Strathmore University, International Trade Centre open digital trade hub for small businesses in Kenya

(Nairobi/Geneva) – Strathmore University Business School and the International Trade Centre (ITC) partner to open a Small Business Development Centre Digital Trade Hub in Kenya to provide small businesses with the e-commerce skills, tools and knowledge they need to expand their market reach and opportunities. This partnership is designed to foster economic growth, job creation and regional market expansion.

The Hubs will provide small businesses with e-commerce training materials and resources, as well as in-person coaching and training sessions, so they can overcome challenges to selling online.

The Business School through the Kenya Small Business Development Centres (SBDC) is providing advisory services, training, and facilitation of access to markets and finance for small businesses in six counties – Mombasa, Nakuru, Kiambu, Kisumu, Makueni and Isiolo – under the umbrella of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Strategic Partnership programme, backed by USAID funding.

To complement these services, ITC is providing a customized e-commerce learning programme, technical assistance and digital tools so small businesses can address the challenges of selling online. This work is being done under ITC’s Digital Moonshot and the European Union-funded East African Community Market Access Upgrade Programme, now in its second phase (MARKUP II).

Building on an established partnership

Strathmore University Business School and ITC signed a memorandum of understanding on 13 March 2024 to establish Digital Trade Hubs in the six counties across Kenya, to equip small businesses with the skills and knowledge required to access new markets through digital channels.

The partners will reach out to other key e-commerce stakeholders in the country, to create an environment conducive to leveraging e-commerce for sustainable business growth, including for and through small businesses.

Notes for the editor

About the International Trade Centre - The International Trade Centre is the joint agency of the World Trade Organization and the United Nations. ITC assists small and medium-sized enterprises in developing and transition economies to become more competitive in global markets, thereby contributing to sustainable economic development within the frameworks of the Aid-for-Trade agenda and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

For more information, visit www.intracen.org.
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About the USAID Strategic Partnership Program – USAID Strategic Partnership is a 5-year, three-pronged program implemented by Strathmore University Business School (SBS) in partnership with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to build resilient and sustainable businesses for social-economic transformation. The program implements a three-pronged approach, namely, Agency and Voice of the Private Sector (AVPS)  whose mandate is enhancing the voice of the county-level private sector to create and advocate for a conducive business-enabling environment, Kenya Small Business Development Centers (Kenya SBDC) whose focus is to enable Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) through the offering of business development support;  and Transformational Resilience Programming (TRP) which works with various development partners, County and National Governments to improve livelihoods in Arid and Semi-arid areas.

For media inquiries and registration, please contact:

ITC: Susanna Pak
Senior Strategic Communications Officer
E: pak [at] intracen.org
T: +41 22 730 0651

SBS: Morris Makabe
Communications Specialist
E: mongubo [at] strathmore.edu