State launches NYOTA AGPO training to open up Sh300bn tender opportunities

The government has launched a digital training programme targeting more than 600,000 young entrepreneurs, women and persons with disabilities to improve their access to government procurement opportunities worth at least Sh300 billion annually.

The NYOTA AGPO Digital Training Programme, launched on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, is the fourth component of the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) project.

The programme seeks to equip eligible beneficiaries with the knowledge, skills and business competencies required to participate in government tenders under the Access to Government Procurement Opportunities (AGPO) initiative.

According to Principal Secretary for the State Department for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Susan Mang’eni, the training is expected to expand the reach of the NYOTA project to more than 820,000 beneficiaries.

The rollout builds on the ongoing NYOTA components, including Business Support, On-the-Job Experience (OJE) and Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).

Mang’eni said the programme was designed to address barriers that have continued to limit the participation of eligible groups in public procurement despite the substantial opportunities available.

Under Section 53(6) of the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act, 2015, the government must reserve at least 30% of its annual procurement budget for enterprises owned by youth, women and persons with disabilities.

The current financial year’s government budget is estimated at Sh4.8 trillion, with procurable opportunities valued at not less than Sh1 trillion. The 30% AGPO allocation translates to at least Sh300 billion.

However, the absorption of these opportunities remains low due to limited awareness of AGPO, complex application procedures, low levels of business formalisation and inadequate enterprise readiness.

“The AGPO training is therefore designed to close these gaps, and catalyse AGPO uptake among the youth to help them not only expand their markets, but also gain the necessary competency for performing government tenders,” Mang’eni said.

The free training programme will run for 10 weeks through five self-paced modules, with each module taking two weeks. The first week will focus on coursework, while the second will involve practical sessions.

The curriculum will cover AGPO foundations and business readiness, public procurement and tender documentation, registration and bidding through the Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS) and electronic Government Procurement (e-GP) platforms.

Other areas include contract execution, cash-flow management, procurement financing, governance and record-keeping.

Participants will also benefit from webinars conducted by subject matter experts and industry leaders, alongside interactive sessions. The training materials will be available in both English and Kiswahili.

Interested beneficiaries can enrol by dialling the zero-rated USSD code *254#, selecting NYOTA AGPO and completing the registration process. Successful applicants will receive an SMS containing a link to the training platform.

The government is also partnering with Safaricom to provide subsidised data bundles to facilitate participation.

Upon completion, beneficiaries will receive proficiency certificates. Those without registered businesses or AGPO certification will be linked to Business Registration Services (BRS) to register sole proprietorships under proposed government waivers.

Additionally, the government is developing a debt-offsetting mechanism to enable AGPO contractors to discount invoices within 60 days after delivering goods or services.

Mang’eni said the intervention would complement the Cabinet directive prioritising the settlement of pending bills valued at Sh50 million and below, helping small businesses overcome payment challenges.

The government also plans to strengthen the 30 per cent procurement reservation and repurpose catalytic funds to develop trade financing products for young entrepreneurs.

“The NYOTA AGPO programme therefore goes beyond training by presenting an end-to-end pathway linking training, financing and government tenders through the Electronic Government Procurement (e-GP) system and prompt payment mechanism,” she said.