Government Launches NYOTA AGPO Training to Open Up Ksh300 Billion Tender Opportunities
By Samson Kurgat – Nairobi
The government has launched a free digital training programme targeting more than 600,000 young entrepreneurs, women and persons with disabilities to improve their access to government procurement opportunities estimated at Ksh300 billion annually.
The NYOTA AGPO Digital Training Programme, launched on Wednesday, November 4, is the fourth component of the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) project. It seeks to address barriers that have prevented eligible groups from benefiting fully from the Access to Government Procurement Opportunities (AGPO) programme.
Public Service Principal Secretary Susan Mang’eni said the government has reserved at least 30 per cent of its annual procurement budget for enterprises owned by youth, women and persons with disabilities, in line with the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act, 2015.
With the national budget estimated at Ksh4.8 trillion in the current financial year, the government says procurement opportunities amount to at least Ksh1 trillion, translating to approximately Ksh300 billion reserved for AGPO beneficiaries. However, uptake remains low due to limited awareness, complex application procedures, inadequate business formalisation and limited enterprise readiness.
The free training will run for 10 weeks through five self-paced modules covering business readiness and AGPO certification, tender preparation, government electronic procurement systems, contract execution, procurement financing and enterprise management. The content will be available in both English and Kiswahili, with practical sessions conducted through webinars and interactive engagements with industry experts.
Eligible applicants can enrol by dialling the USSD code *254#, selecting NYOTA AGPO and following the registration instructions. Successful applicants will receive access to the online training platform, with the government partnering with Safaricom to provide subsidised data bundles. Participants who complete the course will receive proficiency certificates, while those without registered businesses will be linked to the Business Registration Services for assistance with registration.
The government is also developing a mechanism to enable AGPO contractors to discount invoices within 60 days after delivering goods and services, alongside plans to expand access to structured trade financing. The intervention is expected to link training, financing and government tenders, providing young entrepreneurs with a pathway to participate more effectively in public procurement.
