The Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) is excited to announce the 2nd Edition of its Annual SME Conference and Exhibition. The conference will take place on June 26th to 27th 2025, in Nairobi, Kenya. 

This year’s theme, “Bridging opportunities and breaking barriers on market access to SMEs” will specifically address how SMEs can overcome barriers and tap into new markets. In addition, the Conference will provide SMEs with the insights, tools, and networks they need to drive growth through innovation, sustainability, and inclusivity, ensuring they can access new markets and scale their businesses.  

Key Focus Areas/topics of the Conference: 

1. Enhancing Market Access & Linkages for SMEs: Exploring innovative solutions to connect SMEs with local, regional, and global markets, ensuring they can fully leverage trade opportunities and build resilient supply chains.  
2. Digital Trade and E-Commerce Solutions: Highlighting the role of technology in opening new markets for SMEs, with discussions on leveraging e-commerce platforms, digital payment systems, and trade facilitation tools to expand reach and reduce operational barriers. 
3. Strategic Partnerships for Market Access & Expansion: Facilitating collaborations between SMEs with market access ecosystem players such as larger corporations, digital platforms, logistics and payment solutions providers, government entities, financial institutions and development partners to enhance market access, unlock new market resources, and leverage specialized expertise and financial resources for sustainable business growth. 
4. Leveraging Data and Market Intelligence: Emphasizing the importance of data-driven decision-making and market insights to help SMEs identify trends, adapt strategies, and seize market opportunities.  
5. Policy Advocacy for Market Entry & Access: Addressing policy constraints and advocating for reforms that enable SMEs to enter and compete in various markets. This includes reducing regulatory hurdles, improving access to financing, and fostering a conducive business environment. 
6. Gender Inclusive Business Practices: Emphasizing on inclusive business models that enable SMEs to align with emerging market trends and consumer demands, ensuring long-term growth and relevance.  

As part of the preparation of this year's conference, we shall be running a call for application for the KEPSA Annual Awards 2nd Edition where participants shall take home cash rewards. The Awards are divided into two categories as follows: 

1. SME Innovation Challenge Excellence Awards 

This will be the 2nd edition of the innovation challenge award which will focus on innovative solutions to address market failures to expand business growth. 

This year challenge will have six sub-categories as below:  

• Rising Female Star in Digital trade 
• Rising Male Star in Digital Trade 
• Cross-Border Innovation Award 
• Logistics & Distribution Innovation Award 
• Tech start-up Market Intelligence Innovation Award 
• Best Overall Market Expansion Innovation Award 

2. SME Enablers Awards 

The SME Enablers Award serves as a platform to spotlight the remarkable contributions of organizations that empower entrepreneurs to achieve sustained success. The award seeks to inspire greater collaboration among stakeholders, foster innovation, and enhance the overall competitiveness of Kenya’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. This category has three sub-categories that include: 

• Overall Market Access Enabler Champion 
• Digital Market Enabler Champion 
• Inclusivity and Sustainability Market Access Champion 

The best innovators and enablers will be officially recognised during the conference. 

To ensure lasting impact beyond the conference, KEPSA will continue supporting SMEs through: 

• Post Innovation Awards support: A workshop aimed at providing technical assistance to 30 finalist participants nominated by the judges, A two-day boot-camp (facilitated by KEPSA in collaboration with ecosystem partners to dive into enhancing commercialization, linkage to innovation funding, innovation market linkages and collaboration with other partners in the innovation industry. (Research, Entrepreneurs, Incubators and Innovation hubs innovation up takers).  

• For the Enabler Awards: Winners will benefit from a robust post-event marketing and communication drive, ensuring their achievements receive the spotlight they deserve. 

Further, we will also provide linkages to other KEPSA SME opportunities in the following areas; 

SME Acceleration & Market Development 

• SMEMarket Connect Program: This is an initiative aimed at upscaling SMEs through addressing the skill gap in identification and fulfilment of market opportunities, aimed at linking SMEs to supply chains, export markets, and large-scale procurement opportunities within Kenya. 
• Exhibition opportunities: KEPSA will continue to give SMEs opportunities to showcase their products and plan for an exhibition before the year ends. 

Continued Capacity Building 

• Quarterly SME Clinics: KEPSA will continue supporting SMEs through regular business advisory forums and give them opportunities to participate and grow. 
• Mentorship & Shadowing Initiatives: KEPSA will continue engaging female and youth entrepreneurs to improve their leadership and financial management skills. 
• Investor Readiness Training: KEPSA will continue training SME in a curriculum that is intended to bridge the gap between the SMEs finance needs and the investor requirements   while targeting growing businesses countrywide. 

Explore our Partnership and Exhibition Packages

To sponsor the event or for any further inquiries, kindly send an email to Timothy Odongo at todongo@kepsa.or.ke with a copy to Levi Injendi at linjendi@kepsa.or.ke and kepsasme@kepsa.or.ke or contact us through telephone number 0720340949.