Guiyang launches SME innovation, entrepreneurship competition

The 10th "Maker in China" Guiyang Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SME) Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition, hosted by the Guiyang Bureau of Industry and Information Technology, has been launched and is now open for project submissions.

The competition features five tracks: energy and new materials, advanced equipment manufacturing, next-generation information technology, specialty light industry, and healthcare and pharmaceuticals. It will run through six phases, including project recommendation, registration, evaluation, pre-competition training, city-level finals, and provincial-level mentoring.

Project and service provider registration closes on June 30, with evaluations expected by July 3, training by July 7, and city-level finals by July 10.

The competition is divided into two categories: an Enterprise Group for Guizhou-registered SMEs with market-ready projects and IP ownership and a Startup Group for early-stage companies or makers registered less than two years ago with original ideas and no IP disputes.

Repeat entries of the same or similar projects in different regional or thematic competitions are prohibited, and national top-500 or top-100 projects from the past three years may not re-enter.

Awards include two first prizes, five second prizes, nine third prizes, and 24 excellence awards for the Enterprise Group, and one first, two second, four third, and 10 excellence awards for the Startup Group.

The competition aims to boost innovation and specialization among SMEs, foster deeper integration of technological and industrial innovation, and support the high-quality industrial development of Guiyang.