TikTok Shop continues its commitment to empower Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) through its latest collaboration with the ASEAN Foundation and the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC) through the SOAR Together Program (Supporting Our Artisans and Retailers).
The collaboration aims to leverage on relevant expertise to drive digital transformation and economic inclusion for MSMEs, providing tailored support and resources to help participating MSMEs rapidly advance their businesses and creative endeavors on TikTok Shop within their own markets as well as regionally, enabling growth and sustainable development.
MSMEs play a crucial role in employment generation, income contribution, and local economic resilience. Across ASEAN, there are approximately 70 million MSMEs, accounting for between 97.2% and 99.9% of total establishments. Despite their significant presence, MSMEs often face challenges such as limited access to finance, inadequate business skills, and insufficient market linkages, which can hinder their growth and sustainability.
TikTok Shop gives people a place to translate the excitement of discovering unique products and sellers into impactful transactions that spark joy for both buyers and sellers, all without leaving the app. The ASEAN SOAR Together programme is another major step in TikTok’s ongoing efforts to address the unique needs of small businesses and creators in Southeast Asia.
The ASEAN SOAR Together programme is also aligned with the ASEAN Strategic Action Plan for SME Development 2016-2025 that aims to transform SMEs from domestic players into globally competitive and innovative enterprises by 2025, as well as the ASEAN Economic Community Blueprint 2025 that recognises Information and Communications Technology (ICT) as a key driver in ASEAN’s economic and social transformation.
More details of the ASEAN SOAR Together programme can be found at this link: https://www.aseanfoundation.org/call_for_application_asean_soar_together
