The story of women’s participation in public procurement in Uganda has long been one of untapped potential. For years, women entrepreneurs stood at the margins of government contracting, limited not by capability but by access, visibility, and opportunity. Today, that narrative is changing steadily, intentionally, and impactfully because of the deliberate efforts of the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Authority (PPDA). This transformation was recently recognized on a national stage when PPDA received the Women Entrepreneurs Advancement Award 2025 from the Uganda Women Entrepreneurs Association Limited (UWEAL) at the 12th Annual Women in Business Achievers Awards held at the Innovation Village, Bugolobi.
This award was not merely an accolade, it was a testament to a deeper shift, one built on policy, partnership, and purpose. PPDA’s journey toward empowering women in public procurement is anchored in the introduction of ground breaking guidelines that support women, youth, and persons with disabilities to access government contracts. These guidelines reserve 15% of the national procurement budget for these groups, ensuring that opportunities which once felt distant are now within reach. In a sector where research once revealed that only 1% of women-owned businesses participated in public procurement, this policy intervention became a catalyst for systemic change.
Beyond policy, PPDA’s approach has been human-centered and collaborative. The Authority has worked consistently with UWEAL and other partners to build the capacity of women entrepreneurs equipping them with knowledge, compliance skills, and confidence to compete in procurement processes. Through trainings, sensitization engagements, and hands-on mentorship, PPDA has opened the doors wider, enabling women to not only participate but also win contracts under the reservation scheme. The results are visible: women-led businesses that had never imagined themselves as government suppliers are now active contributors to the government supply chain.
Michael Abaine, Senior Officer Local Content who received the award on behalf of the Authority, emphasized that this recognition is a direct result of PPDA’s deliberate efforts to uplift women entrepreneurs. He noted that through the reservation scheme and continuous collaboration with UWEAL, many women have already secured government contracts, an achievement that reflects the real impact of PPDA’s guidelines. Abaine added that the award is both an appreciation from UWEAL and a motivation for PPDA to intensify capacity-building, expand registration of women-owned businesses, and continue closing the gender gap in public procurement participation.
This year’s award is therefore a recognition of commitment. PPDA’s commitment to leveling the playing field, to dismantling long-standing barriers, and to ensuring that public procurement becomes a platform for inclusion rather than exclusion. It acknowledges the Authority’s role in identifying the gaps, confronting the statistics, and choosing action over silence.
For PPDA, this recognition is not an endpoint but a renewed call to duty. The Authority continues to register more women-owned businesses, expand sensitization programs, and strengthen the reservation scheme so that even more women can claim their space in public procurement. As the award symbolizes, PPDA’s work is shifting mindsets, shifting numbers, and ultimately shifting lives.
This is the story of progress. Women rising, systems adapting, and opportunities flourishing. And at the heart of it stands PPDA driving inclusion, championing equity, and proving that when women are empowered, procurement becomes not just a process, but a pathway to national development.
By Hannah Blessed
