Vietnam’s startup ecosystem (1): How Vietnam launch institutional support to promote startup?
30/09/2020
Vietnam’s startup ecosystem (1): How Vietnam launch institutional support to promote startup?The innovative startup has become a national topic for Vietnam, with the Prime Minister calling 2016 the Year of Innovative startups. Proposals and support policies have been initiated since then to promote innovative startups, and at the same time, specialized departments and units were formed with the goal of supporting the innovative startup ecosystem.Overview
The innovative startup has become a national topic for Vietnam, with the Prime Minister calling 2016 the Year of Innovative startups. Proposals and support policies have been initiated since then to promote innovative startups, and at the same time, specialized departments and units were formed with the goal of supporting the innovative startup ecosystem.
Key government entities supporting the ecosystem includes the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), which is charged by the government to lead the National Program 844 (ISEV) and also hosts the Office of ISEV, National Agency for Technology Entrepreneurship and Commercialization Development (NATEC), The Office of National Programmes on Science and Technology (ONPOST) and Vietnamese representative of Science & Technology in foreign countries.
National Program 844
The National Program 844 is tasked with supporting the development of the startup ecosystem. The program provides support for organizations within the ecosystem such as incubators, accelerators, universities and so on. The program has been running since 2016, with 52 localities/provinces having plans to implement the program locally. Nationally, there are 61 programs that are supporting the ecosystem, carried out through the participation of 50 lead organizations, 37 partner organizations, as well as supporting incubators, accelerators, legal, financial, intellectual property services to expand markets for startup businesses and also promote startups through media communications in Vietnam.
Until 2019, the program has supported 202 training courses on innovative startups and in 2019, helped incubators and support centres such as the Business Startup Support Center(BSSC) & Business Studies & Assistance Center (BSA), which has facilitated investments worth 37 billion VND and 8 billion VND respectively. It has also supported over 140 startup events in the ecosystem and also hosted TECHFEST Vietnam 2019 in the US, South Korea, and Singapore in order to connect the Vietnamese ecosystem and Vietnamese startups with these ecosystems.
National Program 844 is also involved in the development and revision of policies to create a favorable environment for startups such as tax benefits, financial support for startups, investors and policy mechanisms to implement pilot support programs in municipal and provincial governments.
At the local level, support programs and initiatives are also being implemented by the local People’s Committee through the creation of professional startup support units. Fifty-two provinces have created a variety of supporting programs. These can be categorized into 3 different implementation strategies:
Direct support through the local People’s Committees such as in Ha Tinh and Dong Thap Provinces.
Establishment of steering committees and working groups to design and implement support program such as in Quang Nam, Ba Ria — Vung Tau & Hung Yen.
Assigned responsibility for ecosystem support to the local Department of Science and Technology (35 provinces) and Department of Planning and Investment (13 provinces).
Other programs
Additionally, the government has programs to help support startups and entrepreneurs through National Program 1665, headed by the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) which provides support for students, youth entrepreneurs, startups and National Program 939, Headed by Vietnam Women’s Union which supports female entrepreneurs.
National Program 1665
Across the country, 90% of Departments of Education and Training has issued plans to implement National Program 1665, actively introducing students to the information system supporting startups; The Ministry has also organized a Students Entrepreneurship Contest in 2019 attracting nearly 300 projects and has also signed agreements with businesses to mobilize resources and media to enhance communication for National Program 1665.
The Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) has cooperated with partners such as the British Council, NOVA Education Technology Joint Stock Company and JA Vietnam to develop guidelines and instructions on supporting entrepreneurial students, entrepreneurial training guidelines for high school students and has also organized training courses to raise awareness for government leadership, managers, educators and students about entrepreneurship at educational institutions.
Furthermore, MOET has assigned 03 training institutions to carry out a pilot program designed to develop university innovative ecosystems in 3 regions, development of 2 coworking spaces inside the training centers in the Central and Southern Vietnam and the building of a Career Support Portal to help students have an overview of training institutions and startup support systems within institutions and training facilities.
