Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are a business sector that has a reasonably reliable resilience in the face of various crises, both monetary and other financial crises, including in the face of the current world condition which is facing the Covid-19 pandemic. The research is empirical legal research using qualitative research. It was conducted in Manado, the capital city of the Indonesian province of North Sulawesi, where many MSMEs require partnership in their development. The results show that the legal aspect related to partnership agreements through Joint Venture Profit Sharing by higher education is the first contract law; normatively, it has provided cooperation with other higher-education parties. However, this law only provides restrictions on cooperation in research and development. It does not regulate participation in the implementation of business activities or the possibility of a contract that clarifies the position of higher education in a partnership agreement. The financial legal aspect, the ideal form of a partnership agreement to be implemented by higher education in developing small and medium enterprises, is partnership through the Development of Science and Technology, partnership through modern cooperatives and partnerships with village-owned enterprises.