The third Qianhai Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition, which will last for six months, kicked off Thursday.
With special support from China Merchants Charitable Foundation, Qianhai INNO-TECH Investment company and other institutions from Shenzhen, Hong Kong and Macao, the competition — themed “What’s Next?” — aims to encourage talent exchanges from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and provide a larger platform for young Hong Kong and Macao residents to start businesses on the mainland.
This year, judges are said to be focused more on the marketability and sustainability of the projects. The competition will include some new sections to make it more entertaining and fierce.
Like the previous competitions, the organizing committee is accepting both registered company teams and startup teams, which will compete separately. Preliminary regional contests in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao are accepting projects related to cultural, recreational and technological services, among others.
The rules say that the age of the core member of a team must be under 45 and winners from the previous competitions are not allowed to join again.
According to the schedule, the deadline for applications is June 15 and the screening results will be announced by the end of June. The preliminary contests will be held separately in the three regions between July and August, the semifinal will kick off in mid-September, and the final is scheduled for Dec. 7. In September, a training camp will be provided for contestants who have made it to the semifinal, and in October a two-day startup fair will be organized.
The organizer said it has invited 30 venture capital institutions to provide services for competitors. The winners of this year’s competition will share the 2 million yuan (US$317,000) prize. Additionally, they will be entitled to free use of working space for a year at the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Youth Innovation and Entrepreneur Hub and the HKFYG Jockey Club Social Innovation Center.
As a part of the 10th China (Shenzhen) Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition, projects that enter the final round can be recommended to join the Shenzhen competition and national competition as well.
Applicants can either register at http://www.yhmec.com/ or http://www.scs2009.cn/elogin-qianhai2018-cn to participate in the Guangdong regional contest, or at www.qianhaihk.com to take part in the Hong Kong regional competition.
