BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:unctad.org BEGIN:VEVENT UID:6a51047aed914 DTSTART:20260526T060000Z SEQUENCE:0 TRANSP:OPAQUE DTEND:20260526T150000Z LOCATION:Kampala\, Uganda SUMMARY:From local production to regional value chains: Capacity-building w orkshop for Uganda SMEs in the iron and steel sector CLASS:PUBLIC DESCRIPTION:Micro\, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) form the bac kbone of Uganda’s private sector\, representing around 90 per cent of bu sinesses and generating a large share of manufacturing output and employme nt. Despite their economic importance\, most MSMEs remain concentrated in domestic markets and face persistent constraints in accessing regional tra de opportunities. Key challenges include limited access to finance\, high logistics and trade costs\, regulatory barriers\, and gaps in technical\, managerial\, and digital capabilities. These factors continue to limit SME participation in regional and global value chains.UN Trade and Developmen t\, through the project “Enhancing the capacity of African vulnerable co untries in adopting policy incentives and innovative instruments for SMEs ’ participation in regional value chains”\, conducted an impact study assessing opportunities and constraints for Ugandan SMEs in integrating in to regional value chains. The findings of the study were presented and dis cussed during a national validation workshop held in Kampala on 16–17 Ju ne 2025\, which brought together representatives from government instituti ons\, the private sector\, academia\, development partners and UN agencies to review the study’s results and identify policy priorities for streng thening SME participation in regional trade and industrial development.In this context\, UNCTAD\, in collaboration with the Ministry of Trade\, Indu stry and Cooperatives of Uganda\, the Resident Coordinator’s Office in U ganda\, and the Enterprise Uganda\, delivers a training workshop for Ugand a SMEs in the iron and steel sectors. The training aims to strengthen the capacity of up to 20 small businesses all over Uganda to support their int egration into regional and continental value chains.Key objectives of the workshop include:Strengthen entrepreneurial competencies through the EMPRE TEC methodology\;Improve SMEs’ understanding of regional value chains in the EAC and AfCFTA frameworks\;Strengthen technical capacities related to standards\, certification\, and quality compliance\;Improve SMEs’ acces s to finance and investment readiness\;Promote institutional support mecha nisms and industrial support services for SMEs.Participants will also bene fit from post-training coaching and networking opportunities.Participating SMEs were selected based on the following eligibility criteria:Small and medium-sized businesses with 5 to 100 employeesAssets from UGX 10 to 360 m illionCompanies involved in iron and steel sector activities\, including m ining\, steel fabrication &\; metal works\, machinery components\, weld ing\, machining\, &\; metal processing\, recovering\, remanufacturing & amp\; recycling\, industrial maintenance &\; metal servicesInterested/e ngaged in cross-border trade (EAC or under the AfCFTA)Committed to attend all sessions.<\;p>\;Micro\, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) form the backbone of Uganda’s private sector\, representing around 90 p er cent of businesses and generating a large share of manufacturing output and employment. Despite their economic importance\, most MSMEs remain con centrated in domestic markets and face persistent constraints in accessing regional trade opportunities. Key challenges include limited access to fi nance\, high logistics and trade costs\, regulatory barriers\, and gaps in technical\, managerial\, and digital capabilities. These factors continue to limit SME participation in regional and global value chains.<\;/p> \;<\;p>\;UN Trade and Development\, through the project “Enhancing t he capacity of African vulnerable countries in adopting policy incentives and innovative instruments for SMEs’ participation in regional value cha ins”\, conducted an impact study assessing opportunities and constraints for Ugandan SMEs in integrating into regional value chains. The findings of the study were presented and discussed during a national validation wor kshop held in Kampala on 16–17 June 2025\, which brought together repres entatives from government institutions\, the private sector\, academia\, d evelopment partners and UN agencies to review the study’s results and id entify policy priorities for strengthening SME participation in regional t rade and industrial development.<\;/p>\;<\;p>\;In this context\, U NCTAD\, in collaboration with the Ministry of Trade\, Industry and Coopera tives of Uganda\, the Resident Coordinator’s Office in Uganda\, and the Enterprise Uganda\, delivers a training workshop for Uganda SMEs in the ir on and steel sectors. The training aims to strengthen the capacity of up t o 20 small businesses all over Uganda to support their integration into re gional and continental value chains.