The YOUTH IDEAthon
Developed in the wake of the Covid 19 Pandemic, the Youth IDEAthon was a project funded by United Nations Development Population (UNDP) and implemented by NASE Africa. It was organized to Inspire young entrepreneurs, equip them with entrepreneurship skills, and accelerate innovative and impactful ideas from youth in Uganda. This project presented an “entry-level” opportunity that inspired the youth and helped them to unearth and nurture early-stage and start-up ideas that can be molded and incubated into transformative innovative businesses, especially in the wake of the covid 19 pandemic. With the benefits of mentorship, incubation support, and seed investment, the IDEAthon was open to all budding entrepreneurs across the whole country. In cohort 1, the Youth IDEAthon attracted over 4800 ideas, 1000 of whom would go on to receive incubation support, with the top 100 sharing grants worth USD $600,000. Off the back of this, NASE has filmed and produced an inspiring and highly educational TV show to be aired on Ugandan TV channels soon.