Accessing the Seda Technology Programme

The Seda Technology Programme (Stp) is a brainchild of the Department of Trade and Industry aimed at supporting SMMEs in specific industries, such as in ICT, aluminium, platinum and bio-diesel. The programme is responsible for both the provision of both financial and non-financial technology transfer, business incubation and quality support services for small enterprises.

The Seda Technology Programme is mandated to implement government’s small business strategy; design and implement a standard and common national delivery network for small enterprise development; and integrate government-funded small enterprise support agencies across all tiers of government.

Seda’s mission is to develop, support and promote small enterprises throughout the country, ensuring their growth and sustainability in co–ordination and partnership with various role players, including global partners, who make international best practices available to local entrepreneurs.

The Seda Technology Programme (STP)

The Seda Technology Programme is part of an over-arching strategy to consolidate small business support activities. One aspect of the programme is transfer of technology. The programme focuses on businesses in the “second economy” – broadly referring to the mainly informal, marginalised, unskilled to semi-skilled, and those unemployable in the formal sector, who cannot afford appropriate technology to propel them into the mainstream economy.

Businesses in the “second economy” are mainly small enterprises (registered or not registered) that are marginalised with respect to access to funds and markets, limited business skills and technological acumen, and also access to appropriate technology.

The STP incubation programme is well conceived from a programme design perspective, incorporating global best practice for SMME development, technology adoption, sustainability and growth. In addition to the services provided by traditional incubation models in South Africa, STP incubators also facilitate market linkages for SMMEs, with both suppliers and customers.

The aim of the Seda Technology Programme is therefore to develop innovative technology – based platforms that result in the creation of sustainable, globally competitive SMMEs that contribute towards the accelerated growth of our economy.

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Objectives of the Seda Technology Programme

Enhance technological innovation
Increase accessibility to, and utility of, technologies and technical support for small enterprises
Facilitate the acquisition, development and transfer of technology to small enterprises, particularly those operating in the second economy
Improve small enterprise performance and productivity
Improve small enterprise profitability and growth
Improve small enterprises competitiveness Reduce small enterprise failure rates

Benefits of the Seda Technology Programme

Beneficiaries can expect 50% of the grant for the cost of approved tools, machinery and equipment to a maximum of R800,000; and 80% of the grant for approved training and business development services to a maximum of R200 000.

Qualifying Entities for the Seda Technology Programme

Businesses are incentivised according to how they aim to transfer technology skills and how they transform themselves into sustainable enterprises.

Eligible categories for funding range from those that showcase design improvement and optimisation; transferable skills, cost-cutting measures, and other requirements.

Financial assistance the government offers can go up to R600 000 per project in the form of a non-repayable grant. One of the programme’s objectives is to provide specific technology support to women-owned enterprises. These are enterprises with more than 50% women ownership.

But categories including research and development of technology, franchise agreements, patenting and licensing, marketing and such others do not receive funding.

At DTC we understand the complexities of the various funding agencies and the unique application criteria for each. We have assisted thousands of entrepreneurs through the application process to access funding for businesses, and we can assist you with the same.