BUSINESS digitalisation services provider Wilstech is collaborating with Selangor Information Technology and Digital Economy Corporation (Sidec) to support small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in their digitalisation efforts via the Selangor SME Digitalisation Matching Grant.
Through the grant, SMEs will be able to receive up to 50% of the fees to digitalise their business, or a maximum of RM5,000, across a variety of aspects.
Sidec has allocated a total of RM5mil for the grant programme.
The Selangor SME Digitalisation Matching Grant aims to digitalise SMEs across five core practice areas, namely, in e-commerce, human resources and payroll systems, cloud accounting, digital marketing as well as e-point of sales and payment gateway functionalities.
Wilstech will be catering to the e-commerce and human resources and payroll systems aspects of the programme.
Through the collaboration with Sidec, Wilstech chief executive officer Wilson Low hopes to offer its expertise in business digitalisation to a vast group of SMEs.
“We truly understand the plight that SMEs have faced over the past two years because we, too, are an SME. We know the challenges and limitations, yet we are equally familiar with the opportunities and possibilities.
“This is why we want to give local SMEs an upper hand in a competitive and volatile market.
“Whether it is e-commerce functionality, human resources, accounting and customer relationship management solutions, infrastructure and hardware services or software and mobile app development, we are able to cater to the whole spectrum of digitalisation needs for SMEs who are looking to evolve and adapt to the next normal,” says Low. To be eligible for the grant, applicants will have to fulfil the following criteria: registered under the relevant laws in Malaysia, at least 51%-owned by Malaysians, the business or operation address is registered in Selangor, be in operation for at least one year and have a minimum annual sales turnover of between RM300,000 and RM3mil.
The grant is also limited to one application per company but they may apply for services in up to three of the above-mentioned categories.
“SMEs form the bedrock of Malaysia’s economy, with over 98% of businesses in the country registered as SMEs – they are a huge economic contributor. Yet for close to two years now, the pandemic has ravaged them.
“Many have struggled against the limitations of the pandemic. They have found it difficult to adapt and survive to the more digital nature of business today. This is what the Selangor SME Digitalisation Matching Grant aims to address.
“We know that embarking on a holistic digitalisation journey can be very challenging to SMEs, whether from a know-how or an affordability perspective. This is why we are offering a 50% grant on such digitalisation efforts through a list of qualified digital service providers.
“We believe that this programme will go a long way towards safeguarding the survivability of these SMEs and in turn, the long-term wellbeing of Malaysia’s economy,” Sidec states.
For SMEs interested in the digitalisation categories offered by Wilstech, they can reach out to the company to discuss digitalisation plans, obtain a proforma invoice on the plan and submit their application through the Sidec website. Successful applicants will be notified via email within 21 working days.
Applications for the grant are now open until Oct 31, 2021.
To apply for the Selangor SME Digitalisation Matching Grant, visit https://www.sidec.com.my/selangorgrant2021/.