How to register a TVET institution in Kenya

TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training) is education and training which provides knowledge and skills for employment. TVET uses formal, non-formal and informal learning. TVET is recognized to be a crucial vehicle for social equity, inclusion and sustainable development. In Kenya, Technical and Vocational Education and Training Authority (TVETA) is the body responsible for accrediting TVET institutions and approving managers of institutions and new programmes.

Requirements for registering a TVET institution

Ensure you have the following requirements as you embark on registering a TVET institution.

Reserved business name search
Invoice for the name search
Copy of KRA PIN for the Director(s)
Copy of ID for the Director(s)
Dully filled and signed BN2 form

Registration fees

The Technical and Vocational Education and Training Authority charges the following fees for the services it renders.

a. Inspection of local institutions for registration, accreditation and licensing for 5 years

This fee includes accreditation of up to 10 programmes in the initial application.

No.	Inspection for Registration	Amount
1.	National Polytechnics	Ksh 30,000
2.	Teacher Trainer Colleges	Ksh 30,000
3.	Technical and Vocational Colleges	Ksh 20,000
4.	Vocational Training Centers	Ksh 5,000

b. Fees for accreditation of additional local programmes (fee per course)

No.	Level	Amount
1.	Trade Test	Ksh 3,000
2.	Artisan	Ksh 3,000
3.	Craft	Ksh 5,000
4.	Diploma	Ksh 5,000
5.	Higher/Advanced Diploma	Ksh 5,000

c. Fees for accredited institutions

Fee	Amount
Expansion of Student Enrolment	National Polytechnic
Change of Name/Ownership /Management	Ksh 5,000
Expansion of student enrolment
National Polytechnic	Ksh 20,000
Technical and Vocational College	Ksh 15,000
Vocational Training Centre	Ksh 5,000
Renewal after five years upon expiry of certificate
National Polytechnic	Ksh 15,000
Technical and Vocational College	Ksh 10,000
Vocational Training Centre	Ksh 3,000
Annual quality assurance fee per student enrolled	Ksh 500

d. Accreditation of foreign institutions

Evaluation for Accreditation Application	Amount
Evaluation of documentation	$1,500
Accreditation per program	$300

e. Registration and licensing of trainers

Trainers will be expected to undertake skills professional development or relevant industrial working experience to renew licence.

Item	Amount
Initial registration and licensing	Ksh 1,000
Renewal of license after three years	Ksh 500

f. Reassessment of an institution due to an appeal

For a case where reassessment report confirms the earlier report to be true.

Category	Percentage of registration fee
National Polytechnics	100%
Teacher Trainer Colleges	100%
Technical and Vocational Colleges	100%
Vocational Training Centers	100%

g. Recognition and equation of qualifications

Category	Service charge
Application charges for Recognition and Equation of Qualification (REQ) by holder of a skills certificate or diploma award	Ksh 5,000
Subsequent application charges for REQ on the same certificate or diploma award by the holder of the Certificate or a Diploma	Ksh 3,000
Application charges for Recognition and Equation of Qualification (REQ) by holder of the Certificate or Diploma express services (same day service)	Ksh 10,000
Application charges for REQ by prospective employers or any other body within the Republic of Kenya	Ksh 10,000
Application charges by prospective employer or any other body outside the jurisdiction of the Republic of Kenya per application	$300

Payment process

Use either of the following methods to pay for your TVET institution registration.

a. M-Pesa

Go to the Mpesa menu
Select payment services
Choose Pay Bill option
Enter 894135 as the business number
Enter your full name as the account number
Enter the amount
Enter your PIN and press OK

b. Bank

A/C Name: Technical and Vocational Education and Training Authority
A/C No.: 1212502450
Bank: Kenya Commercial Bank
Branch: Kipande House

Procedure for registering a TVET institution

Here is the application process you should follow to have your TVET institution registered in Kenya.

Undertake a business name search from the Registrar of companies via eCitizen
Obtain a ‘letter of no objection’ on suitability of the name from TVETA
Register the Business name with the office of the Registrar of Companies
Download the TVETA application forms for accreditation of institution, manager, trainer, approval of programs, foreign institution and checklist here
Submit complete application documents to TVETA offices located at Utalii House 8th floor
An accreditation officer will check the documents and compute the amount to be paid
You will then be required to pay the amount through M-Pesa or TVETA bank account
After making payment the applicant will complete a registration form in duplicate as evidence of having submitted their application. An acknowledgement letter will then be sent to the applicant
The institution will be scheduled for inspection and a team of assessors will visit and inspect the institution for compliance with set standards. The assessors will prepare an inspection report which will be presented to TVETA Board
Resolution of the Board based on evaluation of the inspection report shall be;
- Approve registration and licencing of the institution
- Reject the application
- Request the Institution to improve within a period of six months
The applicant is notified on results of the TVETA Board resolution within 3 months from the date of submission of a fully compliant application documents
TVETA will issue training licence to qualified institutions and maintain a register of the institutions and programs approved
At this point, the accreditation process is complete, and an institution will be issued with a registration certificate and training licence