Quotation Template for Venues and Caterers in Kenya
In Kenya the quotation often goes to a committee, not a person. The couple forwards it to the wedding committee WhatsApp group, the treasurer checks it against what has been pledged, and a relative with a catering business picks it apart line by line. A quotation that is easy to read and hard to misunderstand wins more of those bookings.
Checked against Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) guidance · last reviewed 2026-09-25
Write for the committee meeting, not only the couple
Put the total on the first page in large figures, then the breakdown. Committee members want to know what they are raising money for, so group the lines the way they think: venue, food, drinks, tent and decor, sound and MC. Name the date, the venue and the guest numbers the price is based on, and say how long the quotation holds.
Add a short note on how contributions can be paid. If you accept deposits to a Paybill or Till number, give the number and the account reference the treasurer should use, so money sent by different relatives lands against the right booking.
Garden wedding quotation, Karen
Saturday garden wedding reception for 250 guests in Karen, Nairobi, food service 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm, quotation for the wedding committee.
| Item | Qty | Rate | Tax | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garden venue hire with parking, washrooms and security | 1 day | Ksh 180,000.00 | VAT 16% | Ksh 180,000.00 |
| Buffet per head: pilau, beef stew, chicken, chapati, kachumbari, fruit | 250 guest | Ksh 2,200.00 | VAT 16% | Ksh 550,000.00 |
| Soft drinks and water | 250 guest | Ksh 250.00 | VAT 16% | Ksh 62,500.00 |
| Tent, chairs and decor package | 1 package | Ksh 150,000.00 | VAT 16% | Ksh 150,000.00 |
| PA system and MC | 1 event | Ksh 45,000.00 | VAT 16% | Ksh 45,000.00 |
- Subtotal
- Ksh 987,500.00
- VAT 16% on Ksh 987,500.00
- Ksh 158,000.00
- Total
- Ksh 1,145,500.00
- Deposit (50%)
- Ksh 572,750.00
- Balance due
- Ksh 572,750.00
- An eTIMS invoice is issued once payment is received.
- Extra guests above 250 are charged at KSh 2,200 per head.
- Contributions to the stated Paybill must use the couple's names as account reference.
- Prices are illustrative for 2026.
Per-head buffet pricing and the plates nobody counted
Price the buffet per head and list the menu: pilau, chapati, beef stew, chicken, nyama choma if it is a separate station, kachumbari, fruit. Say what the per-head rate assumes about portions, and what happens if more guests arrive than planned. At a Kenyan wedding reception, walk-in guests are common, and "we will feed everyone" is a promise that belongs in writing with a price attached.
If the family wants a nyama choma station or a live chapati station, quote it as its own line. Those stations need extra staff and fuel, and bundling them into the per-head rate hides a cost you will want to adjust later.
Tents, chairs and garden venues
Garden venues around Nairobi usually charge for the grounds and let the family hire tents, chairs, décor and sound from specialists. If you are the venue, say what is included (parking, washrooms, security, a power point) and what is not. If you are the caterer, say whether your price includes serving tents, tables and chafing dishes, or only the food.
Rain is the other line. A garden reception in April or November needs a tent plan, and the quotation should say who pays for it if the family decides on the morning.
What your quotation must show in Kenya
| Field | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Business name, KRA PIN and contact details | Clients need the PIN for the eTIMS invoice that follows[1] |
| Event date, venue and guest numbers the price assumes | Committees budget from these numbers |
| Per-head menu, minimum guests and extra-plate price | Walk-in guests are common at receptions |
| Tents, chairs, decor and sound as separate lines | Often supplied by different specialists |
| VAT at 16% if registered | General rate charged by registered businesses[2] |
| Note that an eTIMS invoice will be issued | All businesses must issue electronic tax invoices[1] |
| Deposit, balance date and verified Paybill, Till or bank details | Prevents payments to cloned numbers |
| Validity date and cancellation rule | Repeated on the deposit receipt |
Quoting for corporate events and conferences
A company or NGO booking a staff party or a two-day workshop reads a quotation differently from a wedding committee. It wants the price per delegate per day, what the conference package includes (hall, tea breaks, lunch, stationery, projector), the rate for extra delegates and for cancellations, and your KRA PIN so procurement can add you as a supplier. Many will send a Local Purchase Order after accepting the quote; ask for it before the event and put its number on the eTIMS invoice later.
