Real problems. Real solutions. Real adoption.
Build something Cebu actually needs — and pitch it to the people who can deploy it.
Sourced from across Cebu — government, civic, and community — and aligned to Cebu City’s 2035 vision of being Sustainable, Smart, and Inclusive. A Problem Brief is a real, sourced issue your team picks and builds a solution for — not a hypothetical case study. Each brief includes the context, constraints, and what’s already been tried. Browse the categories below to see the briefs that were addressed at Solutionsfest 2026.
All briefs are live. Each includes: author/source, plain-language problem statement, context, constraints, and what’s already been tried. Submissions closed June 6, 2026 — finalists announced June 8, Finals June 17, Demo Day June 18.
Cebu's universities, colleges, and TVET institutions produce the builders. Solutionsfest gives that talent a real problem to solve and a real decision-maker to solve it for.
Cebu government units help shape the most pressing problems in Cebu — not just operational challenges, but any problem worth solving.
Cebu Businesses and Organizations stand ready to adopt, invest in, or pilot the strongest solutions. Winners don't just get prizes — they get handoffs.
Nine structured steps — not a hackathon, but a deployment pipeline.
Real problems are surfaced from government, industry, and the academic community across Cebu.
Consultation outputs were converted into structured, plain-language Problem Briefs. These are now published and open for teams to build against.
Problem Briefs go live. Teams and individuals select their Brief and start building.
The submission window was open May 1 – June 6, 2026. Teams submitted their solution brief, working prototype or demo, and pitch deck or video. The window is now closed.
Submissions closed June 6, 2026 at 11:59 PM. Finalists were announced June 8. Finals Day was June 17 — free and open to the public. Demo Day was June 18 at Cebu Business Month.
🤝 Coaching Window Opens · Mentor Matching Begins — May 15
Coach matching goes live on May 15. Participants who have submitted a draft are paired with a coach from our network based on their brief and what they’re building. Submit your Solution early to be included in mentorship matching.
Both tracks close simultaneously.
Finalists notified directly. All finalists proceed to Pitching Mentorship Week (June 7–13) with domain-matched coaches.
The Solutionsfest team identifies the right mentors for each finalist’s solution, writes the formal invitations, and bridges mentor and team via email to coordinate the session. Participants are encouraged to do their own research into who they’d want — a “wishlist” of mentors — and surface those names to us. We work both directions: matching by domain and honoring participant preferences where possible.
All 12 finalists pitch before a panel of judges from government, industry, and the academic sector. Each team gets a 5-minute pitch followed by a 5-minute Q&A. Top 3 per track are selected — these become the 6 Champions who advance to Demo Day. All 12 finalists are recognized at Finals Day; the 6 Champions are awarded the following day at Cebu Business Month (CBM).
Demo Day is a re-run of the Finals — the same 6 Champions deliver the same pitches, but this time to a wider room: industry leaders, LGU decision-makers from across the province, CCCI member companies, and media. The goal is exposure to the people who can adopt, invest in, or pilot the solution. Adoption commitments — formal expressions of intent from government and industry — may be formalized during Demo Day. These are on-record commitments, not procurement contracts.
This event is part of Cebu Business Month 2026. Non-participants are welcome to attend.
The two tracks are identical in rules and prizes. The only difference is how you register.
FAQ →Open to any currently enrolled student 18 or older — college through graduate school, TVET, or continuing education. Entry must be submitted through and formally endorsed by your school or institution. No limit on team size.
What “school endorsement” means →Open to startups, MSMEs, freelancers, employed innovators, out-of-school youth, and independent creators — anyone 18 or older entering without a school endorsement. No proof of registration, TIN, or documentation of status is required. A pitch presentation is required to qualify for Finals. An MVP or working prototype strengthens an entry but isn’t required. A competent solo entry can outperform an under-committed team. Judges score against the rubric — team size is not a criterion.
🏆 The ₱200,000 prize pool is sponsored by Cebu City Government. Prize disbursement details →
Everything you need to know before you register.
FAQ →A participant is any registered Team or Individual. You can solo it if you believe you have what it takes. There is no maximum team size. Prizes are awarded per participating unit — not per member — regardless of how many people are on it.
The tracks are identical in structure and prize pool. The difference is your submission path. Student Track entries must be submitted through and formally endorsed by a school or institution. Open Track entries are submitted independently — no endorsement needed. A pitch presentation is required to qualify for Finals; an MVP or working prototype strengthens an entry but isn’t required.
