The Minister of State in the President’s Office for Youth Development, Hon. Joel Nanauka, has said that more than 2,000 youth have benefited from tenders worth over TZS 15 billion through the NeST system.

He made the remarks during the launch of the National Youth Platform held on January 10, 2026, in Dar es Salaam. He noted that the Sixth Phase Government is committed to ensuring that the youth benefit from available opportunities in the country, which is why special preference provisions for youth, women, the elderly, and persons with disabilities were incorporated in the 2023 Public Procurement Act.

“Youth continue to access opportunities to participate in public procurement as private companies or special groups, enabling them to grow their businesses and economic capacity. For example,  todate 299 youth groups comprising 2,226 youths secured tenders worth TZS 15.8 billion,” he said.

He added that he is often asked who exactly receives these tenders and which youth benefit. “That is why today we are with the Director General of PPRA, Mr. Dennis Simba, who will explain to the youth the procedures for accessing these tenders, what we should do as youth so that every young person, wherever they are, can seize these opportunities,” he stated.

Nanauka emphasized that these opportunities are not limited to the national level but extend to regional and district levels, where every youth can apply through the NeST system.

Addressing more than 1,000 youth at the event, the PPRA Director General, Mr. Dennis Simba, urged them to form groups of 5 to 20 members, register them, and follow the required procedures to register with the NeST system. He explained that these simple steps would qualify them to apply for public tenders based on the set criteria.

Mr. Simba encouraged the youth to visit the PPRA website and NeST system, as well as PPRA’s social media platforms, to obtain accurate information that will enable them to benefit from these opportunities and improve their economic status, instead of following unhelpful online content.

“Opportunities are many. Currently, we have fewer than 1,200 groups, yet our goal is to reach more than 20,000 groups because the opportunities are abundant. So let us ask ourselves – ‘where are the youth’? When you leave here, form groups wherever you are. PPRA is easily accessible whenever you need clarification or support,” Mr. Simba said before presenting detailed procedures and testimonials from youth who have benefited from tenders through NeST.