I NTE RNSH I P

ACCE LE RATION &

ECOSYSTE M
DEVE LOPM E NT
G RANT

Version 1.0 | March 3rd 2021

Kelompok Kerja Microcredential ©2021
Kementerian Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan
Republik Indonesia
KEMENTERIAN PENDIDIKAN DAN KEBUDAYAAN
REPUBLIK INDONESIA

©2021
SE KAPUR SI RI H

Developing Indonesian human capital is a In the implementation of IKU Number 2,

part of the Ministry of Education and
Culture’s strategic plan for 2020-2024, by
organizing and optimizing demographic
surplus momentum as the key to become a
great nation with social justice. One of the
ways is by transforming higher education
through Merdeka Belajar - Kampus Merdeka
(MBKM) policies. MBKM gives the student
the opportunity to advance their abilities
and talents to become well-prepared
professional in a specific field and gives
students specific rights to study and have
activities for one semester outside their
study program and another two semesters
outside campus, according to Peraturan
Menteri Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan
(Permendikbud) Nomor 3 Tahun 2020
tentang Standar Nasional Pendidikan
Tinggi (SN Dikti).
there is Certified Kampus Merdeka Program
(Microcredential), a program to develop
hard-skills and soft-skills competencies, so
the students will be more ready to face
industrial revolution 4.0. Some of the
programs are internship and independent
study.
Directorate General of Higher Education
(Dirjen Dikti) expressed appreciation and
gratitude to the guidebook writing team
who have contributed time and ideas to
create this guidebook. I am definitely sure
that universities can produce great talents
that have the proper competencies to
compete globally and contribute to the
build of the nation.

On the other hand, in the Keputusan

Menteri Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan
(Kepmendikbud) Nomor 754/p/2020
tentang Indikator Kinerja Utama Perguruan
Tinggi Negeri, where every institution is
expected to do education transformation
with 8 Main Performance Indicators (IKU),
universities are encouraged to do education
transformation in accordance with 8
Indikator Kinerja Utama (IKU). There are
eight IKUs that form the basis for the Jakarta, March 3rd 2021
transformation of higher education, 1)
Decent job opportunities for all graduates;
2) Off-campus experience for students; 3) Direktur Jenderal Pendidikan Tinggi
Off-campus activities for Lecturers; 4) Prof. Ir. Nizam, Ph. D.
Practitioners teach on campus; 5) Lecturer
learning outcome can be applied by the
community and get international
recognition; 6) Study programs
collaboration with world-class partners; 7)
Collaborative and participative class; and
8) International standard study program.

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 FOREWORD
Higher education transformation as
outlined in the Kepmendikbud No. 754
tahun 2020 tentang 8 Indikator Kinerja
Utama (IKU) is the detailed transliteration
of 4 (four) Higher Education Policies which
is stated in Kemendikbud Strategic Plan
2020-2024. These IKUs are intended to
elevate relevancy between Higher
Education and IDUKA (Industri, Dunia
Usaha, dan Dunia Kerja).
To guarantee the implementation of IKU,
especially related to students off-campus
studies and activities rights for 1 semester
outside study program and 2 semesters
outside the university in accordance with
the Permendikbud No. 3 tahun 2020
tentang Standar Nasional Pendidikan
Tinggi (SN Dikti), ther are eight types of
Kampus Merdeka activities, and some of
the programs can be categorized as
Certified Kampus Merdeka Program (called
Microcredential). The term of
Microcredential is one form of micro-
certification obtained by students after
finishing the practical learning process in a
series of skills, knowledge, and attitudes
development resulting in getting certain
special competency afterward.
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Microcredential program is a program that
will specifically develop hard and soft skills
competencies so the students will be ready
to face industrial revolution 4.0. This
program will give students a broad space to
expand their competencies in various
aspects of industry and technologies, such
as artificial intelligence, machine learning,
UI-UX design, deep learning, and other
digital application developments. These
things are important because the country
needs talents that can compete globally
and adjust themselves in this disruptive
era.
The Secretariate of Directorate General of
Higher Education plaud gratitude and
appreciation to all personnels involved in
the writing of this guidebook, and surely
hope that this document could positively
support the implementation of Merdeka
Belajar – Kampus Merdeka (MBKM), and
give more opportunities to every higher
education in producing high quality talents,
ready to compete nationally and also
globally.
Jakarta, March 3rd 2021
Sekretaris Direktur Jenderal
Pendidikan Tinggi
Dr. Paristiyanti Nurwardani, M. P.
TABLE OF CONTE NTS
SEKAPUR SIRIH 3