Pick exactly one Problem Brief from the published list — entries that do not clearly address their selected brief will be disqualified. Submit before June 6, then reply to the confirmation email from solutionsfest@sandbox.org.ph to formally lock in your entry (check your Spam folder if it’s not in your inbox). Full requirements — solution brief template, demo format, and pitch video guidelines — publish with the briefs on May 1.
Download submission specs →Every participating unit must designate one point person — the primary contact for all official communications. The presenter at Finals doesn't have to be the point person; anyone on the team can take the stage. A point person may only represent one participating unit.
Same rubric for both tracks. The most useful, deployable, well-communicated entry wins.
FAQ →How directly does the solution address the matched Problem Brief? Is the context specific, and is the civic impact concrete and measurable? Entries are evaluated against Cebu City’s 2035 vision — Sustainable · Smart · Inclusive — the framework Mayor Archival has set for the city, and the lens through which the problem briefs were sourced.
Can it be piloted within 6 months? Is the prototype functional? Is the team or individual credibly positioned to deliver beyond the competition?
How clearly does the team communicate the problem, the solution, and why it matters? Is the presentation structured, the demo credible, and the team responsive in Q&A?
Public voting opens when the 12 finalists are announced (June 8) and closes June 16 at 11:59 PM. The public votes on the solution they believe has the most practical impact on their community. Vote-based only — no social media metrics, no follower counts, no online campaigns. A quiet technical team and a well-marketed one start from the same zero.
After Demo Day, the Solutionsfest team actively manages a 90-day referral pipeline for all 6 Champions. In practice, this means: facilitated introductions to the government unit or agency that sourced your brief, follow-up meeting support, help drafting pilot agreements or Letters of Intent, and warm referrals to DTI, DOST, and DICT grant programs. We connect you directly to the focal person at the sourcing unit. From that handoff you coordinate with them directly. We stay available for 90 days to unblock either side.
FAQ →Adoption commitments are formal expressions of intent from government units, LGUs, or CCCI member companies to pilot, co-develop, or procure a winning solution. They are not procurement contracts. There is no guaranteed timeline or conversion rate — outcomes depend on both parties. They are on-record commitments from decision-makers, and the kind that open doors to DOST, DTI, and DICT grant programs.
No conversion is guaranteed. Pilots happen because teams keep showing up. We facilitate the introduction — you drive the relationship.
Each city department with a matched problem brief assigns a focal person to engage winning teams. 90-day pilot negotiation window. Possibility of a formal MOU for pilot deployment, plus access to City technical working groups.
Provincial focal persons engage winning teams whose solutions address provincial briefs. Governor’s endorsement letter facilitates inter-LGU adoption across the province.
Open Track winners are referred to SETUP, SBGFC, or the Innovation Fund. DTI also connects winning teams with accredited MSMEs as potential commercial clients.
Qualifying solutions are referred to DOST SETUP or Balik Scientist programs. DOST also provides technical research validation for teams seeking further development funding.
ICT-forward solutions are referred to IIDB grants and tech commercialization programs. DICT co-authors the post-event report to OUIID.
Connects solutions with regional development frameworks and facilitates alignment with NEDA and provincial investment boards.
CCCI corporate members formalize adoption commitments, co-funding letters, and incubation referrals. Industry interest signaled during the program converts into official agreements.
Winners don’t just walk away with cash. They walk into a referral pipeline that the Solutionsfest team actively manages for 90 days post-Demo Day.
Join the participant Messenger group →
Ask questions, meet other teams, and get updates through June 6.
The submission window closed on June 6 at 11:59 PM. All entries are now under review by the judging panel. Finalists will be announced on June 8.
If you submitted, check your inbox for a confirmation from solutionsfest@sandbox.org.ph. Finals Day was June 17 and Demo Day was June 18 at Cebu Business Month.
Closed June 6, 2026 · 11:59 PM
Questions? Email solutionsfest@sandbox.org.ph or message us on Messenger.
Cebu's leading institutions, agencies, and companies — aligned around getting the best solutions into the hands of the people who can deploy them.
Organizations and individual stakeholders from the academe, government, and industries each have a role in making Solutionsfest work — harmonizing efforts, sourcing problems, coaching teams, and committing to deploy the strongest solutions.
LGUs that formally back Solutionsfest — lending legitimacy, sourcing problem briefs from real city and provincial priorities, and providing the adoption pathways that turn winning solutions into real government deployment.
National agencies and government bodies that engage with specific problem tracks, provide domain expertise, and help finalