DICT Is Training the Next Generation of Startup Mentors. Registration for the 2026 SME Webinar Series Closes May 21.
The DICT ICT Industry Development Bureau is opening its 2026 Startup Mentors Enablement Webinar Series to academics and startup advocates, running across three sessions on May 28, June 2, and June 4, 2026, covering everything from startup validation and talent attraction to IP essentials and emerging technologies.
Good mentors do not appear by accident. They are built through deliberate exposure to the right frameworks, the right industry context, and the right community of practice. The DICT ICT Industry Development Bureau is making that investment available to the people who are already in rooms with early-stage founders and aspiring entrepreneurs, and who want to do that work better.
The 2026 Startup Mentors Enablement Webinar Series opens registration until May 21, 2026. Three sessions. Three opportunities to build the knowledge and methodology that separates a useful mentor from a well-meaning one.
What the Series Covers
The SME Webinar Series is structured around the practical gaps that mentors most commonly encounter when working with early-stage startups. Across three sessions on May 28, June 2, and June 4, participants will work through:
Talent attraction and network building — understanding how early-stage startups compete for the people and connections they need to grow
Startup validation methods — frameworks for helping founders stress-test their ideas before they scale the wrong thing
Emerging technologies — how to harness new tools and platforms as part of both the mentoring practice and the startup's own development
Intellectual property essentials — what founders need to understand about protecting their work, and what mentors need to know to guide that conversation
Defining startup identity — helping founders articulate who they are, what they are building, and why it matters in a crowded market
Participants learn directly from industry experts sharing practical experience, mentorship strategies, and market-driven insights, not just theoretical frameworks.
Who This Is For
The series is open to teaching and non-teaching personnel from the academe, as well as individuals with a foundational understanding of startups who are passionate about mentoring and supporting founders. No advanced startup background is required. What the program looks for is a genuine interest in the work of helping early-stage founders build.
For faculty members at universities and colleges across the Philippines, particularly those involved in entrepreneurship programmes, innovation hubs, or technology business incubators, this series is a direct investment in their capacity to provide better, more grounded guidance to the student founders they work with. For non-academic mentors and ecosystem builders, it is a structured opportunity to align with the national startup development agenda while deepening their own practice.
The Bigger Picture
The SME Webinar Series is part of the DICT's Trabahong Digital initiative, which frames the development of the Philippine startup ecosystem as directly connected to the creation of digital and digitally enabled employment opportunities. Strengthening the mentor layer of the ecosystem is not just a capacity-building exercise. It is a structural investment: when mentors are better equipped, the founders they guide make fewer avoidable mistakes, build more fundable businesses, and create more sustainable jobs.
For those working in Northern Luzon's growing startup and innovation ecosystem, including university-based incubators, DICT regional offices, and local government innovation programmes, this series is a nationally backed resource that is accessible from anywhere with a reliable internet connection.
Registration closes on May 21, 2026. Interested participants can sign up at tinyurl.com/2026SMERegistration.
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