The National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) project is an initiative by the Government of Kenya, aimed at creating employment opportunities, bridging skills gaps, enhancing income generation, and promoting a saving culture among vulnerable youth. The NYOTA fund consists of four key interventions:
- Improving youth employability through: Social Emotional Skills development, apprenticeship, Recognition of Prior Learning, Certification, job intermediation and childcare support for young mothers.
- Expanding employment opportunities through: Business Development Services, Business Start-up capital, and Result Based Financing in partnership with social enterprises.
- Savings promotion: Encouraging youth to save through the NSSF Haba Haba saving scheme.
- Project management and institutional support: Enhancing project implementation, resource allocation, digital skilling, and collaboration with County Governments to invest in youth employment.
Who can apply for NYOTA fund?
To qualify, an applicant must:
- Be a Kenyan citizen with a National ID.
- Be aged between 18 and 29 years.
- Be between 18 and 35 years for youth with disability (MUST be registered by the National Council for Persons with Disability – NCPWD).
- Have an education level not exceeding Form Four or none.
- Not be enrolled in school or college or planning to join within the next 8 months.
- Be available for the next 8 months after application.
- Have a SIM card registered in your name and a National ID card.
- Not have been a beneficiary of Kenya Youth Employment and Opportunities Project (KYEOP).
The NYOTA project is completely free. Applicants are not required to pay any fees.
How to apply for NYOTA fund
Applications to be submitted through a USSD Code *254# then select the NYOTA Project option to proceed. Youth who need to be assisted with the application process should visit the County or Sub-County offices of the State Department for Youth Affairs and Creative Economy (SDYACE) or the Micro Small Enterprise Authority (MSEA) County Offices near you.
Selection is conducted through a computerized randomization process to ensure fairness and transparency. Successful applicants will receive an official NYOTA SMS notification with further instructions on the next steps. Unsuccessful applicants can reapply during the next call for applications if they are not selected. Participants who drop out without valid reasons may be ineligible for future NYOTA opportunities.
