JAKARTA -- A total of 153 micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) were selected to be coached by Pertamina through the PFpreneur program in the "2023 Inaugural PFpreneur Womenleader and Entrepreneur". The PFpreneur mentors who were selected from 9,842 applicants received total business capital assistance worth IDR 200 million.

"PFpreneur participants can take part in coaching classes at Pertamina through the UMK Academy program, certification and exhibitions participated in by Pertamina," said VP CSR and Small Medium Enterprise Partnership Program PT Pertamina Fajriyah Usman in a press release, Saturday (6/1/2024).

The business categories selected to be coached are 39 MSMEs in crafts, 14 MSMEs in fashion, and 100 MSMEs in culinary. The selected MSMEs went through training followed by a pre-test and post-test until 153 MSMEs were selected from 40 groups who were trained intensively for seven days.

In collaboration with the Wiranesia Foundation, PFpreneur participants receive a variety of training materials, ranging from understanding business competition, turnover and consumer targets, distribution channels and resellers, 4P & AIDA marketing strategies to sales strategies through social media and market places.

Selected PFpreneur mentors receive total business capital assistance worth IDR 200 million. Apart from capital assistance, they also received incubation and coaching clinics from experts and practitioners.

They also have a great opportunity to take part in other Pertamina incubation programs, such as the UMK Academy and prestigious exhibitions with Pertamina.

"In 2023, two PFPreneur MSMEs became UMK Academy champions, namely Padma Bakery became the Go Modern champion and Bananania became the Go Global champion," explained Fajriyah.

President Director of the Pertamina Foundation Agus Mashud S Asngari congratulated 153 MSMEs owned by Indonesian women. This number has increased from the previous year with 110 MSMEs. The program, he said, develops the businesses of womenpreneurs with two main things, namely creativity and governance.

Two PFpreneur mentors for 2021 and 2022, Sofyani Mirah as owner of Bananania who became the Go Global champion and owner of Agromina Fiber Novita Hermawan who appeared at the Pertamina SMEXPO 2023 exhibition, shared stories at the inauguration.

“The PFpreneur program was the first MSME development program that I participated in. "From this program, I became aware, understood and was able to correct the shortcomings in my business," explained Sofyani.

This activity of fostering female entrepreneurial MSMEs through PFpreneur is a form of support in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially point 5, namely gender equality and point 8, namely inclusive and sustainable economic growth which is also part of Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) .