KEPSA recently hosted a post-registration training for Business Development Service (BDS) providers at the KEPSA offices, focusing on the MSME Financing Gateway platform. The session provided valuable insights into the platform's functionality and demonstrated how BDS providers can effectively use it to market their services.

During the training, Modechai Nyerere, Project Assistant at KEPSA, walked the participants through the entire process—from registration to listing their services on the platform. Representatives from businesses like The Pipo Brands, Dimes Creatives, Kijito Exporters, and Valuemax, which had already registered, were in attendance.

The session was interactive, giving attendees the opportunity to ask questions about the platform’s features and the benefits of signing up. The primary objective was to ensure that BDS providers understood the backend navigation of their service provider accounts, enabling them to accurately list their services. Additionally, feedback was gathered to improve the platform, and any concerns or questions were addressed.

About the platform:

      The MSME Financing Gateway is a free to use, multilingual and impartial directory of sources of financing, business support organizations and advisers that users can quickly filter, select and use to link to financing options and business development services that match their needs. The platform can be accessed through mobile devices, PCs and Mac’.

The MSME Financing Gateway is hosted globally by the International Trade Centre (ITC), and supported in East Africa by the EAC Secretariat, the European Union, country SME development agencies, bank and MFI associations.

The platform also provides news and events, notifications of the release of new facilities and services to registered users, hyperlinks to national & regional sources information, the ITC SME Trade Academy, training, quick reference decision trees and ITC SME Access to financing guide.