By Mandere Onyinkwa
The East African Community has officially launched the 2026 EAC Regional Quality Awards.
The initiative is aimed at recognising outstanding enterprises across the region for excellence in quality management, innovation, standards compliance and continuous improvement.
The announcement was made during the 28th Meeting of the East African Standards Committee (EASC) held in Arusha, with the regional bloc saying the awards are intended to strengthen competitiveness, promote regional trade and deepen East African integration.
According to the EAC Secretariat, the awards will celebrate enterprises in both the manufacturing and service sectors that demonstrate commitment to internationally recognised standards and high-quality production.
Speaking during the launch, EAC Director of Customs and Acting Director of Trade Flavia Busingye urged businesses across all Partner States, especially Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), to participate in the competition.
“We want to encourage greater participation of the private sector in the Awards process. We trust that the next phases will be more inclusive, especially for SMEs, women-led enterprises and emerging businesses, so that no one is left behind,” said Ms Busingye.
She noted that the initiative seeks to build a strong culture of quality among East African enterprises while helping locally produced goods and services gain wider access to regional and international markets.
Ms Busingye also challenged implementing institutions and stakeholders to establish follow-up mechanisms that will help winners grow into stronger regional and global brands.
“We need a monitoring process that follows up on the winners and supports them to move from where they are to another level of excellence and competitiveness,” she added.
The Acting Director of Trade further commended Kenya for successfully hosting the 2025 Awards cycle in Nairobi, which attracted 252 organisations and more than 3,000 participants, with 25 organisations receiving regional recognition.
“The 2026 Awards cycle aims to further raise the bar for quality excellence across East Africa, including among SMEs, while promoting innovation, competitiveness and consumer confidence in East African products and services,” she said.
The EAC Regional Quality Awards are implemented under the EAC Regional Quality Awards Framework approved by the East African Standards Committee in 2022.
The 2026 edition will feature four categories: EAC Product of the Year Award, EAC Company of the Year Award, EAC Service Awards and EAC Exporter Awards for the Agri-Processing Sector. Each category will recognise both large enterprises and SMEs.
The awards process will be conducted in two phases, beginning with national competitions coordinated by National Standards Bodies in collaboration with private sector stakeholders and relevant partners.
National winners will then proceed to the regional competition organised by the EAC Secretariat.
According to the timeline released by the EAC, national competitions began in April 2026, while submission of entries at national level will close on June 30.
National winners are expected to be selected by August 30 before advancing to the regional stage, with the final regional awards ceremony scheduled for October 2026 in Kigali.
The EAC also acknowledged support from the European Union through the EU-EAC Market Access Upgrade Programme (MARKUP II), implemented by the International Trade Centre in partnership with regional and national stakeholders, including the East African Business Council.
