Abstract

Although incubation is a well-known and accepted strategy for the growth of business start-ups in Uganda, little is known about its extent. What is known is that the majority of the start-ups fail in less than one year. This study explored the role of incubators on the growth of business start-ups in Uganda. The study interviewed managers of the incubation services and business starts-ups on how they received this support. The study is qualitative and respondents were purposively selected. Key informant interviews and focus group discussions were used to capture the perceptions of the services and how the support enabled the enterprises to grow. The findings show that various services were offered to support the growth of business start-ups. The services ranged from the creation of networks to other business development services such as mentorship, coaching, and marketing. The perceptions of the owners of business start-ups were somewhat mixed because while the majority viewed the support as crucial in the growth of their start-ups, a few others said they did not. Thus, a few owners of business start-up viewed incubators as playing a limited role. The findings are pertinent for policy formulation on the role of business start-ups and for streamlining incubation support processes in emerging economies.

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