Hi-Innovator Women Accelerator Program

The National Social Security Fund (NSSF) invites applicants for the Hi-Innovator Women Accelerator program. The program is part of the Hi-Innovator initiative that was established to identify and support Uganda’s small and growing businesses with solid potential for impact, sustainability, and scale over five years. Participants in the accelerator program will have an opportunity to improve their business skills, grow their businesses to be more resilient, and make them better placed to receive financial services.

Interested applicants must fulfill the following criteria to qualify:

• Be fully registered with Uganda Registry Services Bureau (URSB), Uganda Revenue Authority (URA), and National Social Security Fund (NSSF). First-time registration before the application is acceptable
• Be legally and actively operational in Uganda for at least two years
• Have at least 2 full-time staff with at least 50% of the staff below 35 years of age
• Be 50% female owned and/or have 70% women in top management/leadership positions
• Have made a minimum annual revenue of UGX 10 million in the past year and has not raised more than UGX 1 Billion in grants, convertible grants, debt, or private equity
• Have evidence of 100% completion of the Hi-Innovator business academy course
• Businesses in all sectors are eligible to participate
• Be willing to provide a 6% equity stake ownership to NSSF
• Have team members that proficient in written and spoken English

During the program, participating businesses will receive the following:

• Grant funding of USD 20,000 and, in turn, provides a 6% equity stake ownership to NSSF
• Tailored technical support
• Mentorship and peer-peer learning opportunities
• Investor networking sessions, as well as market linkages
• Unlimited access to learning content in the business academy

To apply for this initiative, visit: Applications