UNIDO ITPO Italy's pilot training program "Integrated Business, Legal & Compliance Strategy Workshop" program, was held on 15 April 2026 in Kampala, at the Enterprise Uganda headquarters. The initiative, attended by over 150 selected professionals, represented the first major large-scale operational event since the launch of the project "Strengthening the private sector through capacity building and international partnership in Uganda," implemented by UNIDO ITPO Italy with the support of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation through the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS). This inaugural pilot event served to test the format on a large scale, consolidate the involvement of local partners, and prepare the groundwork for a subsequent, more structured launch in the coming months, also involving the authorities. 

In terms of content, the training — opened by UNIDO ITPO Italy Deputy Head Andrea Carapellese and Director General of Enterprise Uganda Dr. Charles Ocici — covered three main thematic areas: the first focused on access to finance, business planning, and monitoring tools; the second focused on credit protection, dispute resolution, domestic and international commercial contracts, including some investment-related aspects; the third addressed the EUDR, sustainability, and compliance of the value chain. A highly operational program, designed to address some of the most recurring needs of Ugandan companies: managerial structuring, market access, financial planning, compliance, and the ability to interact with international partners and standards, including with a view to developing relationships with Italian and European counterparts. 

Overall, the training appears to have had a positive impact not only on individual participants but more broadly on the local private sector support ecosystem, helping to disseminate more advanced tools, language, and frameworks on internationalization, competitiveness, and compliance. The event was also promoted through the Uganda National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (UNCCI), the Uganda Manufacturers Association (UMA), and the Uganda National Farmers Federation (UNFFE) networks, whose staff made a concrete contribution to the mobilization of participants and the overall success of the activity. This element is also important from a communications perspective, as it demonstrates how the project is already working effectively through a framework of credible and recognized local partnerships.

In parallel with the large-scale training, the UNIDO ITPO Italy mission to Uganda was also important for the launch of the Training of Trainers activities, one of the project's most important activities, as it aims to foster widespread expertise and local replicability beyond the individual training sessions delivered directly by UNIDO ITPO Italy. The first ToT module also took place during the mission and involved 20 trainers, with five participants from each of the four participating organizations: UUNFFE, UMA, UNCCI, and Enterprise Uganda. The program has been structured over six months for each group, and three groups will be activated in total, for an expected total of approximately 60 trainers by December 2026.

Photos: Enterprise Uganda