<\;/p>\;<\;p>\;Key objectives of the workshop include:<\;/p>\;<\;ul>\;<\;li data-list-item-id= "\;e7e9688bc01edd82fe0ea6c78aabc7518\n\nView meeting on unctad.org\nht tps://unctad.org/meeting/local-production-regional-value-chains-capacity-b uilding-workshop-uganda-smes-iron-and DTSTAMP:20260710T144058Z END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:6a51047aed96e DTSTART:20260527T060000Z SEQUENCE:0 TRANSP:OPAQUE DTEND:20260527T150000Z LOCATION:Kampala\, Uganda SUMMARY:From local production to regional value chains: Capacity-building w orkshop for Uganda SMEs in the iron and steel sector CLASS:PUBLIC DESCRIPTION:Micro\, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) form the bac kbone of Uganda’s private sector\, representing around 90 per cent of bu sinesses and generating a large share of manufacturing output and employme nt. Despite their economic importance\, most MSMEs remain concentrated in domestic markets and face persistent constraints in accessing regional tra de opportunities. Key challenges include limited access to finance\, high logistics and trade costs\, regulatory barriers\, and gaps in technical\, managerial\, and digital capabilities. These factors continue to limit SME participation in regional and global value chains.UN Trade and Developmen t\, through the project “Enhancing the capacity of African vulnerable co untries in adopting policy incentives and innovative instruments for SMEs ’ participation in regional value chains”\, conducted an impact study assessing opportunities and constraints for Ugandan SMEs in integrating in to regional value chains. The findings of the study were presented and dis cussed during a national validation workshop held in Kampala on 16–17 Ju ne 2025\, which brought together representatives from government instituti ons\, the private sector\, academia\, development partners and UN agencies to review the study’s results and identify policy priorities for streng thening SME participation in regional trade and industrial development.In this context\, UNCTAD\, in collaboration with the Ministry of Trade\, Indu stry and Cooperatives of Uganda\, the Resident Coordinator’s Office in U ganda\, and the Enterprise Uganda\, delivers a training workshop for Ugand a SMEs in the iron and steel sectors. The training aims to strengthen the capacity of up to 20 small businesses all over Uganda to support their int egration into regional and continental value chains.Key objectives of the workshop include:Strengthen entrepreneurial competencies through the EMPRE TEC methodology\;Improve SMEs’ understanding of regional value chains in the EAC and AfCFTA frameworks\;Strengthen technical capacities related to standards\, certification\, and quality compliance\;Improve SMEs’ acces s to finance and investment readiness\;Promote institutional support mecha nisms and industrial support services for SMEs.Participants will also bene fit from post-training coaching and networking opportunities.Participating SMEs were selected based on the following eligibility criteria:Small and medium-sized businesses with 5 to 100 employeesAssets from UGX 10 to 360 m illionCompanies involved in iron and steel sector activities\, including m ining\, steel fabrication &\; metal works\, machinery components\, weld ing\, machining\, &\; metal processing\, recovering\, remanufacturing & amp\; recycling\, industrial maintenance &\; metal servicesInterested/e ngaged in cross-border trade (EAC or under the AfCFTA)Committed to attend all sessions.<\;p>\;Micro\, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) form the backbone of Uganda’s private sector\, representing around 90 p er cent of businesses and generating a large share of manufacturing output and employment. Despite their economic importance\, most MSMEs remain con centrated in domestic markets and face persistent constraints in accessing regional trade opportunities. Key challenges include limited access to fi nance\, high logistics and trade costs\, regulatory barriers\, and gaps in technical\, managerial\, and digital capabilities. These factors continue to limit SME participation in regional and global value chains.<\;/p> \;<\;p>\;UN Trade and Development\, through the project “Enhancing t he capacity of African vulnerable countries in adopting policy incentives and innovative instruments for SMEs’ participation in regional value cha ins”\, conducted an impact study assessing opportunities and constraints for Ugandan SMEs in integrating into regional value chains. The findings of the study were presented and discussed during a national validation wor kshop held in Kampala on 16–17 June 2025\, which brought together repres entatives from government institutions\, the private sector\, academia\, d evelopment partners and UN agencies to review the study’s results and id entify policy priorities for strengthening SME participation in regional t rade and industrial development.<\;/p>\;<\;p>\;In this context\, U NCTAD\, in collaboration with the Ministry of Trade\, Industry and Coopera tives of Uganda\, the Resident Coordinator’s Office in Uganda\, and the Enterprise Uganda\, delivers a training workshop for Uganda SMEs in the ir on and steel sectors. The training aims to strengthen the capacity of up t o 20 small businesses all over Uganda to support their integration into re gional and continental value chains.