Heifer International Uganda awarded Shs205 million in catalytic financing to ten young agricultural innovators at the AYuTe Africa Challenge Uganda Season 5 Awards Gala, held on Thursday, September 24, 2026, at the Sheraton Hotel in Kampala. The ceremony, held under the theme “Go Big, Go Bold,” brought together innovators, government officials, development partners, and stakeholders from across Uganda’s agricultural innovation ecosystem.
Full List of Winners
The competition featured two main tracks: AgriTech (national) and Agribusiness (Busoga-focused), alongside a dedicated female entrepreneur category. The complete list of winners is as follows:
- Best Agribusiness Enterprise – Piipu General Enterprises LLP – 50,000,000
- Agribusiness 1st Runner-up – Lufafa Joel Enterprises – 30,000,000
- Agribusiness 2nd Runner-up – Ama Bulungi Enterprises – 15,000,000
- Best AgriTech Enterprise – Revmake Tech Company Ltd – 50,000,000
- AgriTech 1st Runner-up – Afripolli Farm-Tech Solutions Ltd – 20,000,000
- AgriTech 2nd Runner-up – Humi 99 Company Ltd – 15,000,000
- Female Entrepreneur Award – Natura’s Nook Nutrition Ltd – 10,000,000
- Female Entrepreneur Award – Winnie Park Agro-Supply – 10,000,000
- The AgriTech overall winner received UGX 50 million along with six months of incubation mentorship, while runners-up and female innovators received cash awards and additional mentoring support.
Official Comments and Competition Growth
Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Jonard Asiimwe, who served as the guest of honor, commended the innovators for their resilience and urged them to focus on commercializing their solutions rather than merely developing technology. “We appreciate the courage you have shown, the ability to see a challenge, face it, and overcome it,” Asiimwe said. He revealed that this year’s competition attracted 836 applications, a significant increase from the 307 submissions received in Season 4. “This season attracted 836 applications, and that is a great improvement for the innovation world,” he noted, adding that the government is introducing elements of the Chinese innovation model focused on commercialization.
Heifer International Uganda Country Director William Matovu cautioned the winners against misusing the prize money, emphasizing that the funding is intended to help them scale their enterprises and create lasting impact for smallholder farmers. The AYuTe (Agriculture, Youth and Technology) Africa Challenge Uganda, launched in 2022 and supported by the Mastercard Foundation in partnership with CURAD, has now engaged over 900 young innovators and awarded catalytic funding to 36 winning ventures across its five seasons.