[Deadline Extended: 1 March 2024] 2023 China-ASEAN Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition

2023 China – ASEAN Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition is now Call for Application.

Please find more information below.

This competition is aimed to implement the Joint Initiative on Advancing the ASEAN-China Science, Technology, and Innovation Enhancing Program issued at the 26th ASEAN-China Summit, promote science, technology and innovation exchanges and cooperation between China and ASEAN Member States.

It also aims to enhance China-ASEAN regional innovation capacity, stimulate the vitality of innovation and entrepreneurship, and promote two-way exchanges of scientific and technological achievements, financial capital, talent team, information data, and other innovation factors. In collaboration with the ASEAN Secretariat, the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China is currently hosting the 2nd China-ASEAN Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition

I. Competition process

• Projects Collection and Eligibility Check (15 December 2023 – 15 February 2024)
• Initial Selection (1-7 March 2024) to select 20 finalists (10 from Enterprise Group and 10 from Team Group)
• Finals (end of March 2024)

You may download registration form through the following link: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1LbcafjgFgbTKXDMdhosnPLi_XEfkzn-m?usp=sharing

II. Fields of participating projects:

• The competition is aimed to enhance projects in the field of digital economy, including but not limited to digital product manufacturing, digital product service, digital technology application, digital factor driving, digital efficiency improvement. 

III. Participating Groups and Requirements
The Competition is open to Science and technology authorities, universities, research institutions, science and technology parks, business incubators, and maker spaces.

A. Enterprise Groups

• Legally registered in China or ASEAN Member States. The intellectual property rights of participating projects shall be dispute-free. Registered and established after January 1st, 2018 (inclusive).
• The registered capital does not exceed USD 4.5 million. The operating income of the enterprise in 2022 does not exceed USD 30 million.
• Non-listed enterprises that comply with local rules and have an excellent social reputation without bad records (enterprises listed on the NEEQ or the Regional Equities Exchange and Quotations are allowed to participate in the Competition).

B. Team Groups

• Groups with technological innovation achievements and entrepreneurial plans that have not been registered as enterprises currently, such as entrepreneurs, excellent start-ups in the field of S&T, start-up teams from universities, etc.
• The products, technologies, and related intellectual property shall belong to the core team members and be free from property rights disputes.

IV. Participation Requirements

• All participating groups will be divided into enterprise group and team group. Each participating team should consist of a minimum of 3 core members, in principle, no more than 6 members. Among the core members, the proportion of Chinese or ASEAN team members should be no less than 50%. Teams comprising participants from China, ASEAN Member States (AMS), and other countries are strongly encouraged to form a joint group.
• Participants must strictly abide by the laws and regulations of the People’s Republic of China and AMS and follow both sides’ public order and good customs. (Note: According to the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations includes 10 countries, including Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Viet Nam)
• The winning projects in the 2022 China-ASEAN Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition are not eligible to participate in this competition.

V. Language

VI. Competition Schedule

1. Project Collection and Eligibility Check
   The competition is scheduled for project collection from December 15^th, 2023 to February 15^th, 2024. The eligibility check will be held from February 16-29 February 2024. Participants should send the registration form, the commitment letter, business plans, and presentation materials (like Pitch Deck) to the designated email. Projects that pass the eligibility check will be selected to proceed to the initial selection. 
2. Initial Selection
   The initial selection will be held from 1-7 March 2024. The judges and specialists shall be organized to grade the projects, with 20 entries coming to the final. The slot allocation for them is as follows:
   
   Entries from China: the top 5 entries of Team Group and the top 5 entries of Enterprise Group.
   Entries from ASEAN: the top 5 entries of Team Group and the top 5 entries of Enterprise Group.
   
   The results will be announced to the public through the competition’s official website after being confirmed by the Ministry of Science and Technology of China and the ASEAN Secretariat.
3. Finals
   The final will be scheduled tentatively in late March 2024. All participants shall attend the final on-site, with the entry materials, like the pitch deck, being submitted before the final. In the final, each participant will undergo “7-minute presentation and 5-minute Q&A”, while judges will score them on the spot to select the award-winning entries, followed by the awarding ceremony.

VII. Awards

A. Awards for Team Groups
A total of 6 teams will be awarded prizes and certificates of honor, namely 1 first prize with an award of RMB 50,000 (1 winner), 2 second prizes with RMB 30,000 each (for 2 groups), and 3 third prizes with RMB 10,000 each (for 3 groups).

B. Awards for Enterprise Groups
A total of 6 teams will be awarded prizes and certificates of honor, namely 1 first prize with an award of RMB 50,000, 2 second prizes with RMB 30,000 each, and 3 third prizes with RMB 10,000 each.

C. Creativity Stars
A total of 8 teams and enterprises ranking 13th to 20th in the final will be awarded prizes and certificates of honor, with an award of RMB 4,000 each.

D. Cooperation Stars
A total of 8 China-ASEAN cooperation teams and enterprises ranking in the top 8 among the projects that fail to enter the finals will be awarded prizes and certificates of honor, with an award of RMB 4,000 each.

VIII. Contact Information

What are you waiting for? Secure your spot now by registering your Startup companies and get ready to upscale your business!