Be exact about what is not included. Accommodation, airport transfers, interpretation equipment and branded materials are common add-ons at Naivasha and Mombasa venues, and leaving them off the quotation is how a conference budget ends up disputed after the event.
VAT at 16% and what to do if you are not registered
If you are registered for VAT, show VAT at 16 percent as a separate line so a corporate client can see it. KRA says businesses supplying KES 5 million or more a year in taxable goods and services must register; a proposed increase to KES 8 million in the Finance Act 2025 has not been brought into effect, according to practitioner summaries. If you are not registered, do not add VAT, but note that you will still issue an eTIMS invoice.
If your business is regulated by the Tourism Fund, the 2 percent levy is worked into your sales, not usually shown as a separate charge to the client. Its brochure shows the levy being worked back out of food and drink sales that include service charge. Agree with your accountant how you price it.
The Karen garden wedding, read the way a committee reads it
The sample on this page is built for a committee meeting. The garden, the food, the drinks, the tent and decor, and the sound and MC each sit on their own line, so the committee can see that food for 250 guests is the largest cost and that the tent is a real line item, not a favour. VAT at 16 percent is shown once, below the subtotal, because the venue is VAT-registered.
The deposit is half, payable to the Paybill on the quotation with the couple's names as the account reference. The balance falls due a week before the wedding, and the quotation says that extra guests are charged at the same per-head rate. When the treasurer reads it aloud at the next meeting, there should be nothing left to interpret.
Deposits, M-Pesa and the balance
Most venues take 50 percent to hold the date and the balance a week before the event. Write the Paybill or Till number, the bank account and branch, and the reference to use. Tell clients not to pay any number that is not on your quotation, because cloned quotations with different M-Pesa numbers do circulate.
Say what happens to the deposit if the date moves or the event is cancelled, and repeat that rule on the receipt you issue when the deposit lands.
Mistakes that cost Kenyan caterers money
The most expensive one is quoting a per-head rate without a minimum and without a charge for extra plates. The second is forgetting transport to a venue two hours out of town: a catering team, vans and fuel to Naivasha or Nanyuki are real costs. The third is leaving the service window open. Say what time food service ends and what staff overtime costs after that.
Venura keeps each quotation linked to its booking, deposit and later receipts, in shillings, with your own VAT rate per line, and sends it on WhatsApp as a clean PDF the committee can forward.
Send quotations from one system in Kenya
Venura keeps bookings, quotes, invoices, deposits and receipts together for venues and caterers, in KES with your own tax rates. Plans for Kenya are priced on request.
Quotation questions from Kenya
What should a catering quotation include in Kenya?
The event date and venue, guest numbers and minimum, the per-head menu and extra-plate price, separate lines for stations, tents and decor, VAT at 16 percent if registered, a note that an eTIMS invoice will follow, deposit and payment details, and a validity date.
Should a quotation show VAT in Kenya?
Only if you are VAT-registered, in which case show 16 percent as a separate line. Registration is required once taxable supplies reach KES 5 million a year. If you are not registered, do not add VAT, but you still issue an eTIMS invoice after payment.
How do I take deposits from a wedding committee?
Give one Paybill or Till number, or bank account, with a clear account reference such as the couple's names and date. Ask the treasurer to use that reference for every contribution, and receipt each payment against the booking so the committee can reconcile its pledges.
How long should a venue quotation in Nairobi stay valid?
Two to four weeks is common. In peak months, such as August and December, keep it shorter and say that the date is only held once a deposit is received, so a slow committee decision does not cost you another booking.
Do I charge the Tourism Fund levy on the quotation?
The 2 percent levy is paid by regulated hotels and restaurants on their sales, and the Fund's brochure works it out of prices that already include it. Most businesses price it into their rates rather than listing it. Confirm your treatment with your accountant.
More templates for Kenya
Sources
- KRA: What is eTIMS (checked 2026-09-25)
- KRA: Value Added Tax (VAT) (checked 2026-09-25)
- Smart VAT Kenya: VAT threshold in 2026 (KES 5 million, 8 million proposal not in force) (checked 2026-09-25)
- Tourism Fund: Levy brochure (computation, due date and penalties) (checked 2026-09-25)
- Tourism Fund: Tourism levy (checked 2026-09-25)
This guide is general information, not tax or legal advice. Rules change, so confirm with your accountant or the authority linked above.
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