The programme, created in collaboration with HATCH! VENTURES, a start-up incubator, will take place in Hanoi, Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City, with the final round scheduled for October, in Ho Chi Minh City.
The winning teams will receive equity-free seed funding, professional training on entrepreneurship on the SDGs, incubation and acceleration services, direct introductions to international impact investors and mentorship on enhancing SDG business impact from UN organisations.
Speaking at the launch on July 12, UNDP Vietnam Deputy Country Director Akiko Fujii said that the SDG Challenge is the ideal vehicle with which to begin a conversation with ambitious young entrepreneurs concerning sustainable business and SDG impact.
She added that the ideas will not only help the UNDP in its efforts to achieve the SDGS but also create more sustainable businesses with greater opportunities for growth.
HATCH! founder Pham Quoc Dat said the organisation continuously focuses on the sustainable development of an enterprises, which is why HATCH! has developed the acceleration programme to continue supporting the best ideas from the contest.
SDG Challenge 2017 is open for application until August 31 and participating teams must have only been in operation for a maximum of five years, whilst having at least one Vietnamese founder or co-founder who lives permanently in Vietnam.
More information on the competition can be found on the website http://sdg.hatch.vn.
