Bandung City Becomes Pilot Project for Perintis Berdaya Connect, SMEs Receive Halal Certification Facilitation

The Coordinating Ministry for Community Empowerment (Kemenko PM) is encouraging UMKM actors not to continue relying on social assistance but to grow into independent economic drivers. According to the Deputy for Coordinating Community Economic Empowerment and Migrant Worker Protection at Kemenko PM, Leontinus Alpha Edison, they are facilitating business actors in Bandung City to handle various business legalities, namely Indonesian National Standards (SNI), halal certification, and Intellectual Property Rights (HAKI). “The aspirations that emerged in the dialogue earlier show that business actors need quick and concrete solutions. Therefore, we ensure there is a concrete output today that is directly realised through the implementation of this business matching,” said Leontinus at the launch of the Perintis Berdaya Connect programme at Bandung Creative Hub, Bandung City, on Tuesday (12/5/2026). Leontinus stated that accelerating legality is carried out so that UMKM actors have protection when marketing their products. “Our focus is on accelerating legality, SNI, halal certificates, and HAKI to provide 360-degree protection for UMKM entrepreneurs so they are truly safe and empowered when commercialising their products,” he explained. According to him, the programme is designed as an integrated ecosystem that connects UMKM actors, the creative economy, and cooperatives with various strategic partners. “Perintis Berdaya Connect is a real bridge so that society does not forever depend on social assistance but is able to level up to become economic drivers,” said Leontinus. Bandung City, he said, has been entrusted to be the first area for implementing the Perintis Berdaya Connect programme launched by the Coordinating Ministry for Community Empowerment (Kemenko PM). The programme is proposed as an integrated solution or ‘one stop solution’ to strengthen the empowerment of UMKM, the creative economy, cooperatives, and community business actors to be more productive and independent. According to him, this programme is present to help business actors develop through various integrated supports. “Perintis Berdaya Connect is a one stop solution for central and regional governments in helping to empower UMKM, the creative economy, cooperatives, and other community businesses to be more productive,” said Leontinus. The programme has several main pillars, starting from capacity building, business access, financing, to market expansion. Business actors will also be assisted in obtaining access to raw materials, production technology, omnichannel marketing, business legality, and intellectual property rights (HAKI). In addition, developing business actors will be facilitated to obtain financing access to increase their business capacity. Leontinus said that this programme not only aims to sustain community businesses but also encourages them to level up. The indicators are not just increased turnover but also the ability to use technology, expand workforce, and strengthen business competitiveness. In addition to the programme launch, Kemenko PM held a dialogue titled ‘From Space to Opportunity, Orchestrating the Community Business Ecosystem’ with UMKM actors. This is a space for small entrepreneurs to express business obstacles while obtaining direct solutions from the government and experts. The event then continued with a business matching session that brought together UMKM and creative economy entrepreneurs with experts using a People, Process, and Technology approach. One UMKM actor from Bandung, Alhar PP, admitted to being helped by the event. Because they could dialogue directly with the government while gaining access to training and mentoring. “We are very pleased to be able to dialogue directly with the Deputy of Kemenko PM. Our input was heard and directly connected to solutions through this certification management training and business matching,” said Alhar. The Perintis Berdaya Connect programme will be replicated to various regions in Indonesia as part of the Red and White Cabinet’s target in strengthening an inclusive and globally competitive grassroots economy.