Yield Uganda Investment Fund: Business Development Services (BDS) Component
Introduction
The YIELD Uganda Investment Fund (YIELD), funded by the European Union (EU), and implemented by International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) was designed to enhance agribusiness development in Uganda. Unlike traditional donor-funded interventions, the Fund took an innovative private-sector-led approach by investing in agribusiness enterprises that support smallholder farmers. The BDS component of the YIELD Fund supported agribusiness companies with essential skills, aptitudes and knowledge to scale up, including financial management, governance, marketing strategies, product certification, out-grower management and other necessary aspects. To complement these investments, a dedicated Business Development Services (BDS) component was implemented, managed by FRIENDS Consult Ltd (FCL).
FCL Role in Business Development Services
As the BDS manager, FRIENDS Consult assessed the client companies’ needs, developed for each a Capacity Building Plan, procured consultants/ technical advisors, and controlled the quality of consultants’ deliverables – ensuring that the agribusiness companies received suitable support to grow and improve. FCL also provided hand-holding to each of the 15 investee companies in various areas. Typical areas of capacity building/training, which helped the agribusiness companies improve productivity or quality, included:
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- Strengthening out-grower schemes for supply chain efficiency.
- Financial & governance training for business stability and proper oversight.
- Product certification to meet industry standards & increase market access.
- Marketing strategies to enhance competitiveness and broaden market outreach.
- Equipment installation & staff training for mechanization and operational efficiency.
- ESG compliance support for sustainability.
- Product research & innovation for better market responsiveness.
Sustainability Outlook
The success of the BDS component underscores the importance of integrating capacity building into agribusiness investment models. Through the BDS interventions, agribusinesses under the YIELD Fund improved operational efficiency, expanded market access, and strengthened governance structures. Moving forward, FRIENDS Consult advocates for scaling such interventions to further strengthen Uganda’s agribusiness ecosystem.