To strengthen the backbone of business support in Tanzania’s agricultural sector, IMED Limited and TAPBDS have jointly rolled out a two-day Training of Trainers (ToT) and capacity-building program for Business Development Service (BDS) Providers under the YEFFA Program. Hosted at Mbezi Garden in Dar es Salaam on 24–25 November 2025, the inaugural session brought together 30 trainers from Central Zone regions and other parts of Tanzania with a shared mission: to enhance the quality and impact of BDS for youth, women and agri-MSMEs.
Led technically by TAPBDS, the program combines capacity building and ToT to ensure that BDS Providers are not only stronger practitioners themselves, but are also equipped to cascade knowledge to others in their regions. The training focuses on modern facilitation techniques, participatory training methods, and professional ethics and accountability, alongside three core technical pillars:
- MSME financing readiness and preparation for investment,
- Compliance facilitation and navigation of regulatory requirements, and
- Access to markets, including how to identify opportunities and link agribusinesses to buyers, off-takers and service providers.
Participants were introduced to practical tools and templates to help agribusinesses improve their financial records, structure their operations, formalize their businesses, and secure financing. By sharpening both how BDS is delivered (through better facilitation and ethics) and what is delivered (through stronger technical content on finance, compliance and markets), the program ensures that agripreneurs across Tanzania can access high-quality, context-relevant advisory services that directly support growth and resilience.
BDS Providers during an interactive Training
By bringing BDS experts together under one roof on a regular, structured basis, the initiative directly responds to long-standing challenges that MSMEs face—particularly limited access to quality, affordable BDS and the high cost of advisory services. The YEFFA project, with TAPBDS at the forefront of BDS strengthening, is intentionally promoting an area-based model where trained providers can offer localized, affordable support in their own districts and regions. Over time, this recurring training and coaching model will build a wider pool of competent BDS Providers who can help more youth and women access jobs, build sustainable enterprises, and contribute to inclusive economic growth in Tanzania.
This initiative is part of the broader project on “Business Development Services for Inclusive Financial Systems in Agriculture and Food Systems,” coordinated by IMED Limited in close partnership with TAPBDS and funded under the YEFFA Program by AGRA. Through this collaboration, TAPBDS plays a leading role in shaping how BDS is delivered—linking providers to tools, templates, and approaches that promote results-oriented coaching, improved access to capital, and stronger linkages to markets and financial institutions across the country.
BDS trainers and facilitators at the opening session in Mbezi Garden, Dar es Salaam