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The Teso Youth Forum (TYF) is TEDA’s flagship annual summit and one of Uganda’s leading platforms for youth leadership, civic engagement, innovation, entrepreneurship, and regional development. Each year, the Forum convenes young leaders, government officials, Members of Parliament, cultural institutions, development partners, civil society, academia, investors, entrepreneurs, and the private sector to explore solutions to the region’s most pressing challenges and unlock opportunities for sustainable growth.
More than a conference, the Teso Youth Forum is a catalyst for action. It connects ideas with investment, leadership with opportunity, and dialogue with measurable impact. Through meaningful conversations and strategic partnerships, the Forum empowers young people to influence policy, strengthen democratic participation, accelerate enterprise development, and shape the future of Eastern Uganda.
Our Strategic Pillars
- Youth Dialogue & Civic Engagement – Creating inclusive platforms where young people engage directly with decision-makers, influence public policy, and contribute to democratic governance.
- Leadership & Governance – Inspiring ethical, accountable, and transformational leadership for the next generation.
- Innovation & Entrepreneurship – Showcasing youth-led innovations, startups, and business solutions that drive economic transformation.
- Investment & Opportunity – Connecting young people with employers, investors, development partners, scholarship providers, and enterprise support programmes.
- Regional Development – Promoting collaborative solutions that advance education, health, climate resilience, employment, digital transformation, and inclusive economic growth.
Why Attend?
- Engage with influential national, regional, and international leaders.
- Participate in high-level policy dialogues and governance conversations.
- Build strategic partnerships across government, business, academia, and civil society.
- Discover funding, investment, scholarships, internships, and career opportunities.
- Showcase your innovation, enterprise, research, or community initiative.
- Learn from globally respected speakers, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and changemakers.
- Expand your professional network and become part of a growing regional movement for transformation.
What to Expect
- Visionary keynote addresses
- Ministerial and parliamentary dialogues
- Youth policy forums and governance conversations
- Entrepreneurship and innovation showcases
- Startup exhibitions and business networking
- Leadership and career development masterclasses
- Investment and partnership sessions
- Research and policy presentations
- Cultural performances and regional heritage celebrations
- Recognition of outstanding young leaders and innovators
Who Should Attend?
The Forum welcomes students, young professionals, entrepreneurs, innovators, researchers, youth organizations, community leaders, educators, government institutions, Members of Parliament, local governments, cultural institutions, development partners, corporate organizations, financial institutions, foundations, investors, media, and everyone committed to advancing youth leadership and sustainable development.
Partner With the Teso Youth Forum
The Teso Youth Forum offers a unique platform for organizations seeking to invest in youth leadership, innovation, enterprise, and regional development.
Whether you are a development partner, corporate organization, foundation, university, financial institution, investor, media house, or government agency, your partnership helps expand opportunities for thousands of young people while strengthening inclusive and sustainable development across Eastern Uganda.
Partnership Opportunities
- Strategic Partners
- Corporate Sponsors
- Development Partners
- Knowledge & Research Partners
- Innovation & Technology Partners
- Youth Employment Partners
- Scholarship & Education Partners
- Media & Visibility Partners
- Exhibition & Startup Partners
- Community Impact Partners
Together, we can build a stronger ecosystem where leadership, innovation, investment, and opportunity drive lasting regional transformation.
Become a Sponsor
By sponsoring the Teso Youth Forum, your organization will:
- Position its brand alongside one of Eastern Uganda’s premier youth and development summits.
- Engage directly with emerging leaders, entrepreneurs, innovators, policymakers, and future professionals.
- Demonstrate commitment to youth empowerment, innovation, education, entrepreneurship, and sustainable development.
- Build meaningful relationships with government, civil society, academia, development agencies, and the private sector.
- Contribute to measurable social and economic impact while advancing your Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) commitments.
Be Part of the Movement
The future of Eastern Uganda will be shaped by bold ideas, courageous leadership, and meaningful collaboration.
Whether you are attending as a participant, exhibiting your innovation, investing in young entrepreneurs, sponsoring the Forum, or partnering to deliver lasting impact, the Teso Youth Forum is where leadership meets opportunity and ideas become action.
Join us at the next Teso Youth Forum—and help shape the future of Eastern Uganda.
2026
Teso Youth Forum 2026 Highlights
The inaugural Teso Youth Forum brought together young people, leaders, policymakers and development actors from Teso and Bukedi at the Iteso Cultural Union offices in Soroti.