FOREWORD 4

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 6

ABOUT KAMPUS MERDEKA 7

INTERNSHIP ACCELERATION & ECOSYSTEM EVELOPMENT GRANT

• HUMAN CAPITAL CHALLENGES 8

• OFFERED VALUES 8

• HIGH QUALITY PROGRAMS 9

• PROGRAM EXAMPLES 10

• GRANT COMPONENTS 12

• ADDITIONAL BENEFITS 13

HOW TO APPLY

• ELIGIBLE ORGANIZATIONS 14

• EVALUATION CRITERIONS 14

• STEP BY STEP 15

• TIMELINE 16

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS 17

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 Executive
sum mary

The need to guarantee the sustainability of high-quality

talents for the industry on a national scale is getting
higher as well as the competition. The industry needs the
alternative solutions to get the right talents that match
with company culture and qualification, simultaneously
also make real contributions over a long period of time.

On the other hand, there is a need from university students

across the country to experience off-campus study after
the launch of Kampus Merdeka
(kampusmerdeka.kemdikbud.go.id), as a part of second
episode of Merdeka Belajar, which gives the right to get 20
to 40 learning experience credits off-campus for one or
two semesters.

In order to facilitate the needs of both sides, the Ministry of

Education and Culture (Kemendikbud) of the Republic of
Indonesia launched the Internship Acceleration and
Ecosystem Development Grant. This grant provides
financial and policy support for organizations that are
willing to collaborate in making industry-based internship
and independent study programs for higher education
students across Indonesia, at a time equipping our talent
with certified skill also with off-campus relevant
experience during their study period.

Through this initiative, the Ministry of Education and

Culture hopes for a long-term collaboration with partner
organizations in reforming the future of Indonesia’s high-
quality and competitive human capital.

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ABOUT KAM PUS M E RDE KA
Merdeka Belajar-Kampus Merdeka is the Ministry of Education and Culture policies that
give the right for students to participate in an off-campus activity for 1 semester outside
the study program and 2 semesters outside the university. For 2 semesters outside the
university, students are allowed to run these learning activities:

2. Independent study
3. Student exchange
1. Internship

8. Village Development or 4. Teaching in

Community Service school

7. Entrepreneurship 5. Research
activities
6. Humanitarian
project

Kampus Merdeka opens an opportunity for various organizations to “become university”

for 1 to 2 semesters by organizing listed activities and accepting Indonesian students as
the participant. With the Internship Acceleration and Ecosystem Development Grant, the
Ministry of Education and Culture gives Kampus Merdeka Partner full support to organize
high-quality internships and independent study programs.

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 I nte rnsh i p acce le ration &
ecosyste m deve lopm e nt grant
Internship Acceleration & Ecosystem Development Grant is a funding scheme from the
Ministry of Education and Culture for Kampus Merdeka Partners to create high-quality
programs for active university students while at the same time solving human capital
challenges faced by many organizations. For 2021, the Ministry of Education and Culture
has secured IDR 250 Billion in total for Kampus Merdeka Partners.

