The COVID-19 pandemic has affected everything and everybody: business owners, students, doctors, etc. As we move forward, how can we use our lessons learned from the pandemic to build more resilience and robust Cambodia?
In SmartSpark Cohort 8, we are working on innovative ideas that will solve problems created by the pandemic while also future-proofing Cambodia from future outbreaks and emergencies.
SmartSpark is a startup program to introduce the key concepts of social entrepreneurship to people with the ambition of turning their innovative idea into a business that will tackle Cambodia’s biggest challenges.
This program is brought to Cambodian youths by Smart Axiata and Impact Hub Phnom Penh. It is an intensive 3-month incubation to support young people with innovative ideas tackling social and environmental issues in Cambodia, especially issues around the Sustainable Development Goals. The aim is to help them turn creative ideas into viable businesses and innovative solutions!
Each of the SmartSpark cohorts will focus on a different set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs were developed by the United Nations (UN). They bring focus and unity to the many different people and organisations acting globally to bring about positive change, like Sustainable Cities and Communities or Gender Equality. Cambodia is one of 193 countries that has adopted the SDGs.
Our theme is “Building Resilience in the New Normal”. We are looking for innovations that can be a part of building a resilient response system to the cause of the COVID-19 pandemic in Cambodia. It can be about mental health, upskilling or sustainable jobs/income, infrastructure, or other innovations that you might think of.
SmartSpark cohort 8 is focused on the four SDGs mentioned below but not limited to other SDGs.
SDG 1: No Poverty
SDG 5: Gender Equality
SDG 8: Decent work and Economic growth
SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
SmartSpark Cohort 8 was launched in June 2021.
We have found 10 teams of aspiring entrepreneurs who completed the SmartSpark program and took on SDG 1: No Poverty, SDG 5: Gender Equality, SDG 8: Decent work and Economic growth, SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
At the end of the program, they will have the opportunity to pitch your idea to a panel of judges and audience. One team will be selected to receive $3,000 from Smart Axiata to launch their business idea, as well as receiving ongoing support from Impact Hub Phnom Penh.
They will go through this intensive program alongside fellow changemakers also passionate about strengthening Cambodia’s cities, jobs, and infrastructure for a more resilient future. We believe that having multiple people working on similar challenges will help strengthen you all as you offer each other motivation, feedback, and support.
Cambodia startups, businesses, and initiatives that are working on this topic or the focus SDGs: Agile, MeetDoctor, Kokopon, Sepak, Cambodia Knits, Dai Khmer, Green Lady, Nham24, Joonak, Wapatoa, and Impact Hub Phnom Penh’s Online Learning Platform
Week 0: “Introduction to Social Entrepreneurship”. You’re a changemaker and you (don’t) know it! You’ll first start the Smartspark journey by reflecting on your personal story and why you are passionate about solving this problem. – What is a social enterprise & how can you use this type of business to positively impact society?
Week 1: “Building a strong team and identifying the root causes of the problem”. Understanding your team members’ strengths, weaknesses, and working styles to build a high-performing team. Reflection on the problem tree to identify the root causes of the problem and make sure that you are solving the real problem for customers or the market.
Week 2: “Market Research and Customer Persona” – Learn techniques to do effective primary & secondary market research and build a relevant empathy map for effective customer discovery & market analysis.
Week 3: “Creating Innovative Solution and Rapid Prototyping” – Understanding the concept of design thinking. Tips to get creative and think outside of the box. Techniques to do rapid prototyping and constructing Minimum Viable Product (MVP).
Week 4: “Business Model Canvas” – Building strong Value Propositions & identifying the right Business Model to sustain your business. Hands-on practice in building the Business Model Canvas.
Week 5: “Startup branding and tools”. Understand the concept of branding and learn the technology tools to create a remarkable, strong, and effective brand for your business without having to spend much money.
Week 6: “Partnership, Project Management & Financial Planning” – Do stakeholder analysis, build connections and strong networks to support your startup, and prepare your strategic roadmap. Learn and utilize various project management tools and introduction to startup financial projection.
Week 7: “Video Making” – Explore the tools and techniques to create an effective video to tell the story about your business and reach out to your audiences digitally. Learn how to make a 1:30 minutes promotional video to promote your business idea to the public. Bonus: your video will be posted on the Impact Hub Phnom Penh and Smart For Cambodia’s page, which has large viewers and fan base.
Week 8: “Marketing and Pitching” – Learn about various offline and online marketing strategies and how to establish a strong presence. Gather the tools and opportunity to practice building a powerful pitch deck and present your idea through an effective and engaging pitch to get potential stakeholders and customers on board.
Aspiring entrepreneurs at the idea stage, ready and motivated to test the feasibility of their idea to solve a social or environmental issue.
This program offers a full curriculum, so you need to be available for all of the training workshops and events. You are also making a commitment to your team and your cohort to show up and contribute at every session.
The dates are:
Saturday 14th August 2021 (2 pm – 4 pm)
Saturday 21st August 2021 (2 pm – 4 pm)
Wednesday 25st August 2021 (6 pm – 8 pm)
Saturday 28th August 2021 (2 pm – 4 pm)
Saturday 04th September 2021 (2 pm – 4 pm)
Saturday 11th September 2021 (2 pm – 4 pm)
Saturday 18th September 2021 (2 pm – 4 pm)
Saturday 25th September 2021 (2 pm – 4 pm)
Thursday 14th October 2021 (5 pm-9 pm) (Final Pitch)
Monday 18th October 2021 (6 pm-8 pm)
**All right served by organizer**
To get the most out of the program you will be spending at least 12 hours per week on your startup idea.
Due to the covid situation in Phnom Penh and Cambodia is still a concern, the program will be conducted online for now. However, if the situation is safe for us to do it offline, the program will be conducted offline at Impact Hub Phnom Penh.
Apply before midnight on Sunday, July 18 using the application form here. Shortlisted applicants will be interviewed between the 19th to 21st of July, and successful teams will be invited to join the program on Saturday 14th August.
If you have any questions about the application process or SmartSpark please get in touch with [email protected] or [email protected] or call 015 674 048
Stay up to date with Impact Hub Phnom Penh’s Facebook page here or Smart for Cambodia’s Facebook here.
Deadline July 18 [11:59 PM]
