ANNOUNCEMENT FOR STARTUP HACKATHON CHALLENGE, BHUTAN 2021

The Entrepreneurship and Self-Employment Division (ESED), Department of Employment and Human Resources, MoLHR in collaboration with Royal Monetary Authority of (RMA) & Credit information Bureau (CIB)  will be organizing 30 hours Startup Hackathon Challenge, Bhutan 2021 from 25-27^th June 2021 to provide a platform for fresh ideas, with necessary tools to stimulate the creative and innovative solutions against problems faced by the citizens delivered through innovative tech products.

Target Group

The target group should consist of software developers including graphic designers, interface designers, project managers, and others, often including subject-matter-experts, looking to improve their skills or expand their horizons, students, designers of all skill-sets, and serious entrepreneurs that can add value to the ideas to be pitched with the team.

Eligibility Criteria

1. Must be a citizen of Bhutan
2. Should have the willingness to establish a business entity
3. Must register as Team (Minimum 2 and Maximum 5)
4. Winners of the Startup Hackathon Challenge, Bhutan 2020 are not allowed to participate (They will participate as mentor).

Problem Statements

The theme of the event is based on the prescribed problem statements of the respective agencies.  The team can select only one problem statement for the challenge.

Click the links for a detailed problem statement and you may contact respective mentors for any clarification about the problem statement.

Date:

The event is tentatively scheduled from 25-27^th June 2021 (Subject to change)

Venue:

The event venue  and location will be confirmed after registration is completed. Keeping in mind the Covid 19 safety protocals, the teams will be divided into 4 based on four problem statements and subsequently the event will be conducted in four different locations.

Prizes:

The winner of each problem statement will be awarded cash prizes to kick-start their idea. Three winning teams shall be awarded prizes in the form of cash as given below in the table.

Besides, the winners of the hackathon would get direct entry into the startup acceleration program and shall be provided with Incubation space, mentoring skill development, and networking opportunities with the industry experts to encourage and motivate the participants.

Outcome

Each team will create the final product/service for the company in the form of apps or websites against the prescribed problem statement.

Event Format

The 30 hours hackathon would be focusing on the participants challenging themselves and their entrepreneurial spirit throughout 3 days (Friday to Sunday), whereby you come together as a team to make something simple, yet creative and innovative that would make a positive impact in Bhutan with global scalability.

 How to Participate?

Participants can register as a team of up to five, spend the weekend learning new skills, meeting the local tech community and tech sponsors, mentors, and network while enjoying food, snack, and coffee. The team can select only one problem statement for the competition. The team can be registered at the following link latest by 20^th June 2021:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScxw8M9w_et8rUruNg5e6alVxw83fhibM_i-mSntAay6VqUjw/viewform

For any clarification, please contact Mr. Jigme Thinley, Program Officer at 17300475 or jthinley@molhr.gov.bt

Source: – www.molhr.gov.bt