KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 17): Ekuiti Nasional Bhd (Ekuinas) has empowered 19 Bumiputera small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that have strengthened their performance and elevated their businesses through ILTIZAM Catalyst 2024, a flagship programme under ILTIZAM’s Entrepreneurship pillar.
In a statement on Sunday, Ekuinas chairman Tan Sri Shahril Ridza Ridzuan said that over the past nine months, these companies had undergone a structured transformation.
He said the programme focused on strengthening their business foundations across four areas — financial management and compliance, branding and digital marketing, technology adoption, and leadership.
“ILTIZAM Catalyst is designed to sharpen strategic thinking, nurture talent, strengthen operations and governance, and encourage innovative thinking,” he said.
Chief executive officer Aliff Omar Mohamad Omar said that since its inception in 2022, ILTIZAM Catalyst has empowered 57 companies across diverse industries, including education, food and beverage, healthcare, manufacturing, information technology services, and other sectors.
“Based on the key performance indicators introduced in 2023, ILTIZAM Catalyst 2024 delivered strong and quantifiable results, with 95% of participants reporting greater clarity in business direction, 89% enhanced entrepreneurial mindset and leadership readiness, 79% improved brand visibility, and 68% increased product profitability,” he said.
According to Ekuinas, it has disbursed over RM115 million towards socio-economic development across Malaysia, since its inception.
It added that applications for ILTIZAM Catalyst 2026 will open on Oct 16, 2025, and Bumiputera SMEs with a minimum two-year profit record and annual revenue between RM300,000 and RM1 million are encouraged to apply.
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