PETALING JAYA: Malaysia Digital Economy Corp (MDEC) has disbursed RM5.52mil in grants to 45 recipients under four grant programmes – Global Technology Grant (GTG), Digital Content Creators Challenge, Digital Content Grant and #SMART Automation Grant (SAG).

       MDEC, the lead digital economy agency under the Communications and Multimedia Ministry, said the disbursements to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as well as mid-tier companies across multiple industries would accelerate digital adoption and digital creative content.

       In a statement, it said its new grant framework is now completed and fully operational, and will also allow it to provide adequate funding to the right recipients with an emphasis on governance, transparency and speed.

       The GTG is aimed at nurturing global champions and a digital innovation ecosystem while the SAG is a matching grant that helps SMEs in the services industry, primarily retail, wholesale, food and beverage, tourism and logistics, to enhance and improve their businesses via digital tools.

       The Digital Content Creators Challenge is a platform for local digital content companies encompassing animation, video games and digital comics. The Digital Content Grant is an initiative under the government’s Penjana Economy Recovery Plan to support local digital content companies.

       “The new grant framework builds on our input-output-outcome-impact model. These grants are executed with ease of access and transparency in mind – all information of our grants are made public through the mainstream media and our social media, ensuring that we cover everyone from Perlis to Sabah.

       “What matters is the know-how, not the know-who,” said MDEC chairman Datuk Wira Dr Rais Hussin Mohamed Ariff.

       MDEC recently launched two grants including the GTG 2021, which opened for submission on Aug 26. Closing date for submissions is on Sept 15, 2021. Applicants can find more information at www.mdec.my/gtg.

       The SAG 2021 was also opened for submission on Aug 26, with a four week call for submissions. Applicants can register and check their eligibility criteria at mdec.my/sag.