National Program 939
National Program 939’s main activities aim at supporting Female Entrepreneurship in business development by providing training for provincial support staff and direct support for female entrepreneurs in the form of facilitating access to capital and investments, connecting with investors, customers and the market.
The program has provided over 100 billion VND to support entrepreneurship through the Union, including:
Guidance documents on business planning, a series of guide books intended for ethnic minority women by topics and case study of successful female entrepreneurs.
10 training courses for lecturers on guidance on business planning, skills to build a memorable brand name, digital business skills, etc. for 380 Women’s Union officials of 63 provinces/cities in Hanoi, Son La, Da Nang, Bac Kan, Can Tho, Ha Tinh and Ho Chi Minh City. At the provincial and district level, 34,342 Union members and officials of some provincial departments and agencies have been provided with briefing and training within the program
Facilitated women’s access to credit and loans through cooperation with the Social Policy Bank of Vietnam, Agribank, Microfinance Institutions, and other businesses, international and domestic organizations.
Organized many product introductions and promotional events such as organizing sales points, product trade fair, and putting products into supermarkets. Typically, the Hanoi Women’s Union has supported over 300 female businesses to participate in trade promotion at home and abroad, developing contracts to consume Vietnamese goods worth billions of dong in Laos, China, and South Korea.
Other activities of the program in 2019 include helping to set up 42 Women Entrepreneur Clubs, 48 business incubators, organizing a Regional Entrepreneurship Day in 3 regions, exhibition and fair to sell safe agricultural products; “Women’s Entrepreneurial Journeys” exhibition and support the establishment of co-operatives in Vietnam, with 196 Co-ops and 1,067 Co-op groups established; more than 4,000 managers and executives of Co-ops and co-op groups have been provided training.
Nationally, the program has allowed 6,076 women with startup ideas to be provided with funding worth 151,296 billion VND; 17,615 female-led businesses were consulted, trained, connected with a loan of 148,697 million VND and 15,352 women started new business ventures with 504 newly established businesses.
The innovative startup has become a national topic for Vietnam, with the Prime Minister calling 2016 the Year of Innovative startups. Proposals and support policies have been initiated since then to promote innovative startups, and at the same time, specialized departments and units were formed with the goal of supporting the innovative startup ecosystem.
Overview
The innovative startup has become a national topic for Vietnam, with the Prime Minister calling 2016 the Year of Innovative startups. Proposals and support policies have been initiated since then to promote innovative startups, and at the same time, specialized departments and units were formed with the goal of supporting the innovative startup ecosystem.
Key government entities supporting the ecosystem includes the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), which is charged by the government to lead the National Program 844 (ISEV) and also hosts the Office of ISEV, National Agency for Technology Entrepreneurship and Commercialization Development (NATEC), The Office of National Programmes on Science and Technology (ONPOST) and Vietnamese representative of Science & Technology in foreign countries.
National Program 844
The National Program 844 is tasked with supporting the development of the startup ecosystem. The program provides support for organizations within the ecosystem such as incubators, accelerators, universities and so on. The program has been running since 2016, with 52 localities/provinces having plans to implement the program locally. Nationally, there are 61 programs that are supporting the ecosystem, carried out through the participation of 50 lead organizations, 37 partner organizations, as well as supporting incubators, accelerators, legal, financial, intellectual property services to expand markets for startup businesses and also promote startups through media communications in Vietnam.
Until 2019, the program has supported 202 training courses on innovative startups and in 2019, helped incubators and support centres such as the Business Startup Support Center(BSSC) & Business Studies & Assistance Center (BSA), which has facilitated investments worth 37 billion VND and 8 billion VND respectively. It has also supported over 140 startup events in the ecosystem and also hosted TECHFEST Vietnam 2019 in the US, South Korea, and Singapore in order to connect the Vietnamese ecosystem and Vietnamese startups with these ecosystems.
