Bukavu Agribusiness Incubation Center (BAIC) awarded six groups of students and graduates for their innovative entrepreneurship ideas in agribusiness during a prize-giving ceremony held at Bugabo Campus on Saturday, 9^th September 2023.

BAIC is a hub established at Université Catholique de Bukavu (UCB) in 2018 with the support of the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM). It enables students’ technical and managerial capabilities in the field of entrepreneurship to be strengthened, guides students in the development and implementation of innovative agribusiness initiatives, and facilitates the link between student entrepreneurs, the public and private sectors. It also fosters a strong bond between students and financial providers.

Through the hub’s first two cohorts, 250 students/graduates were trained in entrepreneurship, business plan development and market analysis, and 10 student/graduate businesses have been launched. This has resulted in the creation of 124 jobs and contributes to the reduction of youth unemployment while also triggering socioeconomic development.

The third cohort was composed of 100 students/graduates from which the 6 most innovative businesses were recently supported. Originally intended to support and mentor students from three local institutions (Université Catholique de Bukavu, Université Evangelique en Afrique, Institut Supérieur de Dévelopement Rural) in South Kivu, BAIC is now attracting candidates from a wide range of universities and provinces throughout the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

BAIC is thus actively involved in proposal writing in order to diversify its funding sources and mobilize more funds to allow other groups of students to launch their start-up. BAIC is also considering expanding the number of institutions that benefit from the hub’s activities, as well as the number of funding topics, in order to provide opportunities to a broader range of students/graduates in the Eastern Congo.

BAIC’s 5-year experience confirms that the « seed money » approach works and can spark or stimulate the entrepreneurial spirit in young people. The BAIC framework also promotes mutually beneficial connections between the university, industry, and the community. It is a platform where experience and testimonies are constantly shared between students/graduates, increasing youth interest in entrepreneurship and job creation.

BAIC is proud to have helped student businesses to be independent or receive larger grants from local public and private organizations. BAIC is grateful for RUFORUM’s assistance and welcomes future collaboration.