The Quezon City government announced on Wednesday its call for applications for the second batch of its startup incubation program, which provides financial grants to qualified entrepreneurs.
The program aims to drive innovation and stimulate the local economy by offering equity-free grants of up to P1,000,000 to qualified entrepreneurs, the city government said in a statement.
“[The] set of criteria places high standards on innovativeness, creativity, sustainability, and social relevance, among others,” said Maria Josefina “Joy” G. Belmonte, mayor of Quezon City, on the application and screening process of startup finalists.
The Philippines inched down two places to rank 59th out of 100 countries in the 2023 edition of the Global Startup Ecosystem Index by research center StartupBlink.
With a score of 2.469, the Philippines remained the seventh-lowest scoring country among its peers in the Asia-Pacific region.
The Startup QC Program aims to create jobs, cultivate the entrepreneurial spirit, promote innovation, and develop the city’s startup ecosystem, the city government said.
It is backed by the national government through the Department of Information and Communications Technology and the Department of Trade and Industry, alongside Launchgarage, a startup accelerator and tech innovation hub in Manila.
Private universities have also expressed support for the program, such as the Ateneo de Manila University, Miriam College, Technological Institute of the Philippines, Thames International Business School, and University of the Philippines Diliman.
Five startups were selected in the program’s initial run: Bamboo Impact Lab, a retailer of bamboo products; EdukSine, a Filipino film streaming platform; Indigo Research, an applied artificial intelligence research company; ITOOH Homestyle, a furniture marketplace; and Wika, a Filipino sign language media company.
Applications for the second batch of startups will close on July 12 at 5:00 p.m. Interested applicants can visit the Startup QC webpage at qceservices.quezoncity.gov.ph. — Miguel Hanz L. Antivola
