The Samarkand Branch of Tashkent State University of Economics announces a startup project competition. The main objective of the competition is to support talented and proactive youth in the branch and local communities, encourage their innovative initiatives, and create the necessary conditions to transform innovative ideas into commercially viable projects. This competition provides an excellent opportunity to turn innovation into business.

The best startup projects will receive financial support, be recommended for national and international grant competitions, and be continuously developed with the guidance of experienced mentors. Winning projects will also be recognized as achievements in other competitions and programs of the Samarkand Branch of Tashkent State University of Economics.

Applications will be accepted from February 10, 2026, until February 28, 2026, at 23:59. Applications must be completed in the prescribed format and submitted to Khushnud Kazakov via Telegram +998 90 601 65 50. For further inquiries, contact +998 94 642 30 02 (Jonibek Boriboyev).

Submitted documents must fully comply with the requirements of the “Future Scientist” competition, be officially formatted, and the authors are personally responsible for the accuracy and reliability of the information. All tasks of the competition must be completed fully, correctly, and on time.

Startup Project Competition Rules

1. General Rules
The competition is organized to identify and support innovative startup projects with commercial potential. The organizer is the Samarkand Branch of Tashkent State University of Economics. The competition is open and free. Winners will be determined and awarded.

2. Participants
Participants can be all students, young researchers, startup teams of 2–5 members, and local youth. Each participant or team may submit only one project.

3. Project Directions
The competition is held in all fields as initiative startup projects.

4. Competition Stages
The stages of the competition include application submission, selection, project presentation, and winner determination. Selected participants present their projects for 5–7 minutes.

5. Evaluation Criteria
Projects are evaluated on innovation, relevance of the problem and solution, market potential and monetization model, technical and practical feasibility, team capacity, and presentation quality.

6. Documents and Requirements
Participants must submit a completed application form and a project description of the prescribed length.

7. Awards
First place winners receive funding to develop a project prototype and a certificate. Second and third place winners receive certificates. Additionally, mentorship programs, incubation/acceleration opportunities, and meetings with investors are provided.

8. Intellectual Property Rights
All intellectual property rights of submitted projects remain with the authors. The organizer may use the projects only for promoting the competition.

9. Final Provisions
The organizer reserves the right to make changes to the competition rules. The jury’s decision is final. Participation in the competition constitutes full agreement with its rules.