H uman capital challe nges

For most organizations, human capital is the key to achieve organizational goals, therefore
organizations are willing to invest heavily in finding best possible talents through a lot of
recruitment approaches, such as internship, campus hiring, and many more. However, there
are challenges when organizations do these approaches. To help to tackle these
challenges, the Ministry of Education and Culture provide the Internship Acceleration &
Ecosystem Development Grant to solve some of these identified problems:

1. Recruitment for suitable talent candidates is not easy and costly. Once the talents
have been recruited, it has a low retention rate due to their incompatibility with the real
conditions of the industry. This situation makes the traditional recruitment and
selection processes very inefficient.

2. An insufficient number of dedicated mentors to prepare talent candidates. Many

managers in organizations are too busy with day-to-day work. With additional funds
for mentors, organizations can recruit dedicated mentors to focus on preparing talent
candidates throughout a program.

3. Lack of time for organizations to assess talent candidates’ compatibility. Since

students usually intern during the holidays between semesters, the period of time for
internships is very limited. Once the students are started to be more engaged with the
organization, the program period ends and they have to go back to college. Through
Kampus Merdeka, organizations can have full semester engagement with students,
which allows both organizations and students to find the fit based on each other's
needs and expectations.

OFFE RE D VALUES

The Ministry of Education and Culture believes that the Internship Acceleration &
Ecosystem Development Grant will provide high values for both Kampus Merdeka Partners
and students in different ways. Here are some values for Kampus Merdeka Partners:

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1. Get an alternative recruitment solution. Challenge the traditional recruitment
approaches that might be inefficient in this rapidly changing environment.

2. Leverage employer branding among young talents in Indonesia. Amplify your

organizations’ brand and make it easier to attract the best possible talents.

3. Opportunity to generate fresh and innovative ideas. Get more understanding of the
upcoming future from the point of view of the next generation by facilitating young
talent candidates to solve problems in a creative way.

4. Reduce spending for talent scouting. Get funding from the Ministry of Education and
Culture to support organizational effort in finding the best possible talents.

In the long run, the involvement of Kampus Merdeka Partners in co-creating high-quality
programs will help the nation in shaping a better human capital landscape.

H igh quality programs

There are two types of high-quality program that can be covered by the Internship
Acceleration & Ecosystem Development Grant which are:

1. Magang Bersertifikat Kampus Merdeka (Certified Kampus Merdeka Internship), an

accelerated or enhanced internship with a well-designed learning experience.

2. Studi Independen Bersertifikat Kampus Merdeka (Certified Kampus Merdeka

Independent Study), a tailor-made and unique in-class learning based on real
challenges faced by partners/industry. It can be a combination of short-courses,
bootcamp, massive open online course (MOOC), etc.

Those names are chosen to help Indonesian students identify and distinguish it from
standard internship and independent study programs during their Kampus Merdeka period.

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 Program Exam ples

Each Kampus Merdeka Partner can design different high quality program that is suitable for
the organization’s needs that leads to giving certification for skills training through the
program learning experience. These are several examples of high quality programs that are
conducted in a variety of sectors with a work-in-group format and guided by a dedicated
mentor, whereas each created program is equal to 20 campus credits.

Digital Tech nology

Com pany
An e-commerce company has a problem in dealing with millions
of their customers, whereas building a bot to automatically
answer customers’ chat can be a solution to the problem. From
this kind of business problem, the students can learn
programming, artificial intelligence chatbot features,
communication, customer services, etc.

On this project, participants can be directly involved in the

development of this feature for approximately 6 months period
of time. To increase competency during the program, students
can also be involved in internal company training programs or
doing an e-course that contains relatable materials, for
instance, coding skills using Python programming language. In
the end, the Kampus Merdeka Partner will provide a certificate
for the skills that the students learned throughout the program.

Re n ewable E n e rgy
Com pany
Another example is for renewable energy companies. Let say a
company needs a team to plan an operational cost for a Solar
Power Plant (PLTS), the company can propose a program that
appeals to students to do site visits, research, and planning in 4
months period time, to then produce an applicable PLTS
efficiency operational plan. And at the end of the program,
students will get a certificate as an acknowledgement of their
involvement in the renewable energy management project from
Kampus Merdeka Partner.

