About SET-UP

Rationale

            About 99.6% of registered enterprises in the country are classified as small and medium enterprises (SMEs). SMEs account for 53% of total employment generated and represent around 60% of total exporting firms all over the country (NSO). Recognizing the critical role of SMEs in maintaining economic stability, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has refocused economic policies to support and sustain in the growth of the manufacturing sector through the development of SMEs. Efforts are now being undertaken to expand domestic markets and assist SMEs in penetrating non-traditional markets for sustained growth and competitiveness.

However, to be able to do this, SMEs need substantial support in terms of:

a. New technologies;
b. Technical manpower training;
c. Access to capital;
d. Access to markets;
e. Product standards and testing facilities;
f. Appropriate packaging and product labeling;
g. Sustainable raw material supply;
h. Access to information;
i. Better/more efficient transport facilities.

            To help provide some if not all of these needs, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) launched the Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program (SET-UP) in response to the President's call for more focused programs fo assistance for SME's. SET-UP is a nationwide strategy to encourage and assist SME's to adopt technology innovations to improve their operations and thus boost their productivity and competitiveness. The program enables firms to address their technical problems through technology transfer and technology interventions to improve productivity through better product quality, human resources development, cost minimization and waste management, and other operation related activities.