The Quezon City government has officially opened applications for Cohort 3 for the Professional Category of its StartUp QC Program.
First launched in 2022, the StartUp QC program is the Quezon City government’s initiative established under Ordinance SP-3109, S-2022, designed to support innovative startups. The program onboards early-stage startups to enhance their readiness to enter the next stage of their entrepreneurial journey, with separate categories for students and professionals. This initiative supports Mayor Joy Belmonte’s dedication to establishing Quezon City as the startup and innovation hub of the Philippines, while also spurring local job creation and meaningful innovation for economic development.
Since the previous cohort, the program has implemented several changes to enhance individualized support and strategic guidance. These include tailored mentorship sessions and one-on-one strategy meetings that provide personalized guidance, address individual challenges and aspirations, and offer customized advice for more precise and effective planning.
Qualified startups will also participate in customized LEAD (Learning, Engagement, and Development) sessions over three to four months, gaining insights from industry experts, mentors, advisors, and accelerators. This will help them progress from prototypes to market-ready products and services, accelerating their business growth.
The program concludes with a Demo Day, where participants pitch their ideas to a distinguished audience of startup ecosystem stakeholders with the chance to receive equity-free grants of up to Php 1 million.
Finalists from the second cohort of the StartUp QC program represented a diverse range of industries, from an online platform and social commerce app to e-learning platforms.
Participants from the previous cohort have secured new opportunities, connected with key stakeholders, and gained recognition in other accelerator programs. Notable examples include Hibla PH in the Arise Plus Philippines YE! Boost Accelerator, Kippap Learning Corp in IdeaSpace Philippines’ Accelerator Program Batch 11, and Likhaan partnering with The Finance Education Center to digitize the work of Filipino creators.
The StartUp QC program is backed by esteemed institutions such as the Department of Information and Communications Technology, the Department of Trade and Industry, Quezon City University, Ateneo De Manila University, Miriam College, Thames International, Technological Institute of the Philippines, University of the Philippines Diliman, and startup accelerators, StartUp Village and Launchgarage.
Those interested in applying to the StartUp QC program must have at least one member who is a resident of Quezon City and at least 21 years old. Additionally, program aspirants must have a minimum viable product that does not duplicate ongoing programs or projects as determined by the QCGov, and must 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 must register and submit the requirements through the QC E-services at qceservices.quezoncity.gov.ph.