The young innovators that were awarded UGX11mThe National I-UPSHIFT Youth Social Innovation Summit 2025 took place in Kampala, culminating in a major award ceremony where over UGX 1.7 billion in seed funding was awarded to outstanding youth-led ventures. The awards supported the most innovative social enterprises developed through the i-UPSHIFT program, empowering young people to create sustainable change in their communities.Integrated Upshift (i-UPSHIFT) was a social innovation and entrepreneurship skills-building programme for marginalized adolescents and youth, jointly implemented by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and UNICEF Uganda. Through interactive bootcamps, mentorship, and seed funding, participants learned to design, develop, and implement impactful ideas that addressed pressing social challenges in their communities.“Social innovation is a commitment to find new ways to solve problems,” said Evans Lwanga, Chief Technical Officer, ILO. “It gives us tools to tackle the problems to ensure lives are changing.”The programme equipped young people with seven key 21st-century skills including problem-solving, critical thinking, creativity and creative confidence, communication and leadership, collaboration and teamwork, hope for the future, identity, and self-esteem. These skills empowered youth to become changemakers who transformed their communities and inspired others to act for social good.The International Labour Organization, working with implementing partners Unleashed, New Life Horizon NELHIN, RICE West Nile, Windle International Uganda, and Wezesha Impact, executed the i-UPSHIFT project across multiple refugee and host communities in Uganda. The initiative aimed to empower 1,200 young people to become successful entrepreneurs and community innovators.“Today was a celebration of resilience for young people,” said Solomon Kayiwa Mugambe, Wezesha Impact Executive Director. “We continue to believe that when you empower young people with the right skills, they not only participate in creating the future but are actually creating the future. Over the months, we experienced creativity in villages and communities. This summit connected and inspired each other. We believed that no young person should be left behind. They had the right skills to change their communities. Young people are a promise and not a problem.”“Many youths faced the challenge of limited sources of investment,” said Guest of Honor Timothy Ssejjoba from the Ministry of Education and Sports. “You demonstrated that innovation starts with the challenge you care about. This summit aligned with the government’s effort to improve and create opportunities. The government continued to support skills through initiatives like PDM.”The 2025 Summit marked the grand finale of the i-UPSHIFT project, bringing together all five implementing organizations to celebrate the achievements of youth innovators. Seventy-two outstanding youth groups were recognized and awarded Innovation Development Grants ranging from UGX 18.4 million, UGX 11.05 million, and UGX 7.37 million.The event attracted government officials, development partners, private sector leaders, and stakeholders in the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem. It provided a premier national platform for young innovators from both refugee and host communities to showcase their solutions, network with industry leaders, and explore opportunities for collaboration and investment.The Summit also featured exhibitions of the most promising youth-led innovations, along with interactive sessions and networking opportunities aimed at building a supportive environment for the next generation of Ugandan changemakers.The post Ugandan Young Innovators Awarded UGX 1.7 Billion In Seed Capital appeared first on Business Focus.