The Small Enterprise Development Agency (Seda) is an agency of the South African Department of Trade and Industry(the dti). Seda was established in December 2004, through the National Small Business Amendment Act, Act 29 of 2004.

It 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.

To this end it offers SMMEs advice, counselling, mentorship, guidance and access to vital contacts through its nationwide network of 9 provincial offices, 40 district branches, 4 mobile units, 46 Enterprise Information Centres and 29 Technology Incubators across the country.

Products and services to which entrepreneurs have access include, among others, information and advice, training and mentoring, business planning and registration, incubation and technology transfer as well as sector specific training and development programmes.

Seda has been tasked to establish a National Procurement Portal that would contribute to increased participation of small businesses in tendering and supplying the private and public sector with competitive goods and services.

The Procurement Portal focuses on disseminating information on tender opportunities and Requests for Quotations countrywide and in the future, will also cater for electronic submission of such quotations through the National Procurement Portal.

Daily leads and tenders are gathered, captured and categorized correctly on the platform to make it accessible to SMME's. SMME's who are registered on the site can view available tenders and can even receive alerts when appropriate information becomes available.

The Procurement Portal is partnership between Metropolitan Life, Ubuntu Empowerment Services and the Small Enterprise Development Agency.