The Consortium for Enhancing University Responsiveness to Agribusiness Development (CURAD) is an innovative, autonomous agribusiness incubator established in 2012 by Makerere University, NUCAFE, and NARO, with support from DANIDA under the FARA-UniBRAIN Programme.

As a public–private partnership initiative, CURAD supports farmers, farmer organizations, agro-entrepreneurs, students, graduates, start-ups, and SMEs to transform ideas into competitive agribusiness enterprises. We are driven by a vision to produce innovative young entrepreneurs and agribusiness leaders who champion productivity, profitability, and job creation in the agricultural sector.

SAYE Project

HEIFERS VISIT 4

Stimulating Agribusiness Youth Employment (SAYE) Project

The Stimulating Agribusiness Youth Employment (SAYE) Project is a 5-year initiative led by Heifer International in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation under the Young Africa Works strategy. The project seeks to improve the socio-economic well-being and resilience of young people in the Busoga sub-region by 2029.

About CURAD in SAYE

The Consortium for Enhancing University Responsiveness to Agribusiness Development (CURAD) is a leading agribusiness innovation incubator and a key implementing partner in SAYE. CURAD is responsible for delivering on two major outcomes:

  • Increased access to and utilization of market-relevant skills among youth.
  • Increased participation of youth in decision-making, resource allocation, and utilization.
To achieve these, CURAD leads in Skills Development and Enabling Environment, with a strong focus on building sustainable enterprises in the five value chains (Poultry, Horticulture, Oilseeds, Dairy, and Beef). CURAD’s contributions include:

  • Mobilizing and profiling youth across the Busoga sub-region, aligning them with value chain opportunities.
  • Providing incubation and technical skilling at hubs in Namanve, Kapeeka, and decentralized centers.
  • Supporting enterprise formalization, compliance, and registration for youth-led businesses in the supported value chains.
  • Facilitating market linkages and commercialization pathways, including trade expos and buyer–seller forums.

SAYE Targets

The project targets 250,000 young people aged 16–35, of whom 70% are female and 3% are youth with disabilities (YWDs).

SAYE directly supports youth engagement in the following priority value chains:

Poultry
Horticulture
Oilseeds
Dairy

Talk to Us

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SAYE project focuses on four strategic intervention areas:
  • Skills Development – equipping youth with market-relevant technical and business skills across high-potential agribusiness value chains.
  • Equitable Access to Markets – linking youth-led enterprises to buyers and value chains.
  • Innovative and Inclusive Finance – unlocking affordable financing for youth businesses.
  • Creating an Enabling Environment – fostering supportive policies and institutions that enable youth enterprise growth.
Strategic Value
CURAD’s engagement in SAYE demonstrates how value-chain-driven agribusiness incubation accelerates youth employment. By combining training, incubation, finance, market access, and safeguarding, CURAD nurtures resilient youth enterprises that add value to poultry, dairy, beef, horticulture, and oilseed products—contributing to job creation, economic growth, and community resilience in Uganda.

Impact to Date

  • 9,070 youth mobilized and profiled, and are now engaged in poultry, dairy, beef, coffee, horticulture, and oilseeds.
  • Set a new Oil Seed Incubation Centre in Iganga and another in Meat and Diary Value chain already under way in Jinja
  • Hundreds of youth-led enterprises supported across the five priority value chains.
  • Dozens of businesses registered and formalized, enabling access to finance and structured markets.
  • Product development bootcamps and commercialization workshops poultry, dairy, beef, coffee, horticulture, and oilseeds.
  • Youth-led enterprises generating jobs in poultry, beef, and oilseed value chains—both self-employment and wage jobs.
  • Women and youth with disabilities are empowered, particularly in horticulture and poultry where entry barriers are lower.
  • Market exposure enhanced, with incubatees from all five value chains showcasing products at expos and building linkages with buyers.