Ministry of SMEs, Surakarta City Government, and BENAR Foundation Provide Free AI Access to 100 Surakarta SMEs
Jakarta (ANTARA) — The digital transformation of SMEs is now progressing from merely entering marketplaces to utilising artificial intelligence (AI) to support daily business operations. Through a collaborative programme at the PLUT Surakarta, 100 selected SMEs have gained free access to the MWX AI application to assist with content creation, bookkeeping, market analysis, and marketing strategies.
The programme, titled “From Marketplace to AI for Micro Enterprises to Level Up,” features a collaboration between the Ministry of SMEs, the Surakarta City Government, and the BENAR Foundation, with MWX as the technology partner providing the AI platform for SMEs.
Context of SME Digital Transformation in Indonesia
Currently, many SME entrepreneurs have begun entering digital channels via marketplaces, but they still face significant challenges in managing their businesses with efficient and accessible technology. This workshop provides direct training on how AI can be used in daily operations, from content creation and marketing to bookkeeping and market analysis.
“Many SMEs are not lacking in spirit, but they lack access to tools that can make them work faster and make better decisions. Through this programme, we want to ensure that technology like AI is not only for large companies but can also be used by micro-entrepreneurs,” said Ari Anindya Hartika, Assistant Deputy for Marketing and Digitalisation of Micro Enterprises at the Ministry of SMEs.
Enhancing Technology Access for SMEs
In this workshop, participants are taught three main competencies relevant to their daily business operations:
AI for Digitalisation and Financial Inclusion — helping SMEs manage finances and bookkeeping automatically with FinanceWhiz, which enables faster and more efficient financial reporting, as well as professional fund management.
AI for Market Analysis and Business Strategy — allowing micro-entrepreneurs to read market trends and opportunities like large companies using SmartWhiz, which provides market insights, including customer behaviour, to support better business decision-making.
AI for SME Branding and Marketing — producing professional marketing content without agency costs using CreateWhiz, which allows SMEs to generate promotional materials easily, from social media to advertising content, in a short time.
Through the MWX platform, all these capabilities are available in a single application designed specifically to be user-friendly for entrepreneurs without a technology background.
Collaboration to Support the SME Ecosystem
This programme reflects real synergy among various stakeholders supporting the advancement of Indonesian SMEs. The Ministry of SMEs, through Juragan UMKM, provides the national programme framework, while the Surakarta City Government facilitates direct access to local SME communities. Meanwhile, the BENAR Foundation, through its Ngaji Rasa Usaha programme, ensures that AI technology is truly absorbed and impactful for participants.
“We do not only want to provide assistance, but also ensure that every participant can implement what they learn to develop their businesses. This programme is a concrete form of our empathy as entrepreneurs who once struggled without adequate technology access,” added Arif Wicaksono, Chairman of the BENAR Foundation.