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 Non-Profit
Organ ization
Are these programs only for commercial organizations only?
Definitely no.

Another example is multilateral non-profit organizations

related. This organization needs a health policy solution
recommendation to reduce child malnutrition cases in rural
areas. The program is designed to create a team that will
conduct field research and works directly with government
organization partners for as long as 5 months in a targeted
location. At the end of the program, the Kampus Merdeka
Partner will release policy analyst certification for the students.

I n de pe n de nt
STudy
Organizations can also facilitate participants to do an
independent study. For instance, a world-class digital
technology company is giving certified independent study to
3000 students to learn about Deep Learning (structured &
unstructured data) for 4 months. That company will provide
curriculum and learning sources, including mentors and
materials. The company will also give opportunities for
students to learn soft skills.

After 4 months of a learning experience, the students will be

involved in a project team for 1 month. At the end of the project,
a Deep Learning Practitioner Certificate will be given to the
students by Kampus Merdeka Partner.

The Ministry of Education and Culture will guarantee the

conversion of 20 credits for such programs.

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 Grant Com pon e nts

Kampus Merdeka Partners can utilize the Internship Acceleration and Ecosystem
Development Grant for three areas when developing high-quality programs. Kampus
Merdeka Partners need to provide a detailed program budgeting plan when submitting the
proposal. The accepted amount of subsidy will be transferred to Kampus Merdeka Partners in
maximum 15 days before the program program commencement, so there will be enough time
for an ideal program development process.

1. Program development subsidy

The purpose of this component is for Kampus Merdeka Partners to

1 develop new programs or redesign existing programs to be aligned with
the program criteria that is stated in the next section.

2. Cost of living allowance for students

This component allows Kampus Merdeka Partners to recruit as

2 many students as possible without increasing the expenses
significantly.

3. Dedicated mentor stipend allowance

This component allows Kampus Merdeka Partners

3 to scale up the program capacity by recruiting more
mentors and keeping the mentor-student ratio by
1:10.

The Ministry of Education and Culture will make the

funding process as simple as possible.

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AdDitional Be n e fits

Besides grant, the Ministry of Education and Culture also provide additional benefits to
make sure all of the program (Magang Bersertifikat Kampus Merdeka and Studi
Independen Bersertifikat Kampus Merdeka) created by Kampus Merdeka Partners will get:

1. Nation-wide exposure and direct access

The Ministry of Education and Culture will amplify all of the programs
through every career office in the public universities. In parallel, for a
more convenient recruitment process, the Ministry of Education and
Culture also has been developing a platform for Kampus Merdeka
Partners to post the programs whereas all university students across
Indonesia can access and apply it directly.

2. Official academic acknowledgment

The Ministry of Education and Culture will also guarantee the credit
conversion of the programs (Magang Bersertifikat Kampus Merdeka
and Studi Independen Bersertifikat Kampus Merdeka) for any
students in the public universities. With the guarantee of this credit
conversion, Kampus Merdeka Partners will get students’ full
commitment and focus throughout the semester. Each program will
be equivalent to 20 credits.

With all of this financial and non-financial support, the Ministry of Education and Culture
encourages all Kampus Merdeka Partners to develop high-quality and scalable programs
to accommodate as many students as possible.

