BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT KIT
About Business Development Kit
The Business Development Kit provides a one-stop service to potential and existing entrepreneurs. Its main objective
is to provide access to relevant documents that would assist entrepreneurs in their endeavor to start and grow theirbusinesses. The Kit therefore, contains information on services offered by various institutions, which play a critical rolein the development of entrepreneurship and SMMEs in Botswana. These include Guidelines and Application Forms.
The Kit is also a tool which will widen the scope of various potential markets as well as promote business acumen, byguiding enterprises in starting their businesses.

Page 1 of 7

ONE MINISTRY ONE APPROACH
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT TOOLKIT“End -to-End Process ”
Business Facilitation & Development

ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT STAGESWHERE TO START
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

CIPA- Company registrations
LEA-Business facilitation
PPDAB-procurement tenders
BURS-tax registration & compliance
DEA- EIA & other requirements
EDD-unit registration
Dept. of Trade & Consumer Affairs
BTO-Tourism standards & requirements
Gambling Authority-business facilitation
DCD- Cooperative Society Registration

11.
Entrepreneur

Enterprises
Company formation
Business Name
Registration for Tax
Investor Facilitation
Registration
Screening

WHERE TO ACCES FINANCE

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

1.
CEDA
2.
WEE Fund
3.
YDF
4.
BDC
Commercial Banks5.
Self- Financing 6.
7.

Interventions• Training, Project monitoring(mentoring, Co-operative auditing)•• Innovation (technology adaptation
Clustering• Business skills training• Domestic & international markets
Opportunities•R&D (new sectors; response toworld trends)

Access to Finance••
Stakeholder Participation

Page 2 of 7

GROWTH & INT. MARKET ACCESSCAPACITY BUILDINGLEA-Capacity building & mentoring
BOBS-products quality & standards
NFTRC- new products dev & quality improvement
Competition Authority- franchises, mergers
BITC &SPEDU-market access (local & regional)
BIH/BITRI/BIUST-Technology dev & Adaptation
DCD- Capacity building, coaching and monitoring•Screening
AccesstoBusiness•Incubation
Idea•TrainingfinanceBusiness Plan •Mentoring(Risk capital
Licencing• Advisory Services
included)•Business PlanningGapAnalysis

Business growth & Expansions

Access to markets–Technology dev & adaptation
Access to facilities (shells, land)

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

BITC & SPEDU-trade missions & investor forums
SEZA-Special economic zones & investor facilitation
BTO-international al tourism exhibitions & facilitation
Dept. of Trade & Consumer-policies & inter. trade agreements
BDC& CEDA –funding high value mergers ,expansions ventures
BOBS, member of WTO (multilateral trading systems)
BIH/BITRI/BIUST-World class technology dev & Adaptation
DCD- Investor Portfolio Facilitation

Further growth &mergers forincreased capacity(export orientation)
Market Access facilitation

Large Enterprises•Graduation from SMME
BITC, BOBS, Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, SPEDU, BTO, Botswana Trade
Commission, Dept of Trade &Consumer

BDC & CEDA Large Projects funding
BITC international market accessA. FORMATION OF A CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETY
Co-operatives are people-centered enterprises owned, controlled and run by and for their members to realise theircommon economic, social, and cultural needs and aspirations. A Co-operative Society is a body corporate, with limited
liability, normally denoted “LTD” at the end of the Co-operative name. To form a Co-operative Society you need to bepart of a group. There is need to contact the Office of the Director for Co-operative Development to get a guide in
respect of the type and form of a co-operative you want to establish, in line with the Values and Principles of a Cooperative. Application for registration is made to the Director for Co-operative Development on a prescribed form andsigned by all members. The application shall be accompanied by;
1. 3 Copies of Bye Laws
2. A Report on the viability of the proposed Society
3. Prescribed Registration fee
B. FORMATION OF A COMPANY
Formation of a trading entity that is completely separate from the owner, normally denoted “(Pty) Ltd” at the end ofthe company name. It can be limited by shares or limited by guarantee. The SMME must complete Form 1 and 2
suggesting three names, and once one name is approved, the SMME must provide information on directorship andshareholding of the company. Companies and Intellectual Property Authority (CIPA) is responsible for business names
registration in Botswana.

