Equipment Aid Scheme

The Ministry buys production equipment for small businesses that need it to grow, with the business paying a small share. Seventy businesses were approved in 2024/25, so it is competitive, and the compliance requirements screen many applicants out.

Equipment worth up to N$80,000 per applicant (2024/25 form). Ministry of Industrialisation and Trade. Call closed, watch for the next: The 2025/26 call closed on 9 February 2026. Calls have been advertised once a year; watch the Ministry and its regional offices for the 2026/27 call.

The terms

  • Equipment, not cash, up to N$80,000 per applicant on the 2024/25 form
  • The applicant contributes 10% of the requested amount

Who qualifies

Wholly Namibian-owned small businesses that have traded for at least a year

  • A business wholly owned by Namibian citizens and registered with BIPA
  • The applicant is at least 18 and the business has operated for at least twelve months
  • Social Security good standing and a tax good standing (clearance) certificate

What to prepare

  • BIPA registration documents
  • Current NamRA and Social Security Good Standing certificates
  • Quotations for the equipment from suppliers
  • Proof that you can pay your 10% contribution

What actually decides it

The certificates. The form says only applicants who meet every criterion should apply, and a lapsed Good Standing is the most common reason a business that qualifies on paper is turned away.

How to apply

On the Ministry’s form, at its head office or regional offices, when the annual call is open.

Eligibility above is from the 2024/25 form; the 2025/26 rules may differ.

Get the paperwork right before you apply

A registered business: Close Corporation N$1,300 or Private Company N$5,500, government fees included

NamRA and Social Security registrations: N$300 each

Current Good Standing certificates: N$300 per certificate, or N$800 a month to keep all of them current

Frequently asked questions

How much can I get from Equipment Aid Scheme?

Equipment worth up to N$80,000 per applicant (2024/25 form). Equipment, not cash, up to N$80,000 per applicant on the 2024/25 form.

Who qualifies for Equipment Aid Scheme?

Wholly Namibian-owned small businesses that have traded for at least a year. A business wholly owned by Namibian citizens and registered with BIPA. The applicant is at least 18 and the business has operated for at least twelve months. Social Security good standing and a tax good standing (clearance) certificate.

Is Equipment Aid Scheme open now?

Call closed, watch for the next. The 2025/26 call closed on 9 February 2026. Calls have been advertised once a year; watch the Ministry and its regional offices for the 2026/27 call.

How do I apply to Equipment Aid Scheme?

On the Ministry’s form, at its head office or regional offices, when the annual call is open.

What do I need to prepare?

BIPA registration documents. Current NamRA and Social Security Good Standing certificates. Quotations for the equipment from suppliers. Proof that you can pay your 10% contribution.

Sources

  • Ministry of Industrialisation and Trade: Equipment Aid Scheme application form 2024/25
  • Windhoek Express: Government shoulders more SME growth
  • Windhoek Observer: Only 70 MSMEs approved for equipment aid
  • New Era: SMEs encouraged to apply for equipment

Checked 2026-11-11. All funders.