The Quezon City government opened the applications for Cohort 3 of Startup QC Professional Category following the success of its previous editions.
The program is designed to nurture the next wave of impactful startups propelling economic and innovation growth in the city.
The StartUp QC Program onboards early-stage startups to enhance their readiness to enter the next stage of their entrepreneurial journey.
Qualified startups will engage in tailored learning, engagement and development (LEAD) sessions over three to four months and expose them to industry experts, mentors, advisors and accelerators to help them advance from the prototype stage to develop market-ready products and services and accelerate their business growth.
The program culminates in a Demo Day, where participants will pitch their innovative ideas to a distinguished audience of stakeholders from the startup ecosystem and will have the opportunity to receive equity-free financial grants of up to P1 million.
The initiative aligns with Mayor Joy Belmonte’s commitment to transforming Quezon City into the startup and innovation capital of the Philippines.
Through collaboration between government and non-government entities, the program is seen as a driver of local job creation and meaningful innovation for economic development.
StartUp QC is Quezon City government’s initiative established under Ordinance SP-3109, S-2022, designed to support innovative startups.
It is backed by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Ateneo de Manila University, Miriam College, Technological Institute of the Philippines, Thames International Business School, University of the Philippines Diliman and startup accelerators StartUp Village and Launchgarage.
Startup applicants should have at least one member who is a resident of Quezon City and at least 21 years old.
Program aspirants should have a minimum viable product (MVP) that does not duplicate ongoing programs or projects as determined by the QCGov, and should submit a video pitch of up to 5 minutes along with a business plan not exceeding 10 pages.
StartUp QC Professional Category application runs until June 27, 2024. Applicants should register and submit the requirements through the QC E-services at qceservices.quezoncity.gov.ph.