Page 3 of 7

C. REGISTRATION OF A BUSINESS NAME
Registration of a name that you will use for trading purposes only. This name is different from the main company
name. There can be more than one business name to cater for the various trading styles that the promoter is putting
onto the market. The SMME must complete the business name forms, and suggest three names for consideration.
CIPA is responsible for business names registration in Botswana.
D. PROTECTION OF INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY PROCESSES
Protection of industrial property gives exclusive monopoly on exploitation of intangible property. Individuals, smallbusiness and companies can apply for protection. The SMME must complete the following forms for the registrationof the various Industrial Property services with CIPA. These include Trademarks (form 11); Patents (form 1 intriplicate); Utility Models (form 1); Industrial Design (form 7); Geographical Indication (form 17); TraditionalKnowledge (form 20); and Integrated Circuits (form 9). After completion of the relevant application form for theparticular IP right, the SMME must submit the form to the Registrar, Industrial Property, which must be accompanied
by an application letter, after paying the prescribed fee. The application will be examined to see if it fulfils all
requirements of the Industrial Property Act, 2010 to determine if it can be approved or rejected.
E. PROTECTION OF COPYRIGHT
Copyright gives an author of an original literary and artistic work exclusive rights to authorize or prohibit the use of hisworks for a limited time period. Literary and artistic works include (books, music, photographs, film, drawings,paintings, works of architecture, etc). Copyright is automatically protected therefore there is no need to register atPage 4 of 7

CIPA to acquire protection. However, CIPA keeps a database of protected works submitted for recording.
Additionally, CIPA provides for the sale of hologram which is meant to authenticate sound and audiovisual works.
Individuals and SMME must complete the form for the sale of hologram, with an application fee, and affix it to theirworks.
F. REGISTRATION FOR TAX PURPOSESThe SMME must registration for the following basic tax requirements: Income tax (mandatory for every employer);
Value Added Tax (compulsory if the business turnover is above P500 000 per annum or voluntary if its lower); Tax
clearance/Exemption certificate (normally a requirement for public procurement such as tenders).
G. PPADB REGISTRATIONThe SMME must register with the Public Procurement and Asset disposal Board in accordance with the nature, sizeand category of the business.
H. EDD REGISTRATIONEDD is a Government initiative intended to promote locally manufactured goods by offering preferential
margins/treatment on procurement to companies. The SMME must fulfill the following:
1. Completion of EDD registration forms
2. Submit copies of financial statements

Page 5 of 73. Submit trade license or waiver thereof
4. Submit certificate of incorporation and Tax/VAT certificate
5. After adjudication and approval, an EDD certificate will be issued, to be utilized during every public
procurement bid to take advantage of the EDD dispensation.
I. CAPACITY BUILDING
Upon registering a company and acquiring the necessary licenses and permits, SMMEs are offered business support
services to capacitate them to start and grow their businesses. These include business advisory, basic and advanced
training, on-site monitoring and coaching, facilitation of access to funding, facilitation of access to markets, businessincubation, technology adoption and diffusion as well as mentoring services. These interventions are offered by theLEA, CEDA and the Department of Cooperatives.
J. BUSINESS FUNDING
When the SMME has perfected their business idea and developed a business plan, the business plan is submitted tofinancing institutions for consideration. Each financing institution has its own criteria of assessing loan applications.
Examples include CEDA, Youth Development Fund, Gender Affairs Women Empowerment Fund, and commercial
banks such as Barclays Bank, Stanbic Bank, First National Bank Botswana, Standard Chartered Botswana and others.

Page 6 of 7

K. PRODUCT AND PROCESS CERTIFICATION
When the SMME has started production, they must go through the certification process, to standardize and certify thequality of the products and services. Product and service certification enables the producer to compete with establishedproducers and suppliers, and also enhances external market penetration. The Botswana Bureau of Standards is
responsible for standardization and certification in Botswana.
L. EXPORTATION OF PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
When the SMME is well established with capacity to produce and satisfy the local market, they can enroll in theBotswana Export Development Programme. The programme prepares them to fully understand the targeted externalmarkets, and capacitates them to produce and meet the international market demands. Exportation of local products
and services is driven by BITC and the Department of International Trade.
M. DOMESTIC AND FOREIGN INVESTMENT
When the SMME has developed into a competitive and sustainable business, they can invest in various viable sectors inBotswana, with assistance of institutions such as SPEDU, SEZA, BDC and BITC.
This business development kit also contains additional information on services offered to the SMMEs byvarious organizations, guidelines, checklists, application forms and documentation that will guide theSMMEs to make informed decisions when starting and operating their businesses. Follow this link for more
information: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/fz0z0fhrr1cox11/AACR5dRxtHM77Xw_hdM3DBAna?dl=0Page 7 of 7