One of the initiatives of DOST’s SCALE NCR is to map out 17 cities in NCR to identify opportunities and startups to support and collaborate with. 

Targeting to accelerate startup growth in Metro Manila, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) has announced key initiatives of its Strategic and Collaborative Alliance for Leveraging Ecosystems of Startups – National Capital Region (SCALE NCR). 

SCALE NCR is a technology business incubator (TBI) consortium established by the department. It is founded by NCR-based TBIs, including the following:

• QBO Innovation
• Animo Labs
• Miriam College Technology Business Incubator
• Adamson University-AduNest
• Mapua University-Think & Thinker Laboratory
• University of Sto. Tomas-TomasInno Center
• University of the Philippines Diliman-UPSCALE Innovation Hub
• Technological Institute of the Philippines-NITRO

According to Executive Director Jay Fajardo, QBO Innovation is “committed to supporting initiatives by SCALE NCR to further accelerate this momentum by creating a more interconnected and supportive environment for startups.” 

Among the initiatives announced by SCALE NCR is the development of the NCR Local Government Unit (LGU) Mapping initiative, the Startup Institute, and NCR Investors Network. 

NCR LGU Mapping Initiative

The NCR LGU Mapping initiative aims to map out 17 cities in NCR to identify collaboration and support opportunities for startups. This will be used to guide the creation of a five-year Startup Development Roadmap for NCR.

The mapping plan will focus on identifying the following key elements:

• Community culture
• Programs
• Enablers within educational institutions
• Number of startups in each LGU

In addition, the mapping plan will also look at the non-educational enablers, which include incubators, accelerators, and LGU-promoted programs. This initiative seeks to improve Metro Manila’s standing in the global startup ecosystem ranking. 

NCR ranks 81st-90th in the Emerging Startup Ecosystem group ranking, according to the Global Startup Ecosystem Report 2024 (GSER 2024), an annual report on technology startups. 

SCALE NCR’s Other Initiatives for Startup Growth

Aside from the mapping plan, SCALE NCR announced the development of the Startup Institute, which will hold its pilot on September 20 and 23, 2024, with Colegio de Muntinlupa.

The Startup Institute aims to enhance the innovation ecosystem for industry and enterprise development. It also seeks to grow the pool of early-stage investable startups in the country and empower TBIs and entrepreneur-support organizations. 

SCALE NCR will also launch its NCR Investors Network, which seeks to help startups, businesses, or projects that are in search of funding to connect with investors who can provide capital and valuable mentorship. 

In addition to this, the NCR Investors Network also aims to promote startup investment education and awareness. In order to achieve this, the network plans to host workshops and seminars on trends, best practices, and opportunities in the investment landscape.