Minister launches BDS providers association

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The State Minister of Trade in charge of Industry, David Bahati, has launched the first national association for Business Development Services (BDS) providers.

Speaking during the launch ceremony at Imperial Hotel in Kampala on March 26, the government said the association could reshape how small businesses access advisory support, improve survival rates and restore trust.

The new body, United Business Support Professionals (UBSP), brings together consultants, trainers, and enterprise advisors under one umbrella, with a mandate to professionalise service delivery and enforce emerging national standards.

“We are not starting this as a policeman or a policewoman. It is a voluntary association for you to join and think better, deliver better and contribute to national development,” Kenneth Nkumiro, chairperson of UBSP, said.

Ministry of Trade officials, BDS service providers and development partners pose for a photo during the launch of the BSD association in Kampala.

“Some of us have been in the trenches for this kind of work since 2018. We realised that the previous providers we had hired were not delivering value.  So we brought in consultants to diagnose and build capacity for some of the biggest actors. And some of the recommendations were related to what we are launching today.”

The association is expected to work alongside newly introduced BDS standards, which aim to guide how providers deliver services ranging from training and mentorship to market linkages and financial advisory.

David Bahati, State Minister for Industry, said Uganda has over 1.1 million Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), yet fewer than 25% have accessed structured BDS programmes.

“Most of the BDS services are concentrated in Kampala and a few urban centres. Many providers lack sustainability and coordination,” he said.

Lynnette Bagonza, permanent secretary at the Ministry of Trade, said the association will help address that fragmentation by creating a central platform for coordination.

“This association will bring providers under one umbrella to promote professionalism, enforce standards and foster collaboration. It is not a competitor, but a unifying platform,” she said.