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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider DICT to kick off 6th Philippine Startup Challenge this September

DICT to kick off 6th Philippine Startup Challenge this September

Published Sep 4, 2021 12:54 pm

The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) will be launching this month the sixth Philippine Startup Challenge 2021 (PSC).

Photo courtesy of the DICT

The annual startup competition, which started in 2016, aims to encourage and support Filipinos to create innovative and relevant ICT products and services that may develop into viable business ventures and potentially solve social problems.

“Through this initiative, we hope to promote the entrepreneurial spirit among Filipinos that will surely help our country advance in the global digital economy,” DICT Secretary Gregorio “Gringo” B. Honasan II said.

According to the DICT, the PSC seeks to help strengthen, promote, and develop the Philippine Startup Ecosystem as part of the Republic Act 11337 or the “Innovative Startup Act” which was enacted in April 2019.

The event also aims to bring together ICT experts from across the country to contribute in establishing a network of innovators, promote a culture of entrepreneurship in ICT, and discover opportunities to advance science, technology, and innovation.

For this year, the DICT said the competition will be open for entries that cover software and internet-based innovations, and will cater to all startups in the ideation to minimum viable product stage.

The PSC will be divided into two categories for professionals and students, with a maximum of four members per team.

For the entire duration of the competition, the DICT together with its partner organizations and ICT councils, will guide and mentor the winners in preparation for the next rounds.

The competition will start from regional pitching competitions where three regional winners will be assessed and chosen by the Regional Selection Committee.

They will then advance to the semifinal round, where the top 10 teams shall move on to the national competition.

The finals for the professional category has been set on the third week of November, and the five winners will receive funding proposals.

Emmy Lou V. Delfin of the ICT Industry Development Bureau (IIDB) urged Filipino professionals and students to participate in the startup competition.

“We are taking the Philippine Startup Challenge 2021 to the next level as we include another category for Filipino professionals in the competition,” Delfin said.

“Hopefully, with our Bureau’s initiatives, we can support Filipino professionals and students further so they can continue to improve their startup ideas,” she added.

The PSC 2021 will be held in partnership with Philippine Software Industry Association (PSIA), Ignite, QBO, StartUp Village, Spring Valley, Huawei, and Microsoft, among others.

Interested participants are urged to visit the PSC website at https://dict.gov.ph/philippine-startup-challenge-2021 or to email the PSC Secretariat at [email protected].

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