The National Innovation Center (NIC), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Vietnam and Samsung jointly launched RE - Youth Innovation Challenge for Community and Sustainable Development on the afternoon of August 7.

Unlike conventional competitions that focus primarily on ideas, RE is designed to take solutions that already have a minimum viable product into communities for real-world testing through a Living Labs model.

Do Tien Thinh, Deputy Director of NIC, said young people, with their abundant energy and willingness to take risks, should be a driving force behind innovation.

He emphasized that the program would not end with proposals being judged on paper. Instead, it will seek to take solutions into real-world community settings through Living Labs, reducing the risk of promising ideas becoming projects that never move beyond the planning stage.

“As an organization working to advance the national innovation ecosystem, NIC expects the RE program to help youth-led initiatives move from identifying problems and developing ideas to creating prototypes, testing them and refining them in real-world environments,” Thinh said. “This will help improve their feasibility and their ability to create tangible value for communities.”

Participating teams will focus on challenges in two main areas: inclusive digital livelihoods, including efforts to narrow the digital divide and support people with disabilities; and sustainable community development, covering areas such as energy efficiency, safe chemical management and the circular economy.

Following an application and selection period running through September 15, organizers will choose 20 teams to take part in six months of training and real-world testing.

In addition to receiving up to US$15,000 in non-refundable funding per team, participating projects will receive monthly mentoring from technology experts and access to a broader network of partners.

Francesca Nardini, Deputy Resident Representative of UNDP in Vietnam, said the approach recognizes that innovation is not simply about technology, but begins with people.

“The most important question is not ‘Is this new?’ but ‘Does this solve a real problem in the community, and does it leave no one behind?’” Nardini said.

Alongside the testing program, representatives from outstanding teams will take part in a study visit to explore South Korea’s innovation ecosystem in February and March 2027.

Pham Thu Trang, National Youth Coordinator at UNDP in Vietnam, said the greatest value for young startup teams goes beyond the US$15,000 in seed funding.

Equally important, she said, is the opportunity to build connections with a network of experts who can help teams turn their products into solutions that work in everyday life.

Eligible teams must consist of between one and five members. Founders, co-founders or key members must be between the ages of 18 and 35, and at least one founder must be a Vietnamese citizen.

Applications will be evaluated against six criteria: relevance to community needs, solution readiness, technology and innovation, potential impact, feasibility, and team capabilities.

Du Lam