise Uganda. Enterprise Uganda is an institution designed to support the government in realizing its objective of promoting the development of SMEs to become the main vehicle for expanding production, providing sustainable jobs and enhancing economic growth.

It was established under a framework of the UNDP Enterprise Africa regional initiative. A consortium of local and international donors including UNDP Uganda, Enterprise Africa, UNCTAD and the Government of Uganda is promoting it. Its concept is based on the Empretec Programme model currently operating in 25 countries in Africa, Eastern Europe and Latin America. The Empretec model is designed as one-stop programme, which provides an integrated and comprehensive range of business support services for SMEs using a hands-on approach.

The Mission

The mission of Enterprise Uganda is to develop a new generation of dynamic Ugandan entrepreneurs by actively providing support to the SMEs to enhance their productivity, growth and competitiveness.

The Vision

The vision of Enterprise Uganda is to be a centre of excellence for the creation and the nurturing of a globally competitive private sector in Uganda.

The objectives

The objectives of Enterprise Uganda are to:

• create general entrepreneurial awareness, enhance indigenous entrepreneurship skills and develop an effective entrepreneurial and management training capacity in Uganda;
• develop bankable proposals for business expansion, new ventures and to assist sponsors negotiate for financing;
• enhance the operational efficiency and competitiveness of SMEs to assist companies to diversify into new products;
• develop subcontracting linkages between SMEs and large local private companies as well as government procurement agencies; and
• promote and develop productive, stable and equitable linkages between SMEs in Uganda and foreign companies.

The Service Mix

The institution offers a comprehensive range of services under one roof. The services include;

1. Entrepreneurship Training Workshop (ETW)

The workshop gives an opportunity for the participants to become familiar with the behavioural competencies of successful entrepreneurs, strengthen and enhance those behaviours in themselves and, finally be able to apply the behaviours on return to their own businesses.

The workshop not only has an impact on the individual, but also creates trust and stimulates strong bondage amongst entrepreneurs, who as a result begin to organize themselves for mutual support, exchange of information and experience and the collective formulation of SME concerns as a sector.

2. Business Health Check

For existing companies, the Post-Training process starts with a complementary Business Health-check (BHC) or diagnostic study being conducted for each company.

This activity is designed to ‘x-ray’ the operations of the company in critical areas such as business concept, production/operation process, financial management, staffing and marketing, to determine areas of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. The purpose of this exercise is to provide a Status Report on the “health” of the company. It is also a gateway to a range of Enterprise Uganda’s post-entrepreneurship training services.

3. Business Opportunity Identification

For start-ups, the Post-Training process begins with a Business Opportunity Identification exercise intended to assist trainees from the 10-day Entrepreneurship Workshop who do not have an existing business to identify and analyse a variety of business opportunities and interests. Each entrepreneur is taken through a process of Idea Generation, Idea Screening and Testing, Business Profiling and Idea Selection. At the end of this exercise, the entrepreneur will be able to decide on the specific business venture to develop.

4. Business Counselling and Advisory services.

Under the Counseling/Advisory Service, Enterprise Uganda assigns a Counsellor to each company that has gone through the Business Health check exercise. The Counsellor will provide on-site counseling support to the client to probe into the root causes of the specific problems identified during the Health Check exercise.

The counselling and advisory services are designed to help the counsellor to understand the client’s business and subsequently offer informed advice to resolve identified challenges and/or exploit discernible opportunities.

5. Preparation of Business Plans

Business Plan preparation process is to assist the entrepreneur to prepare a planning document that should, inter alia, be a useful management tool as well as resource mobilisation instrument from third parties including venture capitalists and bankers.

6. Credit facilitation

Credit facilitation is offered to assist clients identify and evaluate available sources of financing and to negotiate attendant terms.

7. Specialised Consultancy and Extension Services

These include tailor-made technical support, involving on-site placement of industry experts to provide specialised consultancy services and to transfer expertise to the beneficiary company.

8. Client Accounting and Book-keeping Services

Under this scheme groups of client companies are assigned to reputable accounting firms which then provide technical assistance in book-keeping and financial management as well as prepare audited financial statements on a regular basis for each company.

This facility is meant to assist the beneficiaries improve their book-keeping and financial management functions. The expected impact of this service is increased credibility of financial statements for use by management and external parties including bankers, investors, suppliers and tax authorities.

9. Management Skills Development

This training enables entrepreneurs to appreciate the application of functional management concepts to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of their business operations. An array of products have been developed in the areas of Strategic Management, Human Resource Management, Effective Delegation, Customer Care, Time Management, Financial Management, Marketing, Costing & Pricing, Public Presentation, Business Report Writing Skills, etc.

10. Sub-Contracting Linkages

This is designed to assist clients to identify sub-contracting opportunities from large local and resident affiliates of multinational companies and government procurement agencies.

11. Foreign Linkage Development

Under this, client companies are assisted to define their requirements for foreign linkages. They are then given technical support to prepare investment profiles with which to source beneficial linkages with foreign companies in the form of joint ventures, licensing and franchise arrangements or technology transfer agreements. Additionally, in collaboration with other private and public sector agencies foreign companies are assisted to identify suitable local partners to undertake innovative technology-based manufacturing and service ventures.

Target Beneficiaries

The target group for Enterprise Uganda consists of four basic types of SMEs or individuals:

1. Existing companies in the manufacturing, agribusiness and service sectors, with a track record of good business performance;
2. Individuals who have had successful general retail operations and are seeking to diversify into new value-added activities;
3. Companies that have benefited from specific grants or credit facilities and are seeking assistance to make effective use of such facilities; and
4. Start-up companies with good bankable project proposals.

In the selection of target beneficiaries, emphasis will be given to existing companies with growth potential. Further, since women form a significant part of the workforce in Uganda, special attention will be given to women entrepreneurs who are expected to constitute at least 40% of direct beneficiaries of Enterprise Uganda’s services.

In-House Consultants

i. Charles Ocici – Executive Director (Trainer / Business Advisor)

Mr. Charles Ocici is a graduate of Makerere University where he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Economics. He also holds two Masters Degrees: in Business Administration – Finance (with Distinction) and MSc in Investment Analysis, both obtained from Stirling University in U.K. Mr. Ocici has attended, locally and overseas, several certificate programmes on business development.

His work experience spreads across 16 years, working with four organizations. For 8 years he worked with Uganda Commercial Bank where he held various posts, including Credit Manager for Corporate Clients, then a highly esteemed position at the Corporate Division of the Bank. He was a Team Leader in charge of several public entities slated for divestiture by the Government under the Privatisation Unit of Ministry of Finance, for a period of three years. During this time, Mr. Ocici was also board member in Uganda Airlines, Uganda Commercial Bank, Coffee Marketing Board and Transocean (U) Ltd. In addition, he was a regular guest speaker at the Institute of Bankers where he presented papers on investment, finance and business portfolio management. After Privatisation Unit, Mr. Ocici took up a job with PTA Bank, the financial arm of COMESA, an economic bloc of 16 countries in Eastern, Southern and Northern Africa. At the PTA Bank, Mr. Ocici was part of senior management and held several responsibilities in Loan Portfolio Management, Loan Appraisal and Business Development. He also served as Secretary to all Management Committees of the Bank.

Mr. Ocici is currently the Executive Director of Enterprise Uganda, the apex position at the Institution. As Chief Executive Officer of the Institution, Mr. Ocici is the Secretary of the Advisory Board of Enterprise Uganda. He is also the contact point for the EYB programme in Uganda.

Contact Details
Mr. Ocici
Enterprise Uganda
P lot 38, Lumumba Avenue Nakasero
P. O. Box 24581, Kampala, Uganda
Tel; (256-41) 251 810, 343 204
Fax; (256-41) 250 968
E-mail: ocic@enterprise.co.ug