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 How to Apply

E ligi ble Organ izations

The Ministry of Education and Culture invites world-class and highly reputable
organizations from various sectors, especially those who are growing and seeking the best
possible talents, yet also have a concern in co-shaping the human capital landscape in
Indonesia. The priority will be given to these 10 criterias below:

1. Multinational companies 7. Higher education institutions listed in

2. Local companies with an excellent
performance record
3. Global technology companies
4. Large technology startup companies
5. Non-profit organizations
6. Multilateral organizations
one or more ‘QS100 By Subject’ list
8. Government agencies & State-Owned
Enterprises (SOEs)
9. Hospitals
10. Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)
with a good performance record

Evaluation Crite rions

The program that the Ministry of Education and Culture will support is the program that
has these four criterias:

18 minggu

Well-structured Offer a Assisted by Provide a

learning journey challenging real- dedicated mentors verifiable
with clear learning world problem to to facilitate professional
outcomes be solved by learning process certificate upon
multidisciplinary completion
teams

Programs that meet those 4 criterions will get Internship

Acceleration & Ecosystem Development Grant.

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Ste p by Ste p

Below are the steps to apply for the grants:

Register your organization as Kampus

Design and submit a proposal based on the
Merdeka Partner in our platform:
evaluation criterias above
mitra.kampusmerdeka.kemdikbud.go.id

The evaluation team from the Ministry of

If accepted, your organization will receive
Education and Culture will check and send
the grant and get assistance from the team
a notification back to each Kampus
for the implementation
Merdeka Partner regarding the status

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 Ti m e li n e

To ensure the success of these programs, the Ministry of Education and Culture has set a
timeline agenda that will be conducted in 2021:

Participant
Proposal submission, recruitment process
and proposal (conducted
The program starts
evaluation process by independently by
a team Kampus Merdeka
Partners)

April May June July August

Program registration
Program preparation
open for students

The Ministry of Education and Culture provides an online platform, that will accommodate
proposal submission by Kampus Merdeka Partner candidates, registration for participant
candidates, and selection of participant candidates by Kampus Merdeka Partner:
mitra.kampusmerdeka.kemdikbud.go.id

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Freque ntly Aske d Questions
What is Internship Acceleration & Ecosystem Development Grant?
Internship Acceleration & Ecosystem Development Grant is a grant by the Ministry of
Education and Culture (MoEC) of the Republic of Indonesia to support high-quality
internship programs and/or independent study programs (e.g. short courses, bootcamps,
professional certificates, microdegrees, etc.) to close the gap between industry talent
needs and the existing higher education curriculum.

Who is Kampus Merdeka Partner?

Any organizations who are applying for Internship Acceleration & Ecosystem Development
Grant to support Kampus Merdeka policy by creating high-quality programs.

What is “Magang Bersertifikat Kampus Merdeka”?

High-quality internship programs that meet MoEC criteria will be acknowledged as
“Magang Bersertifikat Kampus Merdeka” or “Certified Kampus Merdeka Internship”. The
name is chosen to help Indonesian students identify and distinguish it from other
internship programs.
The programs will only be acknowledged as a Certified Kampus Merdeka Internship if it
successfully meets MoEC criteria through an evaluation. MoEC criteria are created to help
organizations design effective programs for talent scouting and recruitment.
Organizations have full control over the student admissions criteria.

What is “Studi Independen Bersertifikat Kampus Merdeka”?

High-quality non-degree learning programs that meet MoEC criteria will be acknowledged
as “Studi Independen Bersertifikat Kampus Merdeka” or “Certified Kampus Merdeka
Independent Study Program”. The name is chosen to help Indonesian students identify and
distinguish it from other independent study programs.
The programs will only be acknowledged as a Certified Kampus Merdeka Independent
Learning Program if it successfully meets MoEC criteria through an evaluation. MoEC
criteria are created to help organizations design effective learning programs for talent
scouting and recruitment. Organizations have full control over the student admissions
criteria.

Who is eligible to apply for the grant?

We are open to many types of organizations, but we prioritize the following organizations:
1. Multinational companies
2. Local companies with an excellent performance record
3. Global technology companies
4. Large technology startup companies
5. Non-profit organizations
6. Multilateral organizations

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 7. Higher education institutions listed in one or more ‘QS100 By Subject’ list
8. Government agencies & State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs)
9. Hospitals
10. Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) with a good performance record

What are the benefits of applying for this grant?

