Last reviewed October 2026
- Issued by
- The Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS)
- Valid for
- A permit for a fixed period, renewed after surveillance; check the term on the permit and with KEBS
- Who needs it
- Manufacturers of goods covered by a Kenya Standard, and the suppliers who sell those goods to buyers that require it
- Where to apply
- KEBS's online permit system, linked from kebs.org, or a KEBS regional office
- Cost
- Permit fees set by KEBS, which depend on the product and the manufacturer; check the current schedule with KEBS
What it is
The Standardisation Mark (S-Mark) is KEBS's product certification mark for goods made in Kenya. A manufacturer holding an S-Mark permit has had its product tested against the relevant Kenya Standard and its production inspected, and may print the mark on the product. KEBS continues to test and inspect while the permit is in force.
The Diamond Mark of Quality is a higher, voluntary mark for manufacturers whose product meets the standard and who also run a certified quality management system. Imported goods are handled differently: they pass KEBS's import inspection and conformity programmes and may carry an import standardisation mark instead. Check with KEBS which applies to your product.
When supply tenders ask for it
Tenders for goods such as building materials, cables, paints, furniture, uniforms and textiles, food, sanitary and cleaning products, and stationery often require the goods to conform to the relevant Kenya Standard and to carry a KEBS mark. Some ask for the S-Mark permit itself, some accept a Diamond Mark, and some accept a certificate of conformity for imports. The specification usually names the standard.
A distributor or trader does not hold the permit; the manufacturer does. A trader bidding to supply marked goods attaches the manufacturer's permit, often with a letter of authorisation from the manufacturer.
How to get it
- Identify the Kenya Standard that covers the product; KEBS can confirm which applies.
- Make sure the factory, its records and its own testing can show the product consistently meets that standard.
- Apply for the permit through KEBS's online system with the company documents, product details and factory location.
- KEBS inspects the factory and takes samples for testing; correct anything it finds and pay the fees it assesses.
- Once the permit is issued, use the mark only on the products and sizes it covers, and renew before it expires.
Why bids fail over it
- The permit covered a different product, size or standard from the one the tender specified.
- The permit had expired, or was suspended, by the closing date.
- A trader attached the manufacturer's permit without the authorisation letter the tender asked for.
- Imported goods were offered against a tender that required a local S-Mark, or with no conformity certificate.
- Samples delivered for evaluation did not carry the mark the bid claimed.
How Tendakazi helps
Keep your S-Mark or Diamond Mark permits, or your manufacturers' permits and authorisation letters, in the vault with their expiries, and you are reminded before they lapse. Our analysts read the specification for the standards and marks a tender demands and tell you which document answers each one.
Our statutory desk can help prepare and follow up a KEBS application or renewal as a quoted service. KEBS alone tests, inspects and decides.
Questions
What is the difference between the S-Mark and the Diamond Mark?
The S-Mark shows a locally made product meets its Kenya Standard. The Diamond Mark is a higher, voluntary mark that also needs a certified quality management system.
Can a distributor get an S-Mark?
No. The permit goes to the manufacturer. A distributor attaches the manufacturer's permit and, where asked, its authorisation.
Do imported goods need an S-Mark?
Imports go through KEBS's import inspection programmes instead. Check whether the tender accepts that evidence or requires locally made, S-Marked goods.
Does the permit cover all my products?
Only the products and standards listed on it. Each further product needs to be added or covered by its own permit.
Our statutory desk helps prepare and follow up your KEBS permit or renewal, and the vault watches the expiry.
New firms get 50% off every service for their first 30 days.
Read next
General information for suppliers, not legal, tax or financial advice. Procurement law, regulations, thresholds and government systems change: check the current rules with the procuring entity, the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA), the National Treasury or KRA, and speak to an advocate or tax adviser about your own case.