Open Space Uganda

What Open Space Uganda does

Open Space Uganda is a non-partisan, not-for-profit youth development organization headquartered in Kampala, Uganda, founded in January 2009. It targets Ugandan youth aged 15-29 and operates a portfolio of nationally branded programs spanning competitive debate, leadership skills, civic engagement, volunteerism, philanthropy, peacebuilding, and Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) localization. Core named programs include the Annual National Youth Festival (ANYF, running since 2011), the Multi-Year Peace Plan (MYPP), the National English Youth Summit (NEYS), the Uganda Debate Network (UDN), the National Youth Leadership Development (NYLD) initiative, the Philanthropy for Development stream, the Youth Debate Support Program, and the Localizing SDGs work. Service delivery combines in-person training, national tournaments, summits, and the Nile Explorer Bus — a mobile debate platform that extends programming into Uganda's Central, Western, Eastern, and Northern regions.

The organization's product surface is program- and event-centric rather than technology-centric. There is no proprietary software product, no platform-as-a-service offering, and no recurrent digital subscription; the Nile Explorer Bus is a physical distribution asset, and the new Green Eco-lab and SDG Game Day function as thematic program lines. Technical dependencies are limited to standard non-profit administrative tooling (events, M&E, grant reporting) and communications channels for outreach.

Open Space Uganda's business model is project-based grant funding. Revenue is sourced from international institutional donors — US Mission Uganda, USAID/PEPFAR, UKAID, the British High Commission, the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), and Crossing Borders Denmark — alongside domestic civil-society partners such as Action Aid Uganda, the Uganda National NGO Forum, the Centre for Basic Research, and the Vice Versa Initiative. Programs are delivered at no fee to beneficiaries. The organization operates with a lean paid staff (approximately 7 employees per firmographic data) supplemented by volunteers, trainers, and board members, which constrains operating leverage and makes the model sensitive to annual grant cycles and donor strategy shifts.

Name

Open Space Uganda

Legal name

Open Space Centre

Website

https://openspaceyouth.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Open Space Uganda is a Kampala-based non-profit founded in 2009 serving Ugandan youth aged 15-29 through debate, leadership, civic engagement, philanthropy, peacebuilding, and SDG localization programs, funded primarily by international institutional donors and delivered across four Ugandan regions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Development and Civic Engagement Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Leadership, Debate & Model UN Camps (EDAMALAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Community Center Education Programs (EDAAAFAB)

Keywords

• Youth development programs
• Debate education
• Civic engagement
• Leadership training
• Community philanthropy

Headquarters

HQ city

Kampala

HQ country

Uganda

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding and Donor Support: Open Space Centre operates primarily through grant funding from international development partners, embassies, and NGOs. Funding sources include US Mission Uganda, USAID, UKAID, British High Commission, National Endowment for Democracy, and various implementing partners for specific programs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Open Space Centre is a non-partisan, not-for-profit youth agency that delivers a portfolio of youth development programs for young people aged 15-29 in Uganda. Its offerings combine debate education, leadership training, civic engagement, mobile STEM/health outreach, and community philanthropy through flagship programs such as the Meaningful Youth Participation Program, Nile Explorer Bus, University Debate Nationals, and the Annual National Youth Festival. All programs are delivered free of charge to youth participants and funded through grants from international development partners.

Product overview

Open Space Centre (Open Space Uganda) operates as a non-partisan, not-for-profit youth agency focused on broadening space and opportunities for young people (ages 15-29) to unlock their full potential. Founded in 2009, the organization offers a portfolio of interconnected youth development programs rather than a unified technology product. The core programs include the Meaningful Youth Participation Program (MYPP) for governance engagement, the Nile Explorer Bus Program for mobile STEM/health education, Youth Debate Support Program and University Debate Nationals for leadership skills through competitive debating, Philanthropy for Development for community engagement, and the Annual National Youth Festival as a national platform. These programs collectively address youth civic participation, skills development, and advocacy through debate, leadership training, and community mobilization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Nile Explorer Bus: A mobile programming platform implemented in partnership with the U.S. Department of State through the U.S. Embassy in Uganda, providing STEM education and health awareness to students in schools across Uganda.
• Meaningful Youth Participation Program (MYPP)
• Annual National Youth Festival (ANYF)
• University Debate Nationals (UDN)

Products and services

• Meaningful Youth Participation Program (MYPP)

Quantifiable outcome

• 6,578+ youth reached annually through various programs
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Uganda National NGO ForumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term partner since 2020 for the Philanthropy for Development Program. Together implemented the Give for Good Campaign, fireplace conversations, and three National Philanthropy Symposiums. Partnership aims to transform development through local giving and recognizing domestic resources.
• National Youth CouncilmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment youth body that partnered with Open Space to host the Africa Youth Day National Symposium in 2021.
• Action Aid UgandamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founded the National Youth Leadership Dialogue (NYLD) with Open Space Centre in April 2016. NYLD serves as a pivotal post-election platform for elected youth leaders, youth engaged in political parties, and youth activists.
• Vice Versa Initiative UgandaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with Open Space Centre to convene a multistakeholder engagement at Kyambogo University on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) in August 2024.
• Centre for Basic ResearchmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner collaborating on examining youth participation in Uganda's elections under the Strengthening Youth Civic Participation Project.
• Nabweru Sports ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal partner that co-hosted the SDG Game Day event at Nabweru Playground to engage youth through sports in sustainable development conversations.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Restless Development: UK-headquartered youth-led development agency running leadership, civic participation, and debate-style programs across Africa and Asia; directly comparable in mission (youth empowerment, civic engagement) and donor base (UKAID, FCDO-linked).
• Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO): International development volunteering and youth civic participation organization funded largely by UKAID/FCDO and EU; comparable mission (active citizenship, youth leadership) and donor profile to Open Space.
• ActionAid Uganda: Uganda country office of a global anti-poverty federation, co-founding partner of Open Space's NYLD; comparable in focus on youth governance, women's rights, and grant-funded program delivery in Uganda.

Broad incumbents

• UNICEF Uganda: UN agency delivering youth, education, and civic engagement programming in Uganda; comparable as the largest incumbent funder/implementer of youth-focused development programs in the country.
• BRAC Uganda: Country affiliate of one of the largest development NGOs globally; operates multi-sector youth, education, and livelihoods programs in Uganda with similar bilateral/institutional donor mix and 17+ year operating horizon.
• Plan International Uganda: National office of a major child- and youth-rights ING0, running civic participation, leadership, and SRHR programs for adolescents in Uganda; comparable on donor mix and target cohort.

Emerging players

• African Leadership Academy: Pan-African tertiary-focused institution selecting and developing high-potential young leaders, including through debate and public-policy engagement; comparable to Open Space's UDN as a university-stage leadership/debate platform.
• Akina Mama wa Afrika (AMwA): Uganda/East Africa feminist leadership development organization with comparable cohort (young leaders 15-29), grant-funded model, and donor mix anchored in Western development partners.

Regional players

• CEEPA Uganda (Citizens' Election Observers Network): Uganda civic-society election observation consortium involving many of the same donor partners (US/UK, NED); comparable as a domestic NGO platform convening youth in governance and election processes.
• Reproductive Health Uganda (IPPF affiliate): Largest Ugandan provider of SRHR and youth-friendly services, frequently collaborating with Open Space on youth programming (see NEYS/SDG work); comparable as a Uganda-focused nonprofit delivering adolescent programming to overlapping youth segments.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/OpenSpaceUganda
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/open-space-uganda

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Open Space Uganda