Kampala · Est. 2017
Based in Kampala.
Designing for Africa.
TopUp Academy partners with NGOs, governments, and social enterprises to design and develop impactful programmes, evaluate what works, and scale what matters — across education, digital skills, and enterprise development.
Let's connect
Implement what you can measure
Who we are
TopUp Academy is a Kampala-based social impact consultancy that designs and delivers human-centred solutions across education, digital transformation, and enterprise development. Since 2017, we've partnered with NGOs, governments, and international organisations to solve complex development challenges — from the ground up.
Our work spans Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, and Tanzania. Whether we're facilitating design-thinking workshops in rural communities, building e-learning platforms for public institutions, or conducting impact evaluations for development partners, we bring evidence, empathy, and local expertise to every engagement.
We believe lasting impact happens when users are at the centre, technology is accessible, and solutions are locally owned.
What we do
- 01 Education Technology & Digital Learning
- 02 Human-Centred Design Facilitation
- 03 Research & Impact Evaluation
- 04 M&E Business Process Outsourcing
- 05 Content & Curriculum Development
Our niche
Human-centred design, research & digital learning - built for Africa.
Design isn't just about how it looks. It's how it works, how it feels, and how it moves people. From rapid research to full programme design, we bring human-centred expertise to every engagement.
Education Technology & Digital Learning
Custom LMS course design, IVR and audio-based learning, blended learning programme design and facilitation, curriculum digitisation and instructional design.
Human-Centred Design & Programme Design
Design-thinking facilitation sprints (1–5 days), theory of change development, rapid prototyping and solution testing with end users, innovation curriculum design.
Research, Evaluation & Impact Measurement
Baseline and endline surveys, market and needs assessments, organisational capacity assessments, and M&E business process outsourcing - data collection, field supervision, data cleaning.
Content & Curriculum Development
Training curricula, facilitator guides, digital learning content, and communications materials grounded in adult learning principles - for entrepreneurship, digital literacy, financial education, and teacher training.
Learn online
Our e-learning platforms
Two portals, two audiences - pick the one that fits you.
TopUp Academy e-School
Courses & certifications
Our own catalogue of self-paced courses in digital skills, entrepreneurship, and human-centred design - built for learners across East Africa.
learn.topupacademy.comPartner e-School
Toolkits & resources
A shared workspace and toolkit hub we build and co-brand with partner organisations - programme materials, guides, and training resources.
toolkit.topupacademy.comHow we grow, deliberately
Business Development
Good programmes need a good pipeline behind them. We treat partnerships, proposals, and positioning as their own discipline - not an afterthought bolted onto delivery.
01
Partnerships & Donor Relations
Cultivating and stewarding relationships with donors, government counterparts, and consortium partners - so the next opportunity starts from trust already built.
02
Proposal & Bid Management
End-to-end capture and proposal support - opportunity tracking, technical and cost narrative writing, budgeting, and compliance review before submission.
03
Market Positioning & Intelligence
Tracking donor pipelines and sector trends across East Africa, and shaping how TopUp Academy is positioned against them - so we bid where we're strongest.
04
Client Growth & Account Management
Staying close to existing clients post-award - identifying where a pilot can become a programme, and where a programme can grow into a longer partnership.
Giving back
Community & social enterprise
Over a decade of working in refugee settlements, rural schools, village savings groups, and underserved urban communities has taught us one thing above all else: the people with the least access are often the ones with the most to offer. TopUp Academy's social enterprise work exists to change that equation.
We channel our expertise in digital skills, human-centred design, and entrepreneurship education directly into communities that cannot afford consultancy rates — but whose futures depend on the same quality of thinking.
This is not charity. It is an investment in the ecosystems we all work within.
No excuses, no guesswork
Our HCD process
Tell us your challenge and we will suggest the right approach and solution - in that order, every time.
Discovery & Define
We start with a deep dive into your goals, audience, and what sets you apart. This is where we ask a lot of questions and probably send a few moodboards.
Structure & Strategy
Before jumping into visuals, we map the foundation: programme architecture, user flows, and frameworks - all the parts that make the final solution work.
Design & Iterate
This is where the work happens. We explore directions, build prototypes, and refine based on your feedback until everything fits.
Launch & Support
We test, polish, and go live — and we're here if you need post-launch tweaks, training, or evaluation of what came next.
Behind the work
The team
Anthony Bwengye, CPMP
Team Lead — HCD, Ed-Tech & Curriculum Design
MA Linguistics, BA Ed, PGDs M&E + IT. A human-centred design practitioner, digital transformation specialist, and certified product manager with over a decade of experience across Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, and Tanzania — having led programmes at War Child, Enabel, STIR Education, and the Rwanda Basic Education Board. Fluent in all major East African languages.
Sarah Nassanga
Chief Quantitative Data & Tool Design Expert
MSc Monitoring and Evaluation, BA Development Studies. 8+ years in mixed-methods evaluation, gender-responsive research, and land rights programming, with experience in OECD-DAC evaluations and MSC facilitation. Fluent in English, Luganda, and Runyakitara.
Cindy Muhangi
M&E Expert — Qualitative Data
MSc Public Health, PGD Monitoring and Evaluation. 10+ years in health and gender-sensitive qualitative research, thematic analysis, and participatory evaluation with grassroots women's groups, traditional leaders, and government officials. Fluent in English, Luganda, Lusoga, and Runyankore.
Trusted by
Partners & clients
Want to see what this looks like in action?
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Contact
Whether you're ready to kick off a project, want to collaborate, or just want to say hello - we'd love to hear from you.