“Through Teshteq, I got involved in tendering,” Mbaabu says, “As I tried to take my business to the next level. However, I encountered a lot of challenges, just as many entrepreneurs do when involved in the process, which is perceived to be corrupt and bureaucratic.”Inspiration
Mbaabu says he wasn’t aware of the available tender opportunities specifically for his business. Also when he got an opportunity to tender it was never an open and transparent process.
“I would go through the hustle of walking up and down to purchase the tender documents, manually filling them and photocopying so many documents. Then having to physically deliver the documents at the procuring institutions offices before the deadline,” he says.
Mbaabu says apart from it being very time consuming and bulky, it was a frustrating ordeal trying to win tenders with no information whatsoever on the progress and on why his efforts failed, when they did. From conversations with other young entrepreneurs he realized that he shared the same sentiments and something needed to be done.
Solution
“Being a Final year Computer Science Undergraduate at the time, I sought to find way to automate the tendering process through my fourth year project. I was certain that technology would solve this conundrum,” he says. “My co-founder and I saw the birth of Tenderpreneur.net, a web and mobile platform that connects verified suppliers of goods and services with serious buyers; and automates the tendering process.”
Tenderpreneur.net‘s target is now two-fold. They are targeting Small and Medium Sized Enterprises who are constantly looking to grow their businesses and corporates who are looking to cut down costs and risks and create and find a way to hasten the procurement process.
How it works
The platform works simple. Users register for an account online, fill in their business sector or category then they are notified via email or SMS whenever there’s an interested party /tender.
Social Impact
It is estimated that there are over 7.5 million SMEs in Kenya. The sector’s contribution to the gross domestic product has increased from 13.8 per cent in 1993 to about 40 per cent in 2008.
The sector provides approximately 80 per cent of employment and contributes over 92 per cent of the new jobs created annually according to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics.
With the number of the SMEs increasing every year, there comes a need for a synchronized painless process of tendering. Tenderpreneur.net seeks to serve that very purpose.
“We seek to revolutionize a process that will lead to great growth for enterprises, leading to creation of thousands of jobs for the youth, and ensure deserving businesses gain access to the best opportunities through an open and transparent tendering process,” Mbaabu concludes.
However, the guys will have to take on TenderSoko which launched last year and TendersUnlimited among others who have been doing this a while.