ICTA certification in Kenya: how ICT suppliers get accredited by the ICT Authority for government tenders

What it is

ICTA certification, often called ICTA accreditation, is the ICT Authority's confirmation that a firm has the capacity to deliver a particular kind of ICT work to government. The Authority sets ICT standards for public bodies, and accreditation is how it checks that suppliers meet them.

A certificate is issued per category, such as systems and applications, ICT consultancy, information security, cloud computing, data centre, network infrastructure or end-user equipment, and at a level that reflects the firm's staff, experience and financial capacity. The level caps the size of work the firm is accredited for. Check the current list of categories and what each level allows on the ICT Authority's site.

When tenders ask for it

Ministries, state corporations and counties buying ICT systems, networks, hardware with installation, or ICT advisory work commonly make ICTA accreditation a mandatory requirement. The tender usually names the category and the minimum level. A certificate in a different category, or at a lower level than the tender asks for, fails at preliminary evaluation even where the firm could do the work.

How to get it

• Decide which categories match the work the firm actually bids for, and which level its staff, projects and turnover support.
• Gather the company documents: certificate of incorporation, CR12, KRA PIN certificate and a valid tax compliance certificate.
• Prepare evidence of capacity: the CVs and certifications of technical staff, reference letters or completion certificates for past ICT projects, and audited accounts.
• Register on the ICT Authority's accreditation portal, choose the category and level, upload the documents and pay the fee the portal states.
• Respond to any queries from the Authority's review, then download the certificate once it is issued and keep it in your vault.
• Before the certificate expires, apply to renew with updated documents; a higher level means a fresh assessment.

Why bids fail over it

• The certificate was in the wrong category for the tender, such as network infrastructure for a software tender.
• The level held was below the minimum the tender stated for its value.
• The certificate had expired by the closing date, or the renewal was still under review.
• The certificate was in the name of a related company or a joint-venture partner that was not the bidder.
• Key staff named in the bid did not match the staff the accreditation was based on, and the evaluator noticed.

How Tendakazi helps

Keep the ICTA certificate in the vault with its category, level and expiry, and you are reminded before it lapses. When our analysts read an ICT tender, they check the category and level it demands against the certificate you hold and tell you plainly if it falls short.

If you have no certificate, need another category or want a higher level, our statutory desk prepares and lodges the application as a quoted service, and the new certificate goes straight into the vault.

Questions