The Investment for Industrial Transformation and Employment (INVITE) is a Government of Uganda (GoU) project financed by the World Bank and other development partners including the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Sweden through a Multi-Donor Trust Fund (MDTF) Grant.

The Project seeks to support private sector investment and employment in the manufacturing and exporting sectors and to support new economic opportunities including in refugee and hosting communities.

The Project is being implemented by the INVITE Trust (MoFPED and BoU-Trustees) and PSFU and, comprises four components:

• Component 1: Supporting Manufacturing and Exporting Sectors Driving Economic Transformation, including Refugee and Hosting Districts;
• Component 2: Creating New Product and Transformative Assets including in Refugee and Host Districts;
• Component 3: Enhancing Capabilities in Public Institutions and Private Firms and;
• Component 4: Implementation Support, Monitoring, and Evaluation.

The INVITE project aims to create Private Sector Manufacturing jobs and increase incomes across Uganda by supporting firms and will operate a range of products, including

• Developing Exporting Firm Capabilities;
• Investment in Refugee and Host District Supply Chains;
• Partial Credit Guarantee for Business Loans;
• Long-term Flexible Loans in Uganda Shillings;
• Cost-sharing of Loan Extensions;
• Loan Interest Discount and;
• Accelerated Invoice Payments.

The INVITE is strategically aligned to the NDP IV priorities, especially Private Sector Development, it is also aligned to the National Strategy for Private Sector Development (NSPSD), and the 2025 – 2030 Strategic Plan of the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development.

The INVITE Project is enhancing Uganda’s strategic framework for economic transformation as it complements the four primary pillars—Agro-industrialization, Tourism development, Mineral-based industrialization, and Science (ATMS). INVITE provides practical support to firms in the Private Sector through financing, training, and Business Development Services (BDS). This enables agriculture, tourism, minerals, and science to translate into jobs, exports, and industrial transformation, which support the 2040 ten-fold growth strategy to grow the national economy from approximately US$50 billion in FY2023/24 to US$500 billion by that time.

The project will generate 200,000 new jobs, extend the loan period for 5,300 SMEs, Soft loans to over 200,000 existing MSMEs -Export credit and other support to medium to large industries -TA via Grants from a Multi Donor Trust Fund – US$18 million.