National Technology Fund awards contract to ExD

Business Recorder reported that the National Technology Fund, known as Ignite, has awarded a contract to Excellence Delivered (ExD) to train and certify 2,500 trainees in SAP. Each trainee is priced at Rs388,600, bringing the total to Rs971.5 million. Payments will depend on certification and job-placement results, with deductions if targets are missed.

Ignite told Business Recorder that its board approved the award on June 8, 2026, after the prescribed evaluation and approval steps were completed. The programme includes SAP training, soft-skills development and employment support, with 80 percent of trainees expected to earn certification. Of those certified, 80 percent are meant to find jobs with employers in Pakistan or abroad.

Four firms submitted bids after the request for proposals was published on December 3, 2025, with the deadline set for January 12, 2026. The bidders were ExD, Ashrei Tech, TMC and Biafotech. Ignite said evaluation results were posted on EPADS and its website and shared with every bidder. On conflicts, the fund said the chairman of ExD also chairs P@SHA, but that person is neither on its board nor involved in the evaluation, so no conflict was identified.