Govt hails CRDB, UDSM partnership

DAR ES SALAAM: THE government has commended the partnership between the CRDB Bank Foundation and the University of Dar es Salaam for its role in empowering scholars and advancing innovation-driven entrepreneurship across the country.

Minister for Education, Science and Technology, Prof Adolf Mkenda, described the collaboration yesterday during the launch of the IMBEJU– UDSM Startup Challenge 2026, as a model for bridging the gap between academic knowledge and real-world application.

“This partnership reflects the direction we want to take as a nation where universities nurture not only knowledge, but also innovation, entrepreneurship and practical skills that translate into economic value,” said Prof Mkenda.

The IMBEJU–UDSM Startup Challenge is a joint initiative designed to support students and graduates in transforming academic projects, research and innovative ideas into viable businesses.

Through the IMBEJU– UDSM Startup Challenge, over 1,000 projects are expected to be identified and supported, marking a major shift toward turning academic research into practical solutions and sustainable businesses.

Managing Director of CRDB Bank Foundation, TullyEsther Mwambapa highlighted the Foundation’s commitment to working closely with the government to drive inclusive economic transformation.

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“By providing affordable seed capital and facilitating innovation support, we are not just funding businesses, but also, we are building a strong foundation for the country’s future economy,” she said.

Since its establishment in 2023, CRDB Bank Foundation has empowered more than 1.75 million women and youth entrepreneurs and disbursed over 21bn/- to support enterprise growth across sectors.

The Director General of the Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH), Dr Amos Nungu, emphasised the importance of transforming research into enterprises.

“This initiative is a pipeline for building bankable startups grounded in science, technology and innovation. It directly addresses the longstanding gap between research and commercialisation,” he said.

Vice-Chancellor of the University of Dar es Salaam Prof William Anangisye, said he is pleased to see a journey that began as a dream now becoming a reality.

“For a long time, we lacked a partner to help transform our ideas and research outputs into market-ready products, but now we have found a reliable ally, the CRDB Bank Foundation,”said Prof Anangisye.