Study Overview
This project evaluates the scale-up of Skills for Effective Entrepreneurship Development (SEED) through a randomized controlled trial involving more than 8,000 Ugandan youth. SEED is an intensive three-week residential “mini-MBA” that combines business, entrepreneurship, and broader skills training and was first evaluated experimentally in Uganda in 2013. The new study will test whether the program retains its effectiveness when implemented at scale and estimate the incremental value of supplementing the core curriculum with a digital business skills module and a generative AI tool. The SEED-tailored, AI-powered virtual tutor will support participants during training and remain available as they launch and develop their businesses. The trial will generate rigorous evidence on the scalability of a previously tested youth entrepreneurship program and on whether sustained access to AI-enabled guidance can strengthen business practices, productivity, entrepreneurship, and economic opportunities among young people.
Populations: Small and medium enterprises (SME)
IBSI Initiative or Center: Lab for Inclusive FinTech (LIFT)