PPKUKM Agency Prepares Fostered SMEs to Face Global Market Competition

The Jakarta Industry, Trade, Cooperatives, and Small and Medium Enterprises (PPKUKM) Agency held a technical guidance session on enhancing export product quality for 2026 at the Tavia Heritage Hotel, Central Jakarta.

A comprehensive series of activities

This activity, attended by 60 fostered business owners, marks the beginning of the 2026 Export Mentoring and Business Matching series, an initiative launched for the first time by the Jakarta Provincial Government to foster businesses aiming to expand into international markets.

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Head of Jakarta PPKUKM Agency, Elisabeth Ratu Rante Allo reminds SMEs wishing to enter the international market to prepare themselves for increasingly fierce competition.

The global market offers significant opportunities for products from Jakarta's SMEs. However, these opportunities also come with higher demands regarding product quality, pricing, standards, and the ability of business owners to understand market characteristics and the needs of potential buyers.

"It is not enough for the product itself to be excellent. Business operators must also understand the market, be familiar with required standards, be capable of calculating export prices and costs, and be prepared to negotiate with buyers," she said, Tuesday (9/1).

Following the completion of the mentoring phase, the program will proceed with a one-day export business matching event in October 2026. Forty top-performing businesses from the technical training program will be directly connected with potential buyers from various countries.

This stage is crucial for ensuring that SMEs not only grasp the theory but also have the confidence to engage directly with the global market. This opportunity must be leveraged to understand buyer needs, evaluate products, and build partnerships in order to create tangible export opportunities.

"This is the first time we have created a comprehensive series of activities, ranging from technical guidance and mentoring to business matching. In other words, there is a process to prepare the SMEs, followed by opportunities to connect them with potential buyers," she explained.

She warned that international market competition is extremely fierce due to the large number of competitors from other countries. Therefore, Jakarta's SMEs are required to continuously improve the quality and competitiveness of their products.

"The Jakarta Provincial Government will continue to provide support and facilitate market access. However, readiness to compete ultimately depends on the commitment of the business owners themselves. We want to see more Jakarta-based SMEs bold enough to view the international market as an opportunity to grow," she emphasized.