KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 10 (Bernama) -- Small and Medium Enterprise Corp Malaysia (SME Corp) is working closely with Bank Negara Malaysia and the Association of Banks in Malaysia (ABM), to promote the 1-Innovation Certification for Enterprise Rating & Transformation (1-InnoCERT) programme.

Its chairman Datuk Ir Mohamed Al Amin Abdul Majid said the effort would facilitate linkages between innovative SMEs and banks.

"It would help as well, SME companies, to get financial assistance from banks.

"Through this recognition by ABM and Bank Negara, companies with the 1-InnoCERT certification can get easy funding from banks," he added.

He was speaking to reporters after the soft launch of the SME Innovation Award 2012 here today.

Earlier in his speech, Mohamed Al Amin said the corporation is collaborating with SIRIM Bhd to organise the 1-InnoCERT programme, aimed at fostering innovative enterprises through harnessing and intensifying home grown research and development.

He said the companies will be evaluated based on their technological innovation, commercialisation and innovation management abilities as well as technological innovation results.

Mohamed Al Amin said to date, more than 400 SMEs had undertaken the online assessment and of these, 97 had been 1-InnoCERT certified.

SME Corp will also organise five awareness workshops from today to Feb 18, 2012, to guide interested SMEs on the application process.

The online assessment will commence today.

He said SMEs that were 1-InnoCERT certified, are eligible to participate in the SME Innovation Award, which offers a RM1 million prize for the Top Most Innovative SME.

Meanwhile, for the SME Innovation Award 2012, the final date for submission is Feb 28, 2012.

The annual award will be presented during the SME Innovation Showcase 2012 opening in June next year.

-- BERNAMA