Requirements

The Reverse Ideathon 2024 is a component of the University Incubator Consortium (UNIIC) initiatives, providing a platform for early-stage startups to present their ideas while offering investors opportunities to discover new ventures. Participating in the Reverse Ideathon 2024 can enhance visibility, broaden networks, facilitate connections with potential partners, investors, and accelerators, and unlock additional resources. Students at partner universities within the consortium, equipped with early-stage ideation, will undergo screening at their respective institutions. Those selected will engage in a series of online workshops, culminating in a pitch during the physical Demo Day event at Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, Philippines.

1. Online Workshops

With the goal of finding, nurturing and supporting potential and innovative start-up projects, thereby promoting business development in both quantity and quality for the Mekong Delta region, VCCI Can Tho cooperates with members of the Mekong Delta Startup Network to organize "The Mekong Delta Startup Contest 2023".

Over the past eight years of implementation, the Mekong Delta Startup Contest has affirmed its reputation and success by gathering more than 1,500 participating project ideas, in which, hundreds of projects have been awarded, consulted and connected, capital investment, currently developing and finding a foothold in the market.

The contest is a place to discover viable startup ideas and projects, thereby promptly supporting and facilitating the development of startups through market connection programs, connecting with domestic and foreign investors and investment funds.

COMPETITION RULES

OBJECTS AND COMPONENTS

Group 1:

- Start-up ideas/projects that have been implemented in practice, regardless of age, regardless of gender, qualifications, occupation, currently living, working or having a household registration in the Mekong Delta or want to project implementation in the Mekong Delta.

- Individuals/groups have an unlimited number of projects/ideas when registering to participate.

Group 2:

- Students of Mekong Delta Universities and Colleges

CRITERIA FOR PARTICIPATING IN THE COMPETITION

1. The idea/project must be innovative, derived from the idea and desire to start a business of the individual/team.
2. Ideas/projects that apply technology or create technological solutions for the community, contributing to socio-economic development. Especially ideas/projects in high-tech application in farming and processing agricultural and aquatic products.
3. Ideas/projects that contribute to the protection, conservation, and value addition of indigenous resources and indigenous cultures of the locality and region, and enhance the local image with the local and foreign communities.
4. Ideas/projects that contribute to or offer solutions to problems and challenges of the environment, energy, climate change,
5. Ideas/projects capable of commercialization and replication.
6. Innovative ideas/projects on technology promoting digital transformation.
7. Ideas/projects that have not won any major awards (First, Second, Third Prize) in other startup competitions (Regional scale or higher) organized by other organizations from 2021 to the present exam score.
8. Ideas/projects must not be copied by others, do not violate the laws of intellectual property, must be built by the contestants/groups of contestants (If there are any problems related to copyright disputes). authority, the Organizing Committee will cancel the exam results).
9. The ideas/projects participating in the contest must satisfy one of the following conditions: Having household registration/living/working in the Mekong Delta or implementing the project in the Mekong Delta.
10. In case a startup idea is selected for the final round, a sample product is required.
11. Candidates commit and take responsibility for the truthfulness of their application documents.

FIELD OF COMPETITION

All fields, priority 03 areas

- Application of high technology in farming and processing of agricultural and aquatic products

- Energy and adaptation solutions to climate change

- Technology that drives digital transformation

COMPETITION ROUTE

1. Qualifying Round

From August 1 to August 30, 2023

2. Training Round

September 14 and 15, 2023

3. Semi-Final Round

September 29, 2023

4. Final Round

October 26, 2023

APPLICATION PROFILE

Registration form and project template (here) (Word file)

👉Submit application form here

👉Deadline for submission: 30/7/2023

PRIZE

PROJECT TABLE

- 01 first prize worth 100,000,000 VND/prize, in which: 20,000,000 VND in cash and 01 CEO training course worth 15,000,000 VND, 01 tour, learning experience in the country worth 20,000,000 VND and 01 year of product advertising on start-up website www.mekongstartup.vn, startup fanpage VCCI in Can Tho worth 20,000,000 VND; 01 branding package worth 25,000,000 VND.

+ 01 trophy of the Organizing Committee.

+ Certificate of Merit from the Organizing Committee.

+ One-on-one tutoring by domestic and foreign startup experts.

- 01 second prize worth 50,000,000 VND/prize, in which: 15,000,000 VND in cash and 01 CEO training course worth 15,000,000 VND; and 01 year of product advertising on startup website www.mekongstartup.vn and startup fanpage VCCI in Can Tho worth 20,000,000 VND.

