On Wednesday, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Viet Nam and HATCH! VENTURES – a social enterprise and startup incubator – announced the ‘Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs) Challenge 2017’ competition.

Staffers of Lozi, a start-up online food review community, at their office. (Illustrative photo: Tuoi Tre)

Taking place in the capital, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang, the contest seeks innovative business ideas that promote sustainability and social changes.

The final round is set to run in HCM City on 28 October, with the winner obtaining a chance to undergo HATCH! VENTURES’s 4-month Acceleration Programme, which prepares startups to be investment ready.

Speaking at the ceremony introducing the contest, UNDP Viet Nam Deputy Country Director Akiko Fujii said the UNDP wants to connect with the startup community in Viet Nam in a bid to highlight the importance of green growth and create positive social changes.

In 2015, the UNDP and HATCH! VENTURES jointly organised the Hackathon for Social Good, a 48-hour coding contest, which gathered over 100 programmers, developers and social activists to create useful technology products with commercial values for society.

In 2016, the sides signed a memorandum of understanding on partnership agreement with commitments to mobilising young people into innovative actions towards achieving the SDGs.

(Source: VNA)