Held under the theme, From Certificates to Impact: Bridging Youth Potential, Innovation and Governance,” the forum created a platform for honest, youth-led discussion about the challenges and opportunities shaping the region.
What happened at the forum
Participants examined the gap between education and employment and discussed how young people can transform their qualifications, talents and ideas into meaningful economic and social opportunities.
The discussions focused on:
Youth employment, entrepreneurship and skills development.
Innovation as a driver of regional development.
Youth participation in governance and decision-making.
Accountability and stronger engagement between young people and their leaders.
Practical, locally driven responses to challenges affecting Teso and Bukedi.
Unlike a conventional conference built around speeches, the forum encouraged young people to contribute ideas, question leaders and participate in developing possible solutions.
A platform for youth voices
One of the forum’s important moments was the presentation of the Teso Elites Development Association Statement 2026. The statement brought together concerns and recommendations raised by young people for the attention of regional leaders, policymakers and development partners.
The forum demonstrated that young people in Teso and Bukedi are not simply beneficiaries of development. They have ideas, experiences and solutions that should shape decisions affecting their communities.
Building beyond one event
The 2026 forum laid the foundation for continued dialogue, youth-led advocacy and collaboration among young people, public institutions, civil society, the private sector and development partners.
It also revealed the need for a larger and more inclusive platform capable of turning youth conversations into practical programmes, partnerships and measurable results.
Photo moments
Looking Ahead to 2027
Building on the foundation established in 2026, the Teso Youth Forum 2027 will expand opportunities for young people to participate, learn, develop solutions and connect with institutions capable of supporting their ideas.
The next forum will move the initiative from conversation towards stronger collaboration and action. It will provide an important opportunity for donors, government institutions, businesses and development organisations to invest in the talent, leadership and future of young people across Teso and Bukedi.
2027
Teso Youth Forum 2027
Turning Youth Potential into Regional Progress
Following the foundation established in 2026, the Teso Elites Development Association invites young people, leaders, institutions and development partners to the Teso Youth Forum 2027.
Date: Friday, 23 July 2027
Participation fee: UGX 50,000
Indicative equivalent: Approximately USD 13 or KES 1,710
Venue: To be announced(expect to be in Bukedi sub region/Kampala)
Foreign-currency amounts are estimates based on current exchange rates and may be adjusted at the time of payment.
Why Attend?
The Teso Youth Forum is a meeting place for ideas, opportunities and partnerships. It gives young people from Teso and Bukedi an opportunity to:
- Engage directly with leaders and decision-makers.
- Build leadership, communication and career skills.
- Meet entrepreneurs, professionals and fellow changemakers.
- Present innovations, research and community initiatives.
- Explore education, employment, enterprise and partnership opportunities.
- Contribute ideas on the future of Teso, Bukedi and Eastern Uganda.
- Build networks that can continue beyond the forum.
What to Expect
The 2027 programme is expected to feature:
- Youth leadership and governance conversations.
- Entrepreneurship and innovation showcases.
- Career and skills-development sessions.
- Policy dialogue with leaders and institutions.
- Discussions on technology and the future of work.
- Climate resilience and sustainable regional development.
- Business, partnership and networking opportunities.
- Cultural and regional heritage activities.
The final programme, speakers and venue will be announced as preparations progress.
Who Can Attend?
Registration is open to:
- Students and young professionals.
- Entrepreneurs and innovators.
- Researchers and educators.
- Youth and community leaders.
- Civil society and cultural institutions.
- Government and local government representatives.
- Businesses, investors and financial institutions.
- Development partners, foundations and well-wishers.
- Anyone committed to youth leadership and regional development.
Partner With Us
The Teso Youth Forum welcomes organisations and individuals interested in supporting youth leadership, innovation, employment and sustainable development in Teso and Bukedi.
Partners and well-wishers can support the forum through sponsorship, scholarships for participants, technical expertise, exhibitions, mentorship, media visibility and other forms of collaboration.
Your support can help remove participation barriers, amplify youth voices and connect promising young people with opportunities that can transform their communities.
Register Your Interest
Be part of a growing platform connecting youth potential with leadership, investment and opportunity.
Participation fee: UGX 50,000
Register for the Teso Youth Forum 2027
Come with your ideas. Build meaningful connections. Help shape the future of Eastern Uganda.
Ready to be part of the movement?
Join young people across the Teso sub region already leading change in education, culture, and community development.