The event, jointly held by the Ministry of Education and Training, the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, in collaboration of the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) , seeks to cultivate innovation and entrepreneurial thinking among students, build a startup culture within educational institutions, and strengthen connections between schools, learners, businesses, experts, and support organisations. It also aims to improve career guidance, employment services, and startup support across the education system.

This year marks the rollout of the “Student Startup Support Programme for 2026 – 2035”, approved under Decision No. 336/QD-TTg, which places emphasis on practical outcomes, real products, real testing, real partnerships, and measurable impact.

Around 50 businesses, along with experts and mentors, are expected to take part in networking and professional activities. Highlights include specialised advisory sessions, investment matchmaking for student projects, the final round of the eighth student startup competition, and forums introducing the new support programme.

Since its launch in December last year, the competition has attracted 880 submissions from students at universities, vocational institutions, and schools across the country, covering the five key areas of industry and manufacturing, AI and STEM; agriculture, environment, and energy; education, culture, tourism, and finance; healthcare and life sciences; and social impact business.

The organising board is prioritising projects with prototypes, testing data, and user or partner feedback, shifting away from purely presentation-driven approaches, while also requiring stronger alignment between submissions and demonstrated results.

In the 2025 – 2026 academic year, schools across the country are set to organise 8,000–8,500 startup-related activities, drawing nearly 5 million student participations. More than 20,000 projects are being supported, including over 5,000 that have produced tangible outcomes such as pilot results, partnerships, awards, or revenue.

Top projects honoured at Startup Festival 2025 finals

The National Startup Project Development Programme (Startup Festival 2025) was held in Hanoi on December 20, bringing together policymakers, entrepreneurs, universities/colleges, investors, and innovation supporters to honour outstanding startup projects of the year.