SETC Strengthens Government and Private Sector Collaboration to Elevate MSMEs

Collaboration between the private sector and the government is considered vital to helping more national MSMEs scale up and penetrate export markets. Given their significant contribution to the national economy, the advancement of MSMEs will directly impact Indonesia’s growth.

The Head of the Jakarta Provincial Department of Industry, Trade, Cooperatives, Small and Medium Enterprises (PPKUKM), Elisabeth Ratu Rante Allo, stated that government and private sector collaboration to support MSME capacity building is essential. As MSMEs scale up, the Indonesian economy grows accordingly, particularly since MSMEs contribute approximately 61% to the national Gross Domestic Partnership (GDP) and absorb 97% of the workforce.

She expressed appreciation for the MSME mentoring and training conducted by PT HM Sampoerna Tbk. (Sampoerna) through the Sampoerna Entrepreneurship Training Center (SETC) under the ‘Sampoerna for Indonesia’ Sustainability Programme, which consistently assists MSMEs in upgrading their operations and entering export markets.

“This is proof that collaboration between the government, private sector, and corporations can produce a real impact on national growth. When MSMEs scale up, Jakarta will certainly scale up, and Indonesia will also scale up,” she said in a written statement on Wednesday.

The SETC - UUI 2026 programme represents Sampoerna’s long-term commitment to building an entrepreneurial ecosystem in Indonesia. Established in 2007, SETC has trained over 108,000 MSME entrepreneurs and facilitated export penetration to Japan and China through the KADIN WikiExport programme.

SETC’s presence is further strengthened by the synergy of the Sampoerna Retail Community (SRC), which nurtures over 250,000 grocery stores and generates a total annual turnover of Rp251 trillion, contributing 9.46% to the 2025 National Retail GDP.

Elisabeth emphasised that the government, through various methods such as business matching and exhibitions, has assisted MSMEs in gaining access to overseas buyers. This initiative is expected to provide MSME entrepreneurs with access to sustainable partners and buyers to support business growth.

Consequently, she hopes that MSMEs can optimally utilise the opportunities and support provided by both the government and the private sector. “What we seek from overseas events and exhibitions are sustainable buyers, not just selling all the products brought and returning with empty suitcases,” she asserted.

At the same time, the Director of Stakelarholder Relations & Sustainability at Sampoerna, Romulus Sutanto, stated that the bootcamp organised by SETC aims to help MSME entrepreneurs increase business capacity, leverage digitalisation opportunities, expand networking, and prepare for wider markets, including exports.

The two-day bootcamp, held from 29–30 September 2026, involved more than 180 MSME players from across Indonesia.

Romulus noted that SETC continues to innovate, notably through the Collaborator Hub, which is spread across several major cities in Indonesia to reach more MSME entrepreneurs. Currently, SETC has 30 Collaborator Hubs assisting more than 2,300 MSMEs sustainably, supporting them to scale up and become more competitive.

This Collaborator Hub network operates across 17 provinces and acts as a local enabler to activate the MSME empowerment ecosystem in various regions, primarily through strengthening human resource capabilities so that business owners can continue to advance and remain competitive.

Through practice-based mentoring, collaborative networks, and market access, the Collaborator Hub serves as a partner for MSMEs to develop their businesses sustainably while creating new local employment opportunities. The presence of this network is a vital part of expanding SETC’s reach to ensure mentoring reaches MSMEs in various regions.

“Through various training programmes, mentoring, and collaboration with partners, SETC strives to provide more than just a learning space. SETC helps MSME entrepreneurs build a business foundation capable of capturing greater growth opportunities,” he added.