Nairobi News

Besides the laptop, the promise to empower youths, women and people with disabilities was the other memorable popular Jubilee manifesto selling point.

The government said it would ensure youths got 30 per cent of the public procurement and the President has continuously encouraged young people to seek advice from State offices on how to benefit from the opportunity.

The government is the biggest consumer guaranteeing plenty of opportunities for youths, women and people with disabilities.

If the Government keeps the process of awarding tenders clean as it has promised, youths stand a chance of a lifetime.

Here are steps on how to secure supplies opportunities with the government:

• Form a group and register an enterprise with the Registrar of Companies in Nairobi.

You may do so as a sole trader, partnership, limited company or association. Ensure that at this point you have a KRA PIN number.

The Registrar is at Sheria House, Harambee Avenue.

• Get clearance from the Youth Enterprise Fund (YEF) if you are a youth; Women Gender Directorate if a woman; and certification from National Council for Persons with Disability if you are a disabled.

YEF offices are at the National Bank of Kenya building, Harambee Avenue 8th floor, Gender offices are at NSSF building and Disability at Mountain View estate.

• Register the enterprise with the National Treasury in Nairobi or any County Treasury office.

The Public Procurement Oversight Authority (PPOA) shall publish the names of all registered groups on its website (www.ppoa.go.ke).

• Visit any public office of the national or county governments anywhere in the country to seek procurement opportunities.

Public offices may advertise procurement opportunities in their respective websites, notice boards or local dailies which may also be published on the PPOA website .

• Contact the PPOA for any clarifications on matters arising out of your interactions with the public offices.

At this point, you are not required to submit a tender security in order to participate in the procurement process but you need to sign a Tender Security Declaration Form provided in the tender documents which will bind you to perform the service if awarded the contract(s).

Procurement

If you fail to adhere to these terms, the procurement committee may revoke your application.

Later, the PPOA publishes a list of successful groups for easy access by the State offices.

In case you are disatisfied with the outcome of the procurement process, you may lodge your complaints with the Director General (PPOA), or file a review with the Secretary Public Procurement Administrative Review Board within 10 days on notification of contract award.

You benefit from this scheme for a period of five years, renewable only once.