| Why does MESPT BDS focus on MSMEs? |
| | Micro, small and medium sized enterprises (MSMEs) are a major vehicle and engine for economic growth and make a major contribution to employment creation, and consequently, development through wealth creation.
|
|
 |
| What are the major intervention areas for MESPT BDS? |
| | The dairy sub-sector, ICT/Media and Technical, Vocational Education and Training (TVET) are the major areas of intervention. |
|
|
| How are MESPT BDS interventions implemented? |
| | These interventions are implemented through sub-contracts by Kenyan facilitators, who are selected through a competitive screening process and which enter into a performance contract with MESPT BDS. |
|
|
| Why focus on the dairy sub-sector, ICT/Media and TVET? |
| | MESPT BDS works in dairy because a large number of small-holder farmers actively participate in these areas. The dairy sub-sector also employs many people, including service providers, directly and indirectly. MSMEs need timely, accurate, and relevant information in order to enhance their competitiveness, hence the ICT/Media intervention. Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) is an excellent way to build practical skills that directly translate into job creation or MSME growth. |
|
|
| How do I access the online resource centre? |
| | You can fully access and download documents from the on-line resource centre by registering on the website to be a member. A password will be sent to the email address that you provide, which you then use, together with your log-in name, to gain full access to the online resource centre. |
|
|
| How else can I access the resource centre? |
| | You can also access electronic as well as print information materials from the physical resource centre at MESPT offices, on 5th Floor, 1st Assurance Plaza, Muthithi Road, Westlands, Nairobi, Kenya. |
|
|
| Can I borrow print materials from the resource centre? |
| | No. The BDS resource centre print materials are for reference use only. However, you can download electronic resources. |
|
|
| How can I contribute materials to the resource centre? |
| | Send us copies information materials you would like included in the resource centre in light pdf form (no pictures), audio-visual, CD/DVD-ROM or printed and bound formats. Copies thus received shall not be returned to the sender. We will send you a consent form that will authorize us to fill and email back. MESPT BDS reserves the right to include or exclude the information materials in their collection. |
|
|
| What is the process of getting MESPT BDS funding? |
| | From time to time, MESPT BDS advertises in the press and on its website, specific calls for project concepts. These project concepts are reviewed against set criteria and eligibility requirements of the potential grantee organization. MESPT BDS selects the best project concept notes and invites potential grantees to submit full proposals. A technical review team then carefully assesses these proposals, including performing a field visit, to come up with the winning projects. MESPT BDS, together with the potential grantees, agree on project design, implementation and budget, then sign a grant contract for a specified period. |
|
|
| What types of projects are funded? |
| | A grant could be given to develop and test new and useful business services via a pilot project – which if successful could then be replicated, bulked-up and expanded. Another possibility is where a productive service is already being offered in a particular area and where the enterprise offering it wants to expand into new areas where the market is currently untested and unproven. In this case MESPT BDS will partner the enterprise in launching the expanded service and assist by providing grant funds to cover the risk of the planned expansion. |
|
|
| How are the grants disbursed? |
| | The grants are disbursed in installments against clearly defined targets and objectives set out at the beginning of the project. Disbursement of the grant is against performance. MESPT BDS closely monitors how the funds are utilized and will move to legally recover funds which are misused or abused. |
|
|
| Why support private sector businesses instead of livelihood projects? |
| | In the past many donor-funded initiatives and projects have tended to collapse once funding has ended. Projects that establish viable and profitable private sector businesses have been found to make a bigger, better contribution to long-term economic growth. |
|
|
| Why don’t MESPT BDS projects provide free services? |
| | In the past many donor programs provided subsidized services which small entrepreneurs only used because they were free of charge or heavily subsidized. Because these services didn’t really contribute to profitability, small entrepreneurs stopped using them once the donor subsidy ended. |
|
|
| Why should small entrepreneurs pay for services? |
| | MESPT BDS focuses on the development and promotion of business ventures which provide services for which there is a real and tangible demand. This demand must be reflected in the fact that the services offered can effectively be sold to those that need them; since the ability to sell something is a clear reflection that the buyer really needs and appreciates it. |
|
