The Palawan International Business Incubator (Palawan ITBI), the first international TBI, will officially launch its flagship competition called the I CAN Business Competition on April 9, 2019 at Palawan State University Main Campus. I CAN which stands for Innopreneurs Creating Innovative solutions to Advance the Nation aims to encourage the creation of research-based and innovative business solutions that will help solve social and community problems and advance the local and regional economy.
In line with National Heroes’ Day, the competition is a step towards building modern day heroes thus the theme, “You CAN be your community’s hero by creating innovative solutions to social problems.”
The competition which will commence on April 9 will be done in three phases:
Phase 1: Empowering teams – in this phase, the thirty (30) chosen teams will undergo comprehensive two-day bootcamp and remote coaching sessions to guide them on the technical and the business aspect of building their startups/innovative business idea.
The two-day bootcamp will be a mix of talks and workshops with the industry mentors who will guide the teams on the business aspect, prototyping, validation of idea and the needs for them to properly create their startups/innovative business idea.
Phase 2: Make it happen – in this phase, teams will have a two-day hackathon where they will have the independence to work on their prototype. PITBI will partner with TBIs/makerspaces to make the teams’ ideas happen.
Teams will then be evaluated based on their progress. Thirty teams will be trimmed down to 15 and the top 15 will be pitching their innovations with MVP during finals on September or October.
Winners will automatically be incubated in PITBI and receive investment from industry partners as well as mentorship opportunities. Top 5 will also receive P200,000 cash prize each from Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology, Research and Development (DOST-PCIEERD) that will be used for further development of their innovations. Non-winners will receive mentorship support for their innovations and linkages needed for the development of their innovations.
Phase 3: Pay it forward – Successful startups/innovative businesses founders and team members will be considered InnoPrenYOUTH CAN ambassadors who will help inspire fellow youth in creating innovative solutions for nation building and eventually create a community of innoprenYouths.
InnoPrenYouth CAN ambassador will represent his/her campus and/or community and will help PITBI in cultivating a culture of technopreneurship in his/her campus and/or community and may lead an organization he/she built to reach the community’s goal.
InnoPrenYouth CAN ambassadors will pay the favor forward by becoming volunteer community builder, helping organize events/workshops for fellow youth in his/her community/campus and will be exposed/introduced to different activities and partners that will help improve not just his/her startup/innovative business but also his/her community.
The competition is one of the major strategies of Palawan ITBI in building the innovation community in the MIMAROPA region and its adjacent region like CALABARZON. “We are in high hopes that this will spark creation of our modern heroes whose heart lies on the creation of products, solutions that would address social pains. We are looking forward to helping create more modern day heroes,” shares Ms. Ramy Ann Maigue, the Project Leader of Palawan ITBI. The I CAN Business Competition is organized by Palawan International Technology Business Incubator, a DOST-PCIEERD funded TBI in partnership with Junior Chamber International – Puerto Princesa Oil, Palawan State University, Batangas State University – Center for Technopreneurship and Innovation and Department of Science and Technology – MIMAROPA. (PR)