+ Certificate of Merit from the Organizing Committee.

+ One-on-one tutoring by domestic and foreign startup experts.

- 01 third prize worth 45,000,000 VND/ prize, of which: 10,000,000 VND in cash and 01 CEO training course worth 15,000,000 VND and 01 year of product advertising on startup website www.mekongstartup.vn and fanpage VCCI start-up in Can Tho worth 20,000,000 VND.

+ Certificate of Merit from the Organizing Committee.

+ One-on-one tutoring by domestic and foreign startup experts.

- 02 consolation prizes worth 20,000,000 VND/prize, of which: 5,000,000 VND in cash and 01 CEO training course worth 15,000,000 VND.

+ Certificate of Merit from the Organizing Committee.

- 01 Most Impressive Female Entrepreneur Award, worth 2,000,000 VND in cash and Certificate of Merit from the Organizing Committee.

- 01 Most Favorite Project Award worth 1,000,000 VND in cash and 1 year of product advertising on the start-up website www.mekongstartup.vn (Award voted by the audience) and Certificate of Merit from the Organizing Committee.

- 01 Award for the best display project (Award voted by the audience) worth:

+ 1,000,000 VND in cash and 01 year of product advertising on the startup website www.mekongstartup.vn

+ Certificate of Merit from the Organizing Committee.

- 01 Community Contribution Model Prize, worth: 2,000,000 VND in cash and Certificate of Merit from the Organizing Committee.

TABLE OF IDEAS

- 01 Award for the most impressive student startup model, worth: 5,000,000 VND in cash and Certificate of Merit from the Organizing Committee.

- 01 Potential Idea Prize, worth: 2,000,000 VND in cash and 01 year of product advertising on startup website www.mekongstartup.vn and VCCI startup fanpage in Can Tho and Certificate of Merit from the Organizing Committee.

Contestant's benefits besides the contest's prizes

- Connecting with domestic investors and international Startup Fund: Beacon Fund, Patamar Fund (Singapore), Do Ventures, Insignia Ventures Partners (Singapore), ICM Fund, BA Holding… and Venture Capital Funds (VFs) ), other Private Foundations (PEs).

- Be accompanied by domestic and foreign startup advisors on defining market development plans and strategies.

- Participating in all activities within the framework of the Contest including: learning trip at startup models in Ho Chi Minh City, introducing and promoting products through the "Startup Story Library",...

- Present the project in front of experts and get comments from experts

- Participate in free training courses and seminars organized by VCCI Can Tho.

- Introduced by VCCI Can Tho, MSN members, connected with incubators, large enterprises looking for business partners. Besides, you can send a support request to VCCI Can Tho or the local focal point at any time.

- Support for procedures, difficult issues when registering a business establishment, trademark registration, ... in the locality.

In addition to the announced awards, these finalist projects will receive support packages for Operation and product completion; effective access to domestic and foreign markets; and access to capital, specifically as follows:

- The product completion support package of VN-HQ Incubator (KVIP) includes: Free Consultation Program to: Research, perfect and enhance product value; Consulting on food safety and hygiene, product quality announcement; Consulting the criteria to be checked for each product; Consulting necessary equipment and workshops for production facilities; Technical training in machine operation - 50% discount for the use of machinery and equipment including: testing, measuring, processing and manufacturing products related to market access

- Supported 1 LadiPage account - BambuUp's current effective online sales platform. This platform has been and is being used by reputable businesses with an available quantity of 400,000 (four hundred thousand).

- The projects will also be supported by Han Exim company with free training and consulting on export business skills worth 15 million VND. In order to support the projects entering the final area of this year's contest, as well as the winning projects in 2020, 2021, 2022 to access the market...

- The Organizing Committee organizes a product display area within the framework of the event. The exhibition area was organized with the desire to introduce and promote the startup products of startups, in order to create opportunities for startups as well as participants to access new products and services, thereby promoting investment and trade activities of businesses, investors and startups.

* Note:

- Any dishonest acts, violations of ethics within the framework of the contest, the Organizing Committee has the right to unilaterally cancel the contestant's right to participate and the results of the contest and has the right to handle it in accordance with the law.

- The Competition Organizing Committee has the right to record, photograph, record, interview and use the contestant's records as materials for the purpose of promoting the program on the website or in other forms.