PETALING JAYA: The SAY Aspire programme, which aims to help young entrepreneurs hone their business acumen, is also an effective and proactive approach to help them gain a foothold in the international market.
The programme, now in its fifth edition, also saw the direct involvement of Raja Muda Selangor Tengku Amir Shah Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, who aspires to see young entrepreneurs fulfil their potential.
Selangor Youth Community (SAY) chief executive officer Aiman Syafiq Nazri said Tengku Amir Shah has — since the programme's inception in 2018 — played an active role in its participants' development.
Tengku Amir Shah, he said, was especially passionate about capacity building and talent development, particularly youth development, not only in Selangor but also nationwide.
"From the very first edition, he has been involved in every aspect of the programme, including its structure.
"He also has significant influence over the modules we use in the programme, the selection process (of participants), the framework, as well as discussions where he provides his feedback," he said after the completion of the SAY Aspire 5th Edition — Pitch Finale here recently.
Three winners were chosen after 10 Malaysian micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) finalists from a pool of 30 presented their business pitches to a panel of judges, which included Tengku Amir Shah.
The winners received sponsored flights worth RM10,000 to a chosen country for promotional and business negotiation purposes, personalised mentorship, booth space and networking opportunities to assist entrepreneurs in realising their export ambitions, as well as opportunities for business incentives and investments.
Aiman Syafiq said the Selangor prince envisioned the programme as a platform to provide participants with the right access and connections with relevant agencies to further grow their businesses.
He said SAY Aspire offers participants the opportunity to connect with agencies such as the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade) to receive trade advice for expanding their businesses overseas.
"While we do not directly channel them to export markets, we connect them with agencies that can offer further assistance.
"We also provide them with the platform and foundation, which is Tuanku's passion and vision for the programme, in ensuring our entrepreneurs have access to the necessary knowledge. This is crucial, as prior to joining the programme, they might not have had access to such agencies."
SAY Aspire is an entrepreneurial development programme designed for local export-ready companies to penetrate overseas markets through business development and export strategies, with the ultimate goal of producing global champions and magnifying social impact.
The programme is conducted under SAY Community, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) established by Tengku Amir Shah in 2017, aimed at developing and growing local young entrepreneurs on the international stage.
Since its establishment in 2018, more than 200 entrepreneurs have participated in SAY Aspire.
Elaborating on the programme, Aiman Syafiq said the fifth edition had been running for three months, during which participants were supported with knowledge and training.
"This included input from mentors comprising trade advisers with a wealth of experience. The training does not stop there. After the programme ends, there will also be a post-programme phase where the top winners will receive guidance from the trade advisers.
"This is to help them achieve their objective of marketing their products to the countries they have identified."
Meanwhile, SAY Community Entrepreneurship manager Azim Naim Rahman described the programme as a golden opportunity for entrepreneurs.
"It is rare to see a member of the royal family involved in entrepreneurship and development programmes for the people. This is one of the reasons why we look forward to helping entrepreneurs who are passionate about further developing themselves," he said.