The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives (MTIC), in partnership with the National Planning Authority (NPA), Innovation Village Hub and the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) Uganda, has unveiled the inaugural UG Catalyst Summit, a high-level national platform aimed at accelerating enterprise growth, strengthening partnerships and mobilizing investments to support Uganda’s ambitious tenfold economic growth agenda.
The summit, which will run from June 25 to 27, 2026, at Motiv in Bugolobi, Kampala, will bring together government officials, investors, entrepreneurs, development partners, financial institutions, innovators, policymakers and regulators to discuss practical solutions for transforming Uganda’s enterprise ecosystem.
Held under the theme “Catalyzing Action for Growth: Accelerating Uganda’s Tenfold Growth through Innovation and Entrepreneurship,” the summit is expected to serve as a key platform for advancing Uganda’s strategy of expanding its economy from approximately $50 billion today to $500 billion by 2040.
The event was officially announced during a press conference held at the Uganda Media Centre on Thursday morning, where Commissioner Patrick Mugisha delivered a statement on behalf of the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, Lynette B. Bagonza.
In her message, Bagonza emphasized that Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) remain the backbone of Uganda’s private sector and will play a central role in achieving the country’s long-term economic transformation goals.
“MSMEs remain the primary vehicles through which innovation, entrepreneurship and industrial transformation will be realised,” Bagonza said.
She noted that Uganda’s Tenfold Growth Strategy is anchored on increasing productivity, promoting industrialization, attracting investment and expanding exports, objectives that cannot be achieved without a vibrant and competitive MSME sector.
“As Uganda pursues the Tenfold Growth Strategy to expand the economy to USD 500 billion by 2040, MSMEs play a critical role in driving growth across priority sectors including Agro-Industrialization, Mineral Development, Tourism, and Science, Technology and Innovation,” she stated.
According to the Ministry, MSMEs account for more than 90 percent of all businesses operating in Uganda and remain the largest source of employment, income generation and entrepreneurship opportunities for millions of Ugandans.
The sector has long been recognized as a key driver of industrialization, poverty reduction and inclusive economic growth, particularly among youth and women.
However, despite their importance, many small businesses continue to face challenges ranging from limited access to finance and markets to inadequate technology, low productivity, informality, and weak integration into regional and global value chains.
The UG Catalyst Summit is therefore intended to address these challenges by creating a platform where entrepreneurs can directly engage investors, policymakers, development finance institutions and business support organizations.
Organizers say the summit will facilitate policy dialogue, investment mobilization and partnership building while showcasing innovations and enterprise solutions capable of accelerating Uganda’s economic transformation.
A major focus of the discussions will be improving MSME access to financing, technology, business development services and domestic, regional and international markets.
Participants are also expected to explore strategies for increasing private sector competitiveness, strengthening innovation ecosystems and creating stronger linkages between entrepreneurs and investors.
The summit program will feature a series of sector-focused discussions aligned with Uganda’s four key growth drivers under the Tenfold Growth Strategy.
These include Agro-Industrialization, Tourism Development, Mineral Development and Science, Technology and Innovation.
In the agro-industrialization track, discussions will focus on value addition, agro-processing, climate-smart agriculture, food systems transformation and strengthening agricultural value chains.
Tourism-focused sessions will examine enterprise opportunities within Uganda’s tourism industry, investment prospects and strategies for enhancing tourism-related businesses.
The mineral development sessions will explore local content participation, value addition opportunities and ways through which Ugandan enterprises can benefit from the country’s growing extractives sector.
Meanwhile, discussions under science, technology and innovation will address digital transformation, innovation financing, technology adoption and entrepreneurship-driven solutions for economic growth.
Organizers believe that bringing together stakeholders from these sectors under one platform will help unlock new investments and stimulate stronger collaboration between the public and private sectors.
The summit will also serve as Uganda’s official platform for commemorating the United Nations International MSME Day, celebrated globally every year on June 27.
International MSME Day was established by the United Nations to recognize the significant contribution of micro, small and medium enterprises to economic development, employment creation and innovation worldwide.
This year’s celebrations will be held under the campaign slogan “Formalise to Rise,” highlighting the need to reduce barriers that keep many businesses outside the formal economy.
Bagonza said formalization remains critical if enterprises are to fully benefit from financing opportunities, government programs, export markets and investment partnerships.
“The MSME Day celebrations will also focus on reducing the barriers that keep small businesses outside the formal economy under the campaign slogan ‘Formalise to Rise,’” she said.
A key highlight of the three-day event will be the FreshValue Innovation Challenge 2026, which is being organized by the Ministry in partnership with GAIN Uganda through its Nutrition Impact at Scale Project.
The competition targets MSMEs and youth-led enterprises that are developing scalable solutions to strengthen Uganda’s fruit and vegetable value chains.
The initiative seeks to improve access to nutritious food, reduce post-harvest losses, promote value addition and enhance market competitiveness within the agricultural sector.
According to organizers, the challenge has been structured around two major themes.
The first focuses on deepening private sector engagement with the European Union through technology, investment and market linkages, while the second seeks to increase youth participation in high-value segments of the fruit and vegetable value chain.
Winning enterprises will share a pool of catalytic seed funding and receive mentorship, technical assistance and investment-readiness support designed to help them scale their businesses.
The winners are expected to be announced during the International MSME Day celebrations on June 27.
Another major attraction at the summit will be the Uganda Enterprise Awards, which will recognize businesses and organizations that have demonstrated exceptional performance and innovation.
The awards will honor outstanding enterprises across priority sectors, youth-led businesses, women-led enterprises, innovation-driven ventures and organizations championing sustainability and inclusion.
Officials say the awards are intended to celebrate entrepreneurial excellence while inspiring more Ugandans to invest in innovative and growth-oriented businesses.
The Ministry expects the summit to increase the visibility of Uganda’s MSMEs, strengthen collaboration among ecosystem players, improve access to financing and markets and generate practical policy recommendations for enterprise development.
The event is also expected to strengthen cooperation between government agencies, investors, development partners, financial institutions, academia, business associations and entrepreneurs.
Bagonza called upon all stakeholders to actively participate in the summit and contribute toward shaping Uganda’s economic future.
She specifically invited government institutions, private sector actors, development partners, financial institutions, cooperatives, academic institutions, youth-led enterprises, women-led businesses and members of the media to take part in the event.
“Together, let us celebrate the resilience, innovation and contribution of Uganda’s MSMEs while building the partnerships and actions necessary to accelerate Uganda’s journey towards a $500 billion economy by 2040,” she said.
As Uganda intensifies efforts to transform its economy through industrialization, innovation and private sector-led growth, the UG Catalyst Summit is expected to emerge as one of the country’s most significant enterprise development platforms, bringing together the ideas, investments and partnerships needed to turn the government’s tenfold growth vision into reality.
