HSB organizes the “Northern Innovative Startup Competition” for high school students.
HSB Organizes the “Northern Innovative Startup” Competition for High School Students
In response to the spirit of Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW of the Politburo on breakthroughs in science, technology, innovation and national digital transformation, and Decision No. 336/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister approving the “Program to Support Student Entrepreneurship for the 2026–2035 Period”, in 2026, for the first time, the School of Business and Management (HSB), Vietnam National University, Hanoi, is coordinating with the Departments of Education and Training of Hanoi, Quang Ninh and Hung Yen to organize the “Northern Innovative Startup” Competition under the theme “Digital Innovation for a Sustainable Future” for high school students. The competition runs from August 22, 2026 to February 27, 2027, promising an intellectually engaging and practical platform for students in the new academic year.
HSB – From More Than 30 Years of Entrepreneurship Education to Nurturing High School Talent
The School of Business and Management (HSB) was established in 1995 as part of an initiative to reform higher education proposed by the late Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet. HSB was granted special autonomy in academic affairs, human resources and finance by the late Prof. Academician Nguyen Van Dao, the first President of Vietnam National University, Hanoi. HSB subsequently became Vietnam’s first autonomous public higher education model. After 31 years of comprehensive autonomy without relying on the state budget, HSB continues to pursue sustainable development, with academic programs accredited to European quality standards and recognition as the first public higher education institution in Vietnam to receive a QS 5-Star rating.
HSB has also been a pioneer in research and in educating high-caliber business leaders with an entrepreneurial mindset. For more than 30 years, the School has accompanied and co-organized numerous national-level entrepreneurship competitions, including “Igniting Young Business Talent” on VTV1 during 2000–2003 and “Entrepreneurship for Vietnamese Youth” during 2005–2007, helping inspire passion and entrepreneurial aspirations among young people.
In 2022, HSB established the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CEI) and has since maintained the annual “HSB Innovative Startup – Innovation Business Ignition” competition. Beyond providing a platform for creativity, the competition offers a practical environment in which students can engage with real-world business challenges, receive support from experts and gradually turn classroom ideas into real-world initiatives.
Over the years, many HSB student startup projects have received support, sponsorship and investment from businesses, reflecting the School’s educational orientation of “learning for personal development, career building and entrepreneurship.”
In 2026, building on more than 30 years of supporting entrepreneurship activities for students and young people, HSB is extending this support to high school students. For the first time, the School is coordinating with the Departments of Education and Training of Hanoi, Quang Ninh and Hung Yen to organize the “Northern Innovative Startup” Competition.
This marks an expansion of HSB’s efforts to foster management thinking, innovation capabilities and an entrepreneurial mindset among young people from the high school level. The competition also creates opportunities for students to connect, exchange ideas and learn about entrepreneurship from HSB students and startup experts. It is expected to become a practical and meaningful platform for high school students in the 2026–2027 academic year.
A Platform Connecting Management Thinking with Real-World Challenges for High School Students
Unlike competitions focused solely on ideas, the “Northern Innovative Startup” Competition is designed by HSB from the perspective of a university specializing in business and management education: students begin by accurately identifying a real-world problem, developing a valuable solution and demonstrating its feasibility. Through the competition, students can showcase creative thinking while developing knowledge, management skills and an entrepreneurial mindset.
The competition encourages high school students to propose innovative startup ideas with strong practical applicability, promoting the message: “Digital – Green – Sustainable”, thereby helping motivate and positively transform young people’s awareness of innovative entrepreneurship.
HSB has extensive experience in organizing and supporting entrepreneurship activities and competitions for university students. Building on this foundation, the School seeks to extend the entrepreneurial spirit to high school students, enabling them to gain earlier exposure to creative thinking, management and innovation.
Prof. Dr. Hoang Dinh Phi emphasized: “Organizing this competition is also a practical response to Decision No. 336/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister on the ‘Program to Support Student Entrepreneurship for the 2026–2035 Period’, which encourages and creates an environment for students to develop an entrepreneurial spirit and capabilities. Through the ‘Northern Innovative Startup’ Competition, HSB seeks to inspire confidence and provide motivation for high school students to boldly pursue their ideas. HSB is ready to accompany and support them so that promising ideas can be nurtured, refined and gradually developed into projects capable of making practical contributions to the community and society.”
Competition Rounds (Preliminary Plan)
Participants submit online a description of their idea and a preliminary plan (maximum 3 PDF pages or 15 PowerPoint slides), focusing on the context, idea, implementation plan, budget and KPIs. Top 30 projects will be announced on November 18, 2026.
Teams refine their detailed proposals, clarifying the project’s creativity, value and feasibility, while also producing an introductory video of no more than 3 minutes. Participants will present online before the Judging Panel from January 5–8, 2027. Top 10 projects advancing to the Final Round will be announced on January 21, 2027.
The Final Round will be held in person at the School of Business and Management – Vietnam National University, Hanoi. Before the Final, the Top 10 teams will work with mentors to refine their projects and strengthen their presentation and project management skills. At the Final, teams will pitch and answer questions from the Judging Panel. In addition to the core evaluation criteria, pitching ability, EQ and situational problem-solving skills will also be considered.
Projects participating in the competition will be assessed according to four groups of criteria: Context analysis (25 points), Creativity and idea messaging (25 points), Implementation plan and feasibility (40 points), Budget and effectiveness measurement (10 points). The Judging Panel will include staff and experts from the School of Business and Management – Vietnam National University, Hanoi, as well as representatives from leading domestic companies and enterprises.
Prize Structure
Each project in the Final Round may receive a maximum of one award under the prize structure below.
| No. | Award | Cash Prize | Scholarship | Quantity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Champion Award | VND 30,000,000/award | 50% of first-year tuition fees at the School of Business and Management – Vietnam National University, Hanoi (*) | 1 |
| 2 | Second Prize | VND 20,000,000/award | 20% of first-year tuition fees at the School of Business and Management – Vietnam National University, Hanoi (*) | 2 |
| 3 | Third Prize | VND 10,000,000/award | — | 3 |
| 4 | Innovation Award | VND 5,000,000/award | — | 4 |
(*) The scholarship value will be determined based on the tuition fee applicable at the time of enrollment. The scholarship applies to an individual contestant or to all members of a winning team corresponding to the award received; it cannot be converted into cash or transferred and will remain valid until the contestant enrolls at the School of Business and Management – Vietnam National University, Hanoi.
Interested parents and students can find the full competition regulations on the official Facebook page:
View the competition’s official Facebook page
