Stanbic Bank Uganda has announced the 12 regional finalists advancing to the national stage of the Stanbic National Schools Championship, with the grand finale set for August this year.
The finalists were selected following a five-day boot camp hosted at Gayaza High School, where more than 200 schools competed for a share of the Shs150 million prize fund and a fully sponsored educational trip to South Africa.
The finalists from Northern Uganda are Lira Town College, Comboni College, and Cotn Marani Honors High School. Eastern Uganda will be represented by Iganga S.S, Ngora High School, and Kakira S.S.
From Western Uganda, the finalists are St. Thereza Girls S.S, Sedes Sapientiae Academiae S.S, and Kyebambe Girls S.S, while Central Uganda will be represented by Aga Khan High School, St. Kizito High School Namugongo, and Bishop Dunstan Nsubuga S.S Kalangala.
The selected schools will receive seed capital to further refine and develop their business ideas ahead of the next appraisal phase, which will determine the overall winners during the national finale.
This year’s competition attracted nearly 1,000 applications from secondary and vocational institutions across Uganda, reflecting growing interest among young people in entrepreneurship, innovation, and problem-solving.
Out of the applicants, 201 schools were shortlisted for the boot camp, where students and teachers underwent training in psychosocial and stress management, personal financial management, branding, packaging, sales and marketing, and business pitching.
Following the initial elimination stage, 52 schools advanced to present their ideas before a panel of judges, with three schools from each region ultimately qualifying for the finals.
The 11th edition of the competition is being held under the theme “Powering Innovation for Job Creation” and the 2026 tagline “Flex Your Genius.”
Projects showcased during the competition span sectors such as agriculture, ICT, health, and manufacturing, highlighting the diversity of innovation emerging among Uganda’s youth.
Lydia Lynn Amarorwot from Mentor Secondary School Lira said the programme had strengthened her entrepreneurial and presentation abilities.
“I have made friends and gained valuable skills, especially in developing a business model canvas, creating a business plan, and learning how to pitch before judges. I hope to go all the way to the grand finale,” she said.
All semi-finalist schools received seed capital totaling Shs15 million to support project development.
Susan Nakayi Kasandakawu, Principal Education Officer at the Ministry of Education and Sports, praised the initiative for complementing Uganda’s competence-based curriculum reforms.
“The creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking demonstrated by the students are exactly what the new curriculum seeks to promote,” she said.
She added that the championship is equipping learners with practical skills required in today’s job market and commended Stanbic Bank for ensuring participation from learners across all regions of the country.
Diana Ondoga encouraged participants to remain resilient regardless of the outcome of the competition.
“Regardless of today’s outcome, look back at where you started and how far you have come. You are all winners and champions,” she said.
She urged students to persist with their ideas, noting that many successful businesses are built by individuals who overcame repeated setbacks.
