The government, through the State Department for Youth Affairs and Creative Economy, has issued an urgent call for applications from businesses seeking co-investment funding for value addition machinery, with only 15 days remaining before the submission deadline.
In a statement on Thursday, December 18, the department announced that eligible MSME clusters can access government support covering up to 70 percent of machinery costs, with total equipment value reaching up to Ksh 20 million.
The initiative, operating under the Kenya Jobs and Economic Transformation (KJET) Project, targets cooperatives, associations, self-help groups, community-based organizations, cluster-based entities, and limited companies engaged in value addition activities.
Priority will be given to clusters operating in key value chains under the Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA). These include building and construction, edible oils, cotton, tea, coffee, and blue economy sectors such as fisheries, aquaculture, and marine resources. The program also prioritizes leather, dairy, rice, and textiles, though the funding extends to other relevant agricultural or industrial value chains not explicitly listed.
Beyond machinery co-investment, the program offers Business Development Services to help MSMEs enhance their processing capabilities, boost productivity, and drive economic growth in their respective sectors.
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The government emphasized the time-sensitive nature of the opportunity, urging stakeholders to widely circulate information about the funding through their networks to ensure eligible groups do not miss the deadline.
Application details, eligibility criteria, and submission guidelines are available on the official KJET portal at https://kjet.msea.go.ke.
Earlier today, the State Department for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises Development revealed a new collaboration aimed at broadening access to government support programs for young entrepreneurs.
Principal Secretary Susan Mang'eni disclosed that her department will be working with ODM Youth League member Kasmuel McOure to expand the reach and impact of MSME initiatives targeting young people.
Mang'eni explained that the partnership with McOure is designed to ensure youth receive timely and relevant information that can enhance their economic prospects.
"To expand the reach and impact of our State Department, we look forward to collaborating with Kasmuel McOure, the convener of the Broad-Based Youth Front, to ensure that more young people can access timely information, opportunities, and tools that support their economic empowerment," she stated.
The collaboration will concentrate on promoting government programs that support youth-led enterprises and MSMEs, to increase awareness and participation in initiatives offering financing, infrastructure, and enterprise development support.
Mang'eni added that through this partnership, the government aims to deepen youth awareness and uptake of key initiatives, including the Hustle Fund, NYOTA Project, and shared User Spaces under Kenya Industrial Estates that enable MSMEs to engage in value addition, scale their enterprises, and create sustainable livelihoods.
The partnership follows McOure's recent launch of the Broad-Based Youth Front, a platform intended to lobby the government directly on behalf of youth interests.