As our partner, you will get the following benefits:
1. Get alternative solutions for talent recruitment
2. Enhance your branding in the eyes of top Indonesian talents
3. Get fresh, innovative ideas for your business
4. Acquire grants that can be used for early development, mentor allowance, or incentives
for the students.

What are the cost components to be covered by the grant?

You can utilize the grant for the following cost components:
1. Program development costs
2. Stipend allowance for dedicated mentors
3. Cost of living allowance for students

Do Kampus Merdeka Partners have to choose one cost component only, or can I apply for
all?
You can apply for all, but we encourage Kampus Merdeka Partners to only apply for as
much as realistically needed.

How to get the grant?

By creating an internship program or independent study program with the following
criteria:
1. Offer a challenging real-world problem to be solved by multidisciplinary teams
2. Assign students to dedicated mentors who facilitate skill-building
3. Well-structured learning journey with clear learning outcomes
4. Award a verifiable professional certificate upon completion

What kind of preparation do Kampus Merdeka Partners need to do in creating a program

fit for the grant?
Please register on our website (mitra.kampusmerdeka.kemdikbud.go.id) and create a
program proposal. You will be guided to fill in our proposal template. If you need direct
help and discussion, feel free to contact subpokja-micro@kemdikbud.go.id

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How many dedicated mentors Kampus Merdeka Partners need to provide?
A minimum of 1 dedicated mentor for every 10 students.

How long should the internship program or independent study program be?
We would suggest a minimum 16 weeks of learning activities within the range of 6 months.
If you want to create a program that spans over 6 months, we recommend you create 2
separate programs for continuity.

How many students do Kampus Merdeka Partners have to accommodate to fit for the
grant?
A minimum of 20 students with no maximum limit

How does the Ministry of Education and Culture contribute to this program?
• Provide total grant amount of IDR 250 billion for 2021
• Guarantee credit conversion for all students from national higher-education institutions
enrolled in Certified Kampus Merdeka Internships & Learning Programs. This helps
students integrate their internship & independent learning experience with their
academic curriculum seamlessly.
• Do socialization & communication of Certified Kampus Merdeka Internships & Learning
Programs to all Indonesian higher education institutions through MoEC’s student
registration platform and career centers in national higher-education institutions.

How is the student selection process?

Partners have full control over the student selection process.

Will it be an online or offline program?

Online, offline, or blended. Please prioritize the health and safety of the students amidst
the COVID-19 pandemic.

Do Kampus Merdeka Partners need to sign an MoU with each university to admit their
students?
No. Your organization only needs to sign an MoU with MoEC. Then, all national higher
education institutions will allow their students to take part in your program and guarantee
a full-semester credit transfer.

Will students get university credit conversion?

For students from public universities, it will be an auto-convert process of 20 credits per
program. For students from private universities, we will provide the guidance and
frameworks for their institutions to give credit recognition.

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 Does the ministry define the student selection criteria?
No. You have full authority to define your selection criteria based on your organizations’
needs.

Can Kampus Merdeka Partners use the grant for existing programs?
Yes. We hope this grant will help you scale up your existing program in terms of quantity
and/or quality.

Can Kampus Merdeka Partners recruit external mentors with this grant?
Yes.

Are there any specific criteria for dedicated mentors?

It is up to the partners based on the needs and the program design, as long as the mentor
can deliver the learning outcomes of the program effectively.

Can Kampus Merdeka Partners create a combination between the internship and
independent study?
Yes, as long as it covers the criteria set in the Guidebook.

How can students apply for Kampus Merdeka Partners’ programs?

The Ministry of Education and Culture will provide a platform for students to apply.

What are the students' criteria to be eligible to apply in Kampus Merdeka Partners’
programs?
Active students from all universities across Indonesia. Other than that, you may set the
eligibility criteria for your own programs.

If there are more questions, where to ask?

Email us at subpokja-micro@kemdikbud.go.id

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