What is a "green" SME?
- Waste Management: By offering waste collection services, building materials or products from reclaimed sources, generating fuels such as bio gas, producing organic fertilizers and more.
- Sustainable Tourism: Such as accommodation, tours, handicrafts or excursions that supports local communities while protecting wildlife and natural landscapes.
- Clean Energy: That uses solar energy, bio gas, clean cook stoves or cooking fuels and more including for households or productive use within institutions or industry.
- Sustainable Transport: That reduces pollution, uses energy-efficient technologies and is more accessible to communities.
- Green Manufacturing: Including beauty products, processed foods (like coffee or honey), fuel or textile fibres and more that are made from organic or environmentally friendly inputs.
- Agriculture: Within priority value chains that can profit from synergies with green sectors to increase e.g yields with organic fertilizer and solar irrigation.
UGEFA Funding Facility – in partnership with dfcu Bank Limited
- Subsidized loans: Once the loan is disbursed to the UGEFA client, UGEFA directly repays 33% of the principal.
- 33% of principal repaid by UGEFA will be set up as a non-interest bearing facility.
- Loan repayment schedule will reflect the 1/2 to be repaid by UGEFA.
- Only enterprises introduced by UGEFA will be eligible.
- Referrals of clients are possible during application windows.
How will the green SME be selected and prepared?
- Call for application: UGEFA regularly opens application windows and invites SMEs to apply. First Call for Applications: mid-Sep 2025.
- Eligibility Check and evaluation of applications: UGEFA conducts an eligibility check, followed by a rigorous, two step evaluation process and due diligence.
- Capacity Building (UGEFA Catalyser Programme): Finance-readiness support is provided to enterprises.
- Introduction to dfcu: Finance-readiness support is provided to enterprises Bankable green SMEs will be introduced to dfcu bank. dfcu’s loan approval processes will be applied; UGEFA is not involved here.
Are you driving positive change with your green enterprise? Benefit from business support and discounted loans with UGEFA. UGEFA welcomes all entrepreneurs and encourages women entrepreneurs to apply.
How Do Enterprises Join UGEFA?
From solar energy to recycling and sustainable farming, get loans and expert training to grow Uganda’s green economy.
Click here ugefa.eu/apply use REFERRAL CODE DFCU25.
