The Business Counseling and Extension Services department is in charge of providing business counselling and advisory services to MSMEs and other targeted clients on specific issues concerning business development. Services in this department are free of charge to all clients.

Main functions and responsibilities include:

• Planning, organizing, coordinating and conducting counselling and extension services.
• Organizing and conducting entrepreneurship motivational talks.
• Identifying and mapping of clients for counselling. 
• Conducting mobile business clinics for SMEs.
• Offering individualized business advisory to MSMEs (done KIBTs in the office)
• Organizing and conducting individual and group coaching and mentorship sessions to MSMEs
• Undertaking follow-ups on past training participants.
• Conducting client situational analysis.
• Providing business advisory services to target clients.
• Preparing calendar for the counselling and extension activities.
• Liaising with other department’s heads to harmonize the Institute’s programmes.
• Maintaining an inventory/database on counselling and extension services.
• Supervision, appraisal and counselling of KIBT staff.

The department undertakes and manages all consultancy assignments of the institute. 

Main functions include:

• Undertaking consultancy assignments. 
• Undertaking KAIZEN (productivity improvement) and consultancy activities. This includes classroom training and consultancy in Quality and productivity improvement, Financial management and Marketing.
• Participating in Annual KAIZEN awards
• Undertaking onsite consultancy to businesses.
• Undertaking consultancy on business plan development
• Preparing proposals for consultancy.
• Identifying areas of consultancy
• Coordinating Business innovation programs
• Carrying out Capacity Needs Analysis (CNA) for consultancy programmes.
• Designing  and implementing  executive/professional programmes.
• Coordinating, monitoring and evaluating management and consultancy activities.
• Prospecting and identifying clients for consultancy.
• Preparing calendar for consultancy activities.
• Maintaining a database for all the consultancy activities done.

The department is involved in developing all training materials and content for the Institute’s programmes.

Its functions are as follows:

• Carrying out Training Needs Assessment (TNA) for the Institute’s programmes.
• Developing Curriculum of all KIBT Training programmes.
• Developing a follow-up manual.
• Developing Training, Counselling and Extension Services content
• Coordinating preparation of Counselling Guide.
• Undertaking regular content review of curriculum
• Evaluating and reviewing of trainings content
• Analyzing the training evaluation forms and address the raised concerns
• Preparing E- learning materials and content
• Maintaining database of all materials and curriculum prepared
• Developing of audio-visual materials for training.

The department is in charge of planning, coordinating, monitoring and evaluating projects and partnerships.

The main functions include:

• Identifying areas of collaborations and partnership
• Identifying possible partners and collaborators
• Carrying out negotiations on collaborations and partnerships
• Soliciting for partnerships on entrepreneurship training and consultancy nationally and internationally
• Managing KIBTs projects and partnerships
• Monitoring and evaluating KIBTs projects and partnerships
• Developing MOUs on partnerships and collaborations

The department is responsible for undertaking business research, managing important information/resource centre and disseminating the same.

Main functions include:

• Profiling of successful entrepreneurs and developing success stories/ case studies
• Undertaking practical marketing research to share with entrepreneurs
• Scanning Business Development Services environment and give feedback for content review to ensure KIBT is responsive to the environment
• Identifying and addressing trainer’s skills and capacity gaps
• Developing business and market research proposals and undertaking surveys on the same.
• Publishing annual paper on business trends and entrepreneurship in Kenya
• Undertaking data analysis and producing reports for public and internal consumption 
• Documenting and disseminating research information.
• Undertaking field-based surveys for SME sector.
• Developing and maintaining the Institute’s Resource Centre and the entire business information system.
• Identifying training needs in areas of general marketing in trade, industry and service; export and import trade etc.
• Managing the Institute’s Resource Centre.
• Maintaining a database of research activities, and a data bank on business related issues
• Maintaining consolidated databank for all KIBT activities

The KIBT’s marketing department is in charge of creating awareness on KIBT’s activities and programmes. The department acts as the link between the Institute and the public.

Functions include; 

• Marketing KIBT’s activities and programmes.
• Undertaking Photography and video-recording of training events.
• Organizing publicity forums to showcase KIBT’s services
• Planning, coordinating and implementing activities in Trade Fairs, Public Service Week and other national events.
• Planning and organizing seminars/symposia for the business community e.g. networking forums for MSMEs
• Designing, developing and distributing Information, Education, communication (IEC) materials for the Institute’s activities/programmes
• Organizing media participation in KIBT activities and program
• Managing the KIBT website
• Developing and maintaining data bank of the media

The department cascades the Institute’s activities to the grassroot in the regions and Counties.

Main functions include: 

• Planning, coordinating, and overseeing the implementation of the Institutes activities and policy in the field.
• Undertaking impact assessment of KIBT’s training programs during follow ups
• Providing feedback and recommendation for curriculum review after surveys
• Undertaking Monitoring and Evaluation of field based programmes including training, counselling, consultancy and extension services.
• Carrying out surveys in all regions on potential SME start-ups and special groups.
• Carrying out surveys to determine the establishment of zonal offices in the regions.
• Ensuring monthly and annual regions’ reports and returns are submitted on time to KIBT head office.
• Liaising with other departmental heads to harmonize the Institutes programmes.
• Carrying out Science Technology and Innovations (STI) programs for the department and MSMEs