Research Questions:
- What is the socioeconomic impact of the business incubator on youth participants (students, alumni, out-of-school youth)?
- What is the survival rate and growth trajectory of agribusiness ventures founded by incubator participants over 1-3 years?
- How effective is the mentorship, technical assistance, and financial linkage provided through the incubator in building sustainable agribusinesses?
Methods:
- Mixed-methods:
- Quantitative: Survey incubator participants (baseline and follow-up) on income, business revenue, employment, production volumes, market access.
- Qualitative: In-depth interviews or focus group discussions with participants about challenges, benefits, mentorship experiences, and barriers.
- Case studies: Select a few enterprises for detailed business case analysis (business model, value chain, growth strategy).
Implications:
- Understand what works (or doesn’t) in university-based agripreneur support.
- Inform improvements to the incubator design (e.g., more tailored mentorship, better funding mechanisms).
- Provide evidence for scaling up or replicating the incubator model in other universities or counties.