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Different Contexts, Common Aspirations:

MARKUP II strengthens youth enterprises and the organisations that support them

Youth Day

Across Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda, the EU–EAC Market Access Upgrade Programme (MARKUP II) is working with local business support organisations to help young agripreneurs build stronger, more competitive and market-oriented businesses.

Young entrepreneurs across East Africa operate in very different contexts. Their businesses span different value chains, markets and operating environments, but many share a common ambition: to build sustainable enterprises that create income, jobs and opportunities in their communities.

This ambition reflects the theme of this year’s International Youth Day, "Different Contexts, Common Aspirations."

Through the MARKUP II Youth Agribusiness Accelerator, MARKUP II is helping young entrepreneurs turn this ambition into stronger businesses, while working through local business support organisations (BSOs) that understand their respective markets and entrepreneurial ecosystems.

The four-month accelerator targets agripreneurs aged 18–35. In its first cohort, 90 youth-led enterprises were selected across Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda.

Participants receive a mix of online and in-person training covering areas such as productivity, value addition, business modelling and financial management. Alongside this, each cohort receives hands-on mentoring from local BSOs: Africa Harvest Biotech Foundation International (Africa Harvest) and Ashoka Africa in Kenya, Westerwelle Startup Haus Kigali in Rwanda, and Hive Colab in Uganda.

This partnership model allows MARKUP II to combine a common regional approach with support adapted to local realities, while strengthening the institutions that form part of the wider entrepreneurship ecosystem.

Local Partners at the Centre of the Accelerator

Photo credit: Westerwelle Startup Haus Kigali

In Rwanda, Westerwelle Startup Haus Kigali works with businesses across food processing, logistics and crop production. Its mentoring combines core business fundamentals with support tailored to individual enterprises and Rwanda’s particular market-access realities.

"It's pushed us away from a one-size-fits-all model. A young entrepreneur in food processing faces a very different set of challenges than one working in livestock, logistics, or crop production," says Nadege Umutesi, Program Coordinator at Westerwelle Startup Haus Kigali

Video credit: Hive Colab

In Uganda, Hive Colab brings a technology and innovation lens to the accelerator. Young agripreneurs are encouraged to use digital tools for record keeping, financial management, marketing, customer engagement and market intelligence, while strengthening areas such as traceability, quality assurance and value addition.

"We encourage founders to see technology as a business enabler rather than an end in itself," says Bruno Bakahika, who provides programme and project support at Hive Colab.

In Kenya, Africa Harvest brings its experience in agriculture, food systems and enterprise development, helping young people identify opportunities beyond primary production in areas such as agro-processing, aggregation, logistics, services, marketing and value addition.

Photo credit: Africa Harvest

"Their contexts may differ, but they share a common aspiration to build resilient enterprises that transform their own lives and create opportunities for others," says Moses Kahumbu, Agribusiness Lead at Africa Harvest.

Ashoka Africa complements this with a changemaking and leadership perspective, supporting entrepreneurs to strengthen their business models, identify barriers to scale and develop the leadership and confidence required to grow their ventures.

"They are not just looking for an economic opportunity, they are using entrepreneurship as a vehicle to create change," says Ruth Soi of Ashoka Africa.

Together, the four organisations bring complementary expertise to the accelerator. Their involvement also demonstrates the value of working through institutions already embedded in local entrepreneurship ecosystems and strengthening their ability to provide practical, context-specific support to young businesses.

Strengthening the Ecosystem around Young Entrepreneurs

MARKUP II's approach recognises that young businesses need more than technical training.

They need organisations that can mentor them, connect them to networks and markets, challenge their assumptions and help them navigate the realities of growing a business.

By working through established BSOs, MARKUP II is therefore investing in both young enterprises and the ecosystem around them.

The programme provides a common framework for enterprise development while enabling each organisation to adapt its support to the needs of its cohort. Through this collaborative approach, BSOs deepen their experience in mentoring youth-led enterprises, strengthen connections with entrepreneurs and market actors, and apply different models of business support to the realities of their national contexts.

This helps build stronger local support structures that can continue to serve young entrepreneurs beyond individual programme activities.

Connecting Young Businesses to Real Markets

Market exposure is another important part of the accelerator.

Participants have engaged in platforms including the Uganda International Trade Fair, the East Africa Coffee Market & Conference and the EAC MSME Trade Fair, providing opportunities to interact directly with customers, buyers, experts and potential partners.

Photo credit: Africa Harvest

For Hive Colab’s Uganda cohort, participation in the Uganda International Trade Fair demonstrated that a good product alone is not enough. Entrepreneurs also need effective branding, packaging, consistent quality, a clear value proposition and confidence when engaging buyers. Five supported businesses showcased products across packaging, cocoa, coffee and avocado.

Africa Harvest has similarly seen market exposure help entrepreneurs better understand buyer expectations around quality, pricing, packaging and market positioning, while encouraging them to think beyond local markets towards regional and international opportunities.

For some participants, these opportunities are already producing tangible results. One accelerator participant secured an export agreement with a Germany-based buyer, while others have generated sales, contacts and new business opportunities through programme-supported events.

Innovation with Impact

The enterprises supported through the accelerator demonstrate the innovation young people are bringing to agriculture. Participants are developing solutions including beauty products made from coffee waste, fish leather and environmentally friendly packaging produced from agricultural waste.

Behind these different businesses is a common ambition: to build enterprises that are commercially viable while creating opportunities and solving problems within their communities.

This is also what makes the partnership between MARKUP II and its BSOs important. Different organisations bring different expertise; different countries present different challenges; and every entrepreneur has a different pathway to growth.

By bringing these actors together, MARKUP II is helping young entrepreneurs access the skills, mentorship, networks and markets they need to grow, while strengthening the local institutions that support them.

On International Youth Day, the Youth Agribusiness Accelerator demonstrates "Different Contexts, Common Aspirations" in practice: young East Africans pursuing different opportunities, supported by strong local organisations, and united by an ambition to build competitive businesses, create jobs and contribute to the region’s economic future.