a day ago
Ekuinas empowers 19 Bumiputera SMEs through ILTIZAM Catalyst 2024
Tan Sri Shahril Ridza Ridzuan
KUALA LUMPUR: Ekuiti Nasional Bhd (Ekuinas) has celebrated the achievements of 19 Bumiputera small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that successfully elevated their businesses through ILTIZAM Catalyst 2024, the flagship programme under its corporate social responsibility (CSR) platform, ILTIZAM.
'Over the past nine months, these companies have undergone a structured transformation focused on strengthening their business foundations across four key areas: financial management and compliance, branding and digital marketing, technology adoption and leadership,' Ekuinas chairman Tan Sri Shahril Ridza Ridzuan said at the ILTIZAM Catalyst 2024 Achievement Ceremony.
'ILTIZAM Catalyst is designed to sharpen strategic thinking, nurture talent, strengthen operations and governance, and encourage innovative thinking. It is more than a mentoring programme. It is a complete ecosystem that delivers knowledge, network, confidence, and the courage to create and seize new opportunities,' he said.
Ekuinas said it provided over RM70,000 in technical support to every company in the ILTIZAM Catalyst 2024 cohort.
Chief executive officer Aliff Omar Mohamad Omar said ILTIZAM Catalyst has supported 57 companies across various industries such as education, F&B, healthcare and IT services since its inception in 2022.
He added that the programme has delivered tangible results, with 95% of participants reporting clearer business direction, 89% strengthening their entrepreneurial mindset and leadership, 79% boosting brand visibility and market presence, and 68% increasing product profitability.
In 2024, Ekuinas disbursed RM15.3 million under ILTIZAM for entrepreneurship, education and community initiatives, benefiting over 17,000 individuals and businesses nationwide. To date, more than RM115 million has been channelled towards socio-economic development across Malaysia.
Applications for ILTIZAM Catalyst 2026 open on Oct 16, with Bumiputera SMEs that have at least two years of profits and annual revenue between RM300,000 and RM1 million encouraged to apply to scale their businesses. For more information, visit