National Program 844 is also involved in the development and revision of policies to create a favorable environment for startups such as tax benefits, financial support for startups, investors and policy mechanisms to implement pilot support programs in municipal and provincial governments.
At the local level, support programs and initiatives are also being implemented by the local People’s Committee through the creation of professional startup support units. Fifty-two provinces have created a variety of supporting programs. These can be categorized into 3 different implementation strategies:
- Direct support through the local People’s Committees such as in Ha Tinh and Dong Thap Provinces.
- Establishment of steering committees and working groups to design and implement support program such as in Quang Nam, Ba Ria — Vung Tau & Hung Yen.
- Assigned responsibility for ecosystem support to the local Department of Science and Technology (35 provinces) and Department of Planning and Investment (13 provinces).
Other programs
Additionally, the government has programs to help support startups and entrepreneurs through National Program 1665, headed by the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) which provides support for students, youth entrepreneurs, startups and National Program 939, Headed by Vietnam Women’s Union which supports female entrepreneurs.
National Program 1665
Across the country, 90% of Departments of Education and Training has issued plans to implement National Program 1665, actively introducing students to the information system supporting startups; The Ministry has also organized a Students Entrepreneurship Contest in 2019 attracting nearly 300 projects and has also signed agreements with businesses to mobilize resources and media to enhance communication for National Program 1665.
The Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) has cooperated with partners such as the British Council, NOVA Education Technology Joint Stock Company and JA Vietnam to develop guidelines and instructions on supporting entrepreneurial students, entrepreneurial training guidelines for high school students and has also organized training courses to raise awareness for government leadership, managers, educators and students about entrepreneurship at educational institutions.
Furthermore, MOET has assigned 03 training institutions to carry out a pilot program designed to develop university innovative ecosystems in 3 regions, development of 2 coworking spaces inside the training centers in the Central and Southern Vietnam and the building of a Career Support Portal to help students have an overview of training institutions and startup support systems within institutions and training facilities.
National Program 939
National Program 939’s main activities aim at supporting Female Entrepreneurship in business development by providing training for provincial support staff and direct support for female entrepreneurs in the form of facilitating access to capital and investments, connecting with investors, customers and the market.
The program has provided over 100 billion VND to support entrepreneurship through the Union, including:
- Guidance documents on business planning, a series of guide books intended for ethnic minority women by topics and case study of successful female entrepreneurs.
- 10 training courses for lecturers on guidance on business planning, skills to build a memorable brand name, digital business skills, etc. for 380 Women’s Union officials of 63 provinces/cities in Hanoi, Son La, Da Nang, Bac Kan, Can Tho, Ha Tinh and Ho Chi Minh City. At the provincial and district level, 34,342 Union members and officials of some provincial departments and agencies have been provided with briefing and training within the program
- Facilitated women’s access to credit and loans through cooperation with the Social Policy Bank of Vietnam, Agribank, Microfinance Institutions, and other businesses, international and domestic organizations.
- Organized many product introductions and promotional events such as organizing sales points, product trade fair, and putting products into supermarkets. Typically, the Hanoi Women’s Union has supported over 300 female businesses to participate in trade promotion at home and abroad, developing contracts to consume Vietnamese goods worth billions of dong in Laos, China, and South Korea.
Other activities of the program in 2019 include helping to set up 42 Women Entrepreneur Clubs, 48 business incubators, organizing a Regional Entrepreneurship Day in 3 regions, exhibition and fair to sell safe agricultural products; “Women’s Entrepreneurial Journeys” exhibition and support the establishment of co-operatives in Vietnam, with 196 Co-ops and 1,067 Co-op groups established; more than 4,000 managers and executives of Co-ops and co-op groups have been provided training.
Nationally, the program has allowed 6,076 women with startup ideas to be provided with funding worth 151,296 billion VND; 17,615 female-led businesses were consulted, trained, connected with a loan of 148,697 million VND and 15,352 women started new business ventures with 504 newly established businesses.