ISLAMABAD: Ignite – National Technology Fund has awarded a contract to M/s Excellence Delivered (ExD) for training and certification of 2,500 trainees in SAP for Rs388,600 per trainee, with payments linked to certification and job-placement targets.
In response to questions from Business Recorder, Ignite said the contract was approved by its Board of Directors on June 8, 2026, following completion of the prescribed evaluation and approval process.
The total contract value works out to Rs971.5 million. The programme covers SAP training and certification, soft-skills development and employment-placement support.
Under the performance targets, at least 80 percent of trainees are expected to achieve certification, while 80 percent of those certified are expected to secure placements with local or international employers.
Ignite said payments would be performance-linked, with deductions applicable if the agreed certification or placement targets were not achieved.
The procurement process began with the publication of a request for proposals (RFP) on December 3, 2025, in newspapers. The deadline for submission of bids was January 12, 2026, and four firms submitted proposals. These included ExD, Ashrei Tech, TMC and Biafotech.
Ignite said the evaluation results had already been published through the Electronic Pakistan Acquisition and Disposal System (EPADS) and the fund’s official website, and communicated to all participating bidders.
Responding to questions about potential conflicts of interest, Ignite said all bidders were required to submit a Conflict of Interest Declaration under the eligibility requirements of the RFP.
The fund said no conflict of interest has been identified in ExD’s case on account of its chairman also serving as chairman of the Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA).
According to Ignite, the P@SHA chairman is neither a member of Ignite’s Board of Directors nor involved in the fund’s procurement evaluation, approval or decision-making process. It said ExD had therefore declared that it had no conflict of interest to disclose in relation to the procurement.
The procurement has drawn attention to the need for transparency in the award of publicly funded technology-training contracts, particularly where the programme’s stated objectives include internationally recognised certification and employment generation.
The contract’s performance-linked payment mechanism places emphasis on measurable outcomes rather than training delivery alone. However, the effectiveness of the programme will ultimately depend on whether the certification and employment-placement targets are achieved and verified.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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