Startup QC Squad 3 (Student Category) Is Now Accepting Applications

Daniella Guerrero
Jan 14
2 min read

Have an idea you’ve been meaning to take seriously? This is your sign.

Startup QC Squad 3 (Student Category) is inviting college students to turn early ideas into real businesses through hands-on experience, mentorship, and city-backed support. The program is built for students who want to learn entrepreneurship by doing, not just by studying it.

Whether applying solo or as a team, Startup QC’s student edition offers the opportunity to step into a real startup environment while still in school to build, test, and pitch ideas under real-world conditions.

At its core, Startup QC gives students something rarely accessible at this stage: practical startup experience paired with equity-free funding. Gain firsthand exposure to how ideas become ventures—how problems are defined, solutions are refined, and stories are pitched—while retaining full ownership of your work. Pursue your passions and explore entrepreneurship without investor pressure.

Last Year’s Winners: JGSOM Students Winning on the QC Startup Stage

In 2025, PlastiPave, a sustainable paving block that entombs waste plastic with cement and envisioned for use in sidewalks and bike lanes, demonstrated what’s possible when Ateneo students take the leap.

📣 Who Can Apply?

Startup QC Squad 3 is open to college students, undergraduate or graduate, who are ready to move an idea beyond the conceptual stage. Students may apply individually or as part of a team, and ideas from across disciplines (technology, social impact, sustainability, creative industries, and community solutions).

Applications are now open through the Startup QC portal. Click here: https://qceservices.quezoncity.gov.ph

The application deadline is March 13, 2026.