The government has urged all youth preselected for the KSh 50,000 NYOTA grant to complete the mandatory Entrepreneurship Aptitude Test (EAT) ahead of the physical verification exercise scheduled for Friday, October 24, 2025.
The NYOTA programme is a KSh 5 billion youth empowerment initiative jointly funded by the Government of Kenya and the World Bank. It aims to support 100,000 young Kenyans—about 70 from each of the country’s 1,450 wards—with non-repayable startup capital of KSh 50,000 after undergoing short-term vocational training in trades such as carpentry, tailoring, welding, and other small enterprise skills.
In a public notice, the State Department for Youth Affairs and the Creative Economy stated that completion of the Entrepreneurship Aptitude Test is a mandatory requirement before the physical verification. The exercise will take place across all constituencies, and only youth who have completed the test will be eligible to participate.
“Good afternoon. This is to inform you that the physical validation on component two will take place on Friday, 24 October 2025. In the meantime, youth who have been preselected and haven’t done the Entrepreneurship Aptitude Test (EAT) need to do so by sending the word NYOTA to 40270 and complete the test,” the statement read.
All preselected youth are required to report to their respective constituency venues, where officers from the Micro and Small Enterprise Authority (MSEA) and the Youth Affairs offices will oversee the process
How to Take the NYOTA Entrepreneurship Aptitude Test
The department emphasised that applicants must use the same mobile number used during the NYOTA application to access the test. The test is free of charge, available in multiple languages, and takes between 15 and 30 minutes to complete.
To participate, applicants should:
1. Activate promotional messages by dialing *100*525*1#
2. Send the word **NYOTA** to **40270**
3. Choose their preferred language
4. Complete all questions until they receive a confirmation message
Additional Guidelines
The Ministry also noted that individuals who defaulted on Hustler Fund loans will not qualify for the NYOTA grant until they clear their debts.
The verification exercise, which was earlier postponed following the death of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga and the declaration of a national mourning period, will now proceed as scheduled. The government has assured applicants that all prior submissions remain valid.