Introduction

The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) through the Uganda Communications Universal Service Access Fund (UCSAF), has launched a call for proposals to establish a collaboration with capable partners for the implementation of basic digital skills to rural underserved and underserved communities targeting locations where household tablet devices have been distributed.

The collaboration is targeting digital literacy for at least 3,000 youths, women, men and all beneficiaries that benefited from the UCSAF tablet devices distribution project in the 30 selected districts with at least 100 trained beneficiaries from each of the 30 earmarked districts.

The priority for these districts was based on the 2024 National Population and Housing Census report that indicates that apart from the 1.5 million Ugandans that received digital skills training thus contributing to increased employability, entrepreneurship, and the effective use of digital technologies across various sectors, significant gaps still remain in ensuring equitable access to digital skills, particularly among rural and underserved communities.

In the 2026/2027 Financial Year budget, the Commission under the UCSAF, in line with the Fund’s Strategy (2023/24/2027/28), allocated resources to be utilised under a collaborative grant framework between the Commission/ UCSAF and suitable partners to implement basic digital skills to rural underserved and underserved communities targeting locations where household tablet devices have been distributed.

General Objectives

The general objective of this project is to equip individuals in underserved and underserved rural communities with foundational and practical digital skills that unlock access to education, employment, entrepreneurship and essential public services.

Eligibility of Applicants

Eligible applicants (lead and co-applicants in consortia) must:

1. Applicants must be not-for-profit entities; in a consortium, the lead applicant must be a not-for-profit organization.
2. Lead applicants and all co-applicants must be legally registered and established in Uganda.
3. Consortium members must jointly sign the Grant Agreement and share responsibility for project implementation, compliance, deliverables, and reporting.
4. Lead and co-applicants must demonstrate sound financial health and adequate systems to manage the project and meet UCSAF reporting requirements.
5. Lead and co-applicants must be willing to implement the project in underserved and underserved communities across Uganda.
6. Consortium applicants must provide a legally binding agreement demonstrating their working relationship.
7. At least one consortium member (lead or co-applicant) must provide evidence of a minimum of two years’ experience in digital literacy training.
8. Lead and co-applicants must demonstrate experience implementing similar large-scale initiatives, particularly in rural communities.
9. Lead and co-applicants must present a clear sustainability plan, including the ability to mobilize additional resources or partnerships beyond the grant period.
10. Each applicant may submit only one proposal covering up to 15 districts within a single Lot, in line with the prescribed district groupings in Annex 3.

Application Timeline

Application period: August 10 - 21, 2026
Pre-Grant application meeting: Monday, August 17 at 10:00am (online).

Registration link:

https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/3962773555927037?p=BABW-tXF42rKIQ3NANT

Detailed statement of requirements: https://shorturl.at/dDW9C

For inquiries, contact: Telephone +256 414 339 000 / +256 312 339 000

Email ucsaf@ucc.co.ug

All applications must be submitted online via: https://eservices.ucc.co.ug/web/login#action=658&model=grant.application&view_type=list&menu_id=309 by 05:00pm, Friday, August 21, 2026.