During the workshop, three outstanding social enterprises were awarded a total of $30,000 in grants to support the implementation of their innovative social business ideas and further promote sustainable development goals in the ASEAN region.
During the event, three outstanding social enterprises were awarded grants totaling $30,000 to help bring their innovative social business ideas to life, contributing to the advancement of sustainable development goals in the ASEAN region.
The Regional Workshop featured an engaging program that included a Demo Day and Business Matchmaking sessions, connecting visionary social entrepreneurs with potential investors, such as venture capitalists and angel investors. The workshop also hosted insightful roundtable discussions and a networking dinner with ACCMSME delegates. This provided participants with a platform to build meaningful relationships, express their aspirations, and showcase their promising initiatives to ASEAN policymakers. The winners of the grants were Survival Skills Vietnam from Vietnam in first place, Tulibot from Indonesia in second place, and Beebag from Malaysia in third place.
“We are excited to announce the seed grant winners today, and we look forward to witnessing their growth and contribution to sustainability across the region. The Regional Workshop offers an invaluable opportunity for these social entrepreneurs to gain exposure to potential investors, actively participate in regional conversations, and network with influential policymakers across ASEAN. We are confident that all the participating social enterprises will harness the knowledge they have acquired during the program and continue to thrive,” said Dr. Piti Srisangnam, Executive Director of the ASEAN Foundation.
The ASEAN Foundation, in partnership with TikTok and SAP, has successfully launched the ASEAN SEDP 2.0 program to empower social enterprises throughout the ASEAN region. This initiative focuses on promoting productivity, technology, and innovation. It aims to enhance access to financing, improve market access and internationalization, and foster entrepreneurship and human capital development.
After a rigorous selection process involving 145 applicants, 20 exceptional social enterprises from ten ASEAN member countries have been chosen to participate in the program. The selected enterprises are as follows:
- Brunei Darussalam: Big BWN Project
- Cambodia: ADSA Cambodia
- Indonesia: Komerce, PetaNetra, PT. Disabilitas Kerja Indonesia, and Tulibot
- Lao PDR: Cofarm – Farm for Local
- Malaysia: Beebag, Native Discovery, and PichaEats
- Myanmar: CC Educare Myanmar, Taungthutada, and TTTD – Farmers’ Bridge
- Philippines: Hinablon sa Cebu and Mayani
- Singapore: Recyglo
- Thailand: Lukthamdai, Moreloop, and PakDone
- Vietnam: Survival Skills Vietnam and Tohe Social Enterprise
The selected social enterprises benefited from 15 customized virtual training and mentoring sessions tailored to their specific needs. One of these sessions, held in September 2023, focused on TikTok Trust and Safety. It provided insights into TikTok’s safety efforts, community guidelines, and user protection measures.
Hasnita Taslim, the Founder of PT Disabilitas Kerja, stated, “I am grateful to have learned about TikTok’s Trust and Safety (T&S) strategies and measures that are in place to ensure user safety on the platform. As a TikTok user, it gives me great confidence knowing that we are well protected.”
Another workshop that TikTok conducted focused on content creation strategy, equipping social enterprises with skills and techniques to connect, grow, and mobilize their audience authentically.
“TikTok is proud to partner with the ASEAN Foundation to meaningfully empower social enterprises across Southeast Asia to advance inclusive economic growth and drive meaningful change in their communities. We believe that a collective partnership involving governments, non-profits, and private sector partners can enable the next generation of entrepreneurs to grow and thrive,” said Jerry Lewis Ong, Social Impact APAC, TikTok.
The ongoing strategic collaboration between the ASEAN Foundation and SAP aims to empower youth-led social enterprises and young talents across the ASEAN region. This program focuses on equipping them with the essential skills needed to create a future-ready workforce and encourages young social entrepreneurs to explore innovative solutions that provide inclusive economic benefits throughout the region. Recently, SAP conducted training sessions for selected social entrepreneurs under the themes “Powerful Collaborations: Enhancing Impact through Partnership” and “SAP S/4HANA for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises.”
Lu Hongwei, the Regional CSR Director for East Asia, Pacific, and Greater China at SAP, stated, “We are dedicated to supporting social entrepreneurs who are ready to create significant regional and global change. Through the knowledge gained from our program, along with ongoing mentorship and access to our corporate supplier networks, we firmly believe they will achieve a profound impact.”
One of the highlighted social enterprises is Recyglo Singapore, a sustainability platform based in Singapore. They offer closed-loop waste management solutions for both businesses and individuals and operate in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Myanmar. Adhering to their motto, “Making the world a cleaner place,” their mission is to process materials in a safe and non-hazardous manner to prevent environmental harm.
The Regional Workshop was attended by several officials nominated by ACCMSME, including:
- Mr. Tham Jierong, Assistant CEO and Head of Venture Building at raiSE, Singapore.
- Ms. Joanne Tan, Assistant Chief Executive Officer of the Capability Programmes and Planning Group at Enterprise Singapore.
- Mr. M. Reza Guntara, Expert Planner at the Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs in Indonesia.
Three decades after ASEAN was established, it became evident that there was a need for enhanced shared prosperity, awareness, and interaction among its people.
In response, ASEAN leaders founded the ASEAN Foundation during the ASEAN 30th Anniversary Commemorative Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on December 15, 1997. The ASEAN Foundation, created by and for the people of ASEAN, has a vision of building a cohesive and prosperous ASEAN Community.
As an integral part of ASEAN, the Foundation is committed to promoting awareness, identity, interaction, and development among its people. For more information about the ASEAN Foundation, please visit: www.aseanfoundation.org.Faye Jeremy
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