In collaboration with Enabel, SHONA is implementing the WeWork — Green and Decent Jobs for Youth project through The Good Green Business Accelerator. We seek to transform Uganda’s green and circular economy by supporting SMEs to gain capacity, acquire business loans and hire the right employees they need to grow their business, thereby creating employment and boosting economic growth.
The initiative will contribute to a thriving, inclusive, and sustainable green and circular economy ecosystem, driven by competitive, investment-ready businesses that create decent jobs, reduce environmental harm, and promote resource efficiency.
Legal Business Registration: The business is registered with the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB).
Locally owned: The businesses should be majority Ugandan-owned (more than 50% shareholding).
Supply chain and market size: The business has at least 50+ customers, users or suppliers and a clear, reliable supply chain.
Traction: The business should have been in existence for at least 2+ years with a minimum annual turnover of eighty million Uganda shillings (UGX 80,000,000) (UGX 7,000,000 per month).
Staffing: The business should have at least 2 full-time employees, including the founder.
Growth: The business should demonstrate its willingness and need to employ young talent.
Capital: The business should show willingness and need to raise capital and have the capacity to effectively utilize it.
Location: The business must be located in the Kampala Metropolitan, Busoga, or West Nile regions.
Gender: Women-led or women-owned businesses are strongly advised to apply.
Thematic areas of: Regenerative agriculture, agroecology, agroforestry, conservation agriculture, climate and conservation, renewable energy, waste management, green manufacturing, and off-farm activities.
Niche: We are targeting SMEs operating in the green and circular economy.
Regenerative agriculture: Businesses engaging in farming practices designed to improve soil fertility, biodiversity, and ecosystem resilience. E.g., organic farms, ranches using holistic grazing, and farms that integrate trees and livestock for ecosystem restoration.
Agroecology: Businesses engaging in sustainable farming practices that integrate ecological principles into agricultural methods, focusing on biodiversity, nutrients recycling and social equity. E.g., intercropping, composting, processors and aggregators of agroecology products, and providers of agroecology inputs.
Agroforestry: Businesses that combine trees and crops or pasture on the same land to enhance biodiversity and productivity. E.g., mixed farms that produce timber, fruits, nuts, and medicinal plants, as well as those integrating livestock and crops with tree systems.
Conservation agriculture: Businesses that practise farming practices that minimizes soil disturbance, maintain soil cover, and diversify crops to preserve soil and water. E.g., practising no-till farming, cover cropping, and crop rotation to protect and regenerate land.
Climate and conservation: Businesses which focus on protecting the natural resources and ecosystems to ensure their sustainability for generations to come. For example, environmental conservation organisations focused on habitat restoration, ecotourism and biodiversity protection.
Renewable energy: Businesses that generate energy from renewable sources like light, water, wind and geothermal heat. E.g., solar panel manufacturers, wind farm operators, and companies providing green energy solutions.
Green manufacturing and processing: Businesses that prioritise resource efficiency, waste reduction, and ethical responsibility throughout production. E.g. eco-friendly product manufacturers, companies using recycled materials as raw materials.
Waste management: Businesses involved in collecting, transporting, processing and disposing of waste using environmentally friendly, responsible ways. E.g. waste collection services, landfill operators, etc.
Recycling: Businesses involved in converting waste material into new products, reducing resource extraction, and pollution. E.g., recycling centres, companies that process and resell recycled material and companies converting waste into organic fertilizer.
This is a program by SHONA Group to contribute to a thriving, inclusive, and sustainable green and circular economy ecosystem, driven by competitive, investment-ready businesses that create decent jobs, reduce environmental harm, and promote resource efficiency.
The project will be implemented in the Kampala Metropolitan, Busoga, and West Nile regions. We strongly encourage entrepreneurs from all three regions to apply.
We are committed to empowering women in business. We aim to ensure that 50% of the 100 entrepreneurs selected for the pre-accelerator are majority women-led or women-owned.
Following this training, the top 50 SMEs with the most compelling business models will be selected for additional support, including:
Access to new markets. These enterprises will also be supported to access new markets for their products and services to support their growth.
Yes. SHONA treats all applicant data with strict confidentiality. And that is why we sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) with you. Your financial data is used solely for eligibility assessment and business diagnostics. It is never shared with third parties, competitors, or tax authorities without your explicit written consent.
