How to Apply for Loans from Youth Fund in Kenya

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As part of the strategies towards achieving vision 2030, the government flagged the Youth Enterprise Development Fund (Youth Fund Loans).

Youth Enterprise Development Fund (YEDF) is a government corporation targeting to empower the youth within the country. The organization operates under the Ministry of Public Service, Gender and Youth Affairs.

Together with the Uwezo Fund, the key objective of the Youth Enterprise Development Fund is to create employment opportunities for young people through entrepreneurship and encouraging self-employment.

Also, the organization provides loans to young entrepreneurs at affordable interest rates to facilitate business growth. But how can one access these loans? This article gives you a step-by-step guide on successfully applying for a YEDF loan.

Who qualifies for Youth Fund loans in Kenya?

The youth need to be in small groups to access the loans, commonly referred to as “Chama.” Through the group, the youth can come up with business proposals and seek funding from the organization.

The loans are available at sub-county levels to ensure everyone, irrespective of their location has access to the financial support they need.

However, individual youths can also access loans from the fund for business expansion and the purchase of income-generating assets.

How to Apply for the Youth Fund Loan

Here is how to apply for the Youth Fund loan in Kenya:

  1. One needs to visit their respective sub-county youth offices as a group or as an individual
  2. Pick and fill out the application forms depending on the type of loan required. one can also download the loan application forms from the Youth fund website.
  3. Return the filled forms to the office and wait for a response from the loans officer
  4. The loan officer will guide the next steps as well as conduct the vetting, and give necessary financial advice.

Types of Youth Enterprise Development Fund Loans

The Youth Enterprise Development Fund has classified the financial assistance to suit the specific needs of applicants. These loans vary in terms of conditions as well as interests. Below is a list of the funding offered by the organization.

  1. Business expansion loans
  2. Talanta loans
  3. Bid Bonds and LPO financing

Vuka loans

This loan is only given to individual youths with a reliable alternative income source. The loan can be used as working capital, or the individual can use it to purchase assets for the business. For startups, applicants can access loans of up to Ksh. 500,000 secured by conventional securities.

For business expansion, applicants can access between Ksh. 100,000 and Ksh. 5,000,000. The business expansion loans attract a 6% interest and a 1% management fee. Loans below Ksh.100,000 are secured using chattels, stock, or business assets, while those above Ksh. One hundred thousand are secured using conventional security.

Talanta Loan

This funding is only available for the youth involved in creative or performing arts. This loan can be accessed by individuals or registered groups seeking to use local talents.

Talanta loan has no interest but a loan management fee of 5%. With this funding, loans of up to Ksh. Three hundred thousand will be secured using the assets purchased. The applicants must have at least two guarantors who are active in the applicant’s field f interest.

The applicant is entitled to not more than 70% of the contract value if the loan is for film production. Only up to 70% of the total cost is given to the applicant for purchasing equipment. If it is for performance purposes, the applicant is entitled to funding of up to 90% of the budget.

Repayment periods differ depending on the purpose of the loan. For financing a contract, it is a maximum of six months. If the loan is for purchasing equipment, the repayment period is a maximum of two years. For a budgeted recording, production, or performance, the loan is to be repaid after a maximum of three months.

Bid Bonds and LPO financing

This type of funding is available for young individuals and organizations taking part in government tenders. The funding is open to individuals, registered groups, and youth-owned companies. This funding targets to empower young tenderpreneurs and facilitate infrastructural development in the quest for vision 2030.

To reach more people, the Youth Enterprise Development Fund is seeking to launch an application that will allow the youth to access services from wherever they are in the comfort of their smartphones. Through the mobile app, the youths will access loans of between Ksh. 5,000 and Ksh. 100,000. The introduction of the mobile application will reduce the length of procedures that the youth go through when applying for a loan.

From the guidelines provided in this article, one can successfully apply for a loan that suits their needs. The borrowed funds should be used for legitimate purposes since they have to be repaid after some time. Maintaining a good borrowing record gives one an added advantage when applying for another loan.

Simon Mwangi
Simon Mwangi
Simon Mwangi is a finance expert and talented freelance writer with a background in banking and accounting. He simplifies complex financial concepts and produces top-quality content on various topics. Follow him on Linkedin to stay up-to-date on his work and connect with him.

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