<\;/p>\;<\;p>\;Key objectives of the workshop include:<\;/p>\;<\;ul>\;<\;li data-list-item-id= "\;e7e9688bc01edd82fe0ea6c78aabc7518\n\nView meeting on unctad.org\nht tps://unctad.org/meeting/local-production-regional-value-chains-capacity-b uilding-workshop-uganda-smes-iron-and DTSTAMP:20260710T144058Z END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:6a51047aed975 DTSTART:20260528T060000Z SEQUENCE:0 TRANSP:OPAQUE DTEND:20260528T150000Z LOCATION:Kampala\, Uganda SUMMARY:From local production to regional value chains: Capacity-building w orkshop for Uganda SMEs in the iron and steel sector CLASS:PUBLIC DESCRIPTION:Micro\, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) form the bac kbone of Uganda’s private sector\, representing around 90 per cent of bu sinesses and generating a large share of manufacturing output and employme nt. Despite their economic importance\, most MSMEs remain concentrated in domestic markets and face persistent constraints in accessing regional tra de opportunities. Key challenges include limited access to finance\, high logistics and trade costs\, regulatory barriers\, and gaps in technical\, managerial\, and digital capabilities. These factors continue to limit SME participation in regional and global value chains.UN Trade and Developmen t\, through the project “Enhancing the capacity of African vulnerable co untries in adopting policy incentives and innovative instruments for SMEs ’ participation in regional value chains”\, conducted an impact study assessing opportunities and constraints for Ugandan SMEs in integrating in to regional value chains. The findings of the study were presented and dis cussed during a national validation workshop held in Kampala on 16–17 Ju ne 2025\, which brought together representatives from government instituti ons\, the private sector\, academia\, development partners and UN agencies to review the study’s results and identify policy priorities for streng thening SME participation in regional trade and industrial development.In this context\, UNCTAD\, in collaboration with the Ministry of Trade\, Indu stry and Cooperatives of Uganda\, the Resident Coordinator’s Office in U ganda\, and the Enterprise Uganda\, delivers a training workshop for Ugand a SMEs in the iron and steel sectors. The training aims to strengthen the capacity of up to 20 small businesses all over Uganda to support their int egration into regional and continental value chains.Key objectives of the workshop include:Strengthen entrepreneurial competencies through the EMPRE TEC methodology\;Improve SMEs’ understanding of regional value chains in the EAC and AfCFTA frameworks\;Strengthen technical capacities related to standards\, certification\, and quality compliance\;Improve SMEs’ acces s to finance and investment readiness\;Promote institutional support mecha nisms and industrial support services for SMEs.Participants will also bene fit from post-training coaching and networking opportunities.Participating SMEs were selected based on the following eligibility criteria:Small and medium-sized businesses with 5 to 100 employeesAssets from UGX 10 to 360 m illionCompanies involved in iron and steel sector activities\, including m ining\, steel fabrication &\; metal works\, machinery components\, weld ing\, machining\, &\; metal processing\, recovering\, remanufacturing & amp\; recycling\, industrial maintenance &\; metal servicesInterested/e ngaged in cross-border trade (EAC or under the AfCFTA)Committed to attend all sessions.<\;p>\;Micro\, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) form the backbone of Uganda’s private sector\, representing around 90 p er cent of businesses and generating a large share of manufacturing output and employment. Despite their economic importance\, most MSMEs remain con centrated in domestic markets and face persistent constraints in accessing regional trade opportunities. Key challenges include limited access to fi nance\, high logistics and trade costs\, regulatory barriers\, and gaps in technical\, managerial\, and digital capabilities. These factors continue to limit SME participation in regional and global value chains.<\;/p> \;<\;p>\;UN Trade and Development\, through the project “Enhancing t he capacity of African vulnerable countries in adopting policy incentives and innovative instruments for SMEs’ participation in regional value cha ins”\, conducted an impact study assessing opportunities and constraints for Ugandan SMEs in integrating into regional value chains. The findings of the study were presented and discussed during a national validation wor kshop held in Kampala on 16–17 June 2025\, which brought together repres entatives from government institutions\, the private sector\, academia\, d evelopment partners and UN agencies to review the study’s results and id entify policy priorities for strengthening SME participation in regional t rade and industrial development.<\;/p>\;<\;p>\;In this context\, U NCTAD\, in collaboration with the Ministry of Trade\, Industry and Coopera tives of Uganda\, the Resident Coordinator’s Office in Uganda\, and the Enterprise Uganda\, delivers a training workshop for Uganda SMEs in the ir on and steel sectors. The training aims to strengthen the capacity of up t o 20 small businesses all over Uganda to support their integration into re gional and continental value chains.<\;/p>\;<\;p>\;Key objectives of the workshop include:<\;/p>\;<\;ul>\;<\;li data-list-item-id= "\;e7e9688bc01edd82fe0ea6c78aabc7518\n\nView meeting on unctad.org\nht tps://unctad.org/meeting/local-production-regional-value-chains-capacity-b uilding-workshop-uganda-smes-iron-and DTSTAMP:20260710T144058Z END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:6a51047aed97b DTSTART:20260529T060000Z SEQUENCE:0 TRANSP:OPAQUE DTEND:20260529T150000Z LOCATION:Kampala\, Uganda SUMMARY:From local production to regional value chains: Capacity-building w orkshop for Uganda SMEs in the iron and steel sector CLASS:PUBLIC DESCRIPTION:Micro\, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) form the bac kbone of Uganda’s private sector\, representing around 90 per cent of bu sinesses and generating a large share of manufacturing output and employme nt. Despite their economic importance\, most MSMEs remain concentrated in domestic markets and face persistent constraints in accessing regional tra de opportunities. Key challenges include limited access to finance\, high logistics and trade costs\, regulatory barriers\, and gaps in technical\, managerial\, and digital capabilities. These factors continue to limit SME participation in regional and global value chains.UN Trade and Developmen t\, through the project “Enhancing the capacity of African vulnerable co untries in adopting policy incentives and innovative instruments for SMEs ’ participation in regional value chains”\, conducted an impact study assessing opportunities and constraints for Ugandan SMEs in integrating in to regional value chains. The findings of the study were presented and dis cussed during a national validation workshop held in Kampala on 16–17 Ju ne 2025\, which brought together representatives from government instituti ons\, the private sector\, academia\, development partners and UN agencies to review the study’s results and identify policy priorities for streng thening SME participation in regional trade and industrial development.In this context\, UNCTAD\, in collaboration with the Ministry of Trade\, Indu stry and Cooperatives of Uganda\, the Resident Coordinator’s Office in U ganda\, and the Enterprise Uganda\, delivers a training workshop for Ugand a SMEs in the iron and steel sectors. The training aims to strengthen the capacity of up to 20 small businesses all over Uganda to support their int egration into regional and continental value chains.Key objectives of the workshop include:Strengthen entrepreneurial competencies through the EMPRE TEC methodology\;Improve SMEs’ understanding of regional value chains in the EAC and AfCFTA frameworks\;Strengthen technical capacities related to standards\, certification\, and quality compliance\;Improve SMEs’ acces s to finance and investment readiness\;Promote institutional support mecha nisms and industrial support services for SMEs.Participants will also bene fit from post-training coaching and networking opportunities.Participating SMEs were selected based on the following eligibility criteria:Small and medium-sized businesses with 5 to 100 employeesAssets from UGX 10 to 360 m illionCompanies involved in iron and steel sector activities\, including m ining\, steel fabrication &\; metal works\, machinery components\, weld ing\, machining\, &\; metal processing\, recovering\, remanufacturing & amp\; recycling\, industrial maintenance &\; metal servicesInterested/e ngaged in cross-border trade (EAC or under the AfCFTA)Committed to attend all sessions.<\;p>\;Micro\, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) form the backbone of Uganda’s private sector\, representing around 90 p er cent of businesses and generating a large share of manufacturing output and employment. Despite their economic importance\, most MSMEs remain con centrated in domestic markets and face persistent constraints in accessing regional trade opportunities. Key challenges include limited access to fi nance\, high logistics and trade costs\, regulatory barriers\, and gaps in technical\, managerial\, and digital capabilities. These factors continue to limit SME participation in regional and global value chains.<\;/p> \;<\;p>\;UN Trade and Development\, through the project “Enhancing t he capacity of African vulnerable countries in adopting policy incentives and innovative instruments for SMEs’ participation in regional value cha ins”\, conducted an impact study assessing opportunities and constraints for Ugandan SMEs in integrating into regional value chains. The findings of the study were presented and discussed during a national validation wor kshop held in Kampala on 16–17 June 2025\, which brought together repres entatives from government institutions\, the private sector\, academia\, d evelopment partners and UN agencies to review the study’s results and id entify policy priorities for strengthening SME participation in regional t rade and industrial development.<\;/p>\;<\;p>\;In this context\, U NCTAD\, in collaboration with the Ministry of Trade\, Industry and Coopera tives of Uganda\, the Resident Coordinator’s Office in Uganda\, and the Enterprise Uganda\, delivers a training workshop for Uganda SMEs in the ir on and steel sectors. The training aims to strengthen the capacity of up t o 20 small businesses all over Uganda to support their integration into re gional and continental value chains.<\;/p>\;<\;p>\;Key objectives of the workshop include:<\;/p>\;<\;ul>\;<\;li data-list-item-id= "\;e7e9688bc01edd82fe0ea6c78aabc7518\n\nView meeting on unctad.org\nht tps://unctad.org/meeting/local-production-regional-value-chains-capacity-b uilding-workshop-uganda-smes-iron-and DTSTAMP:20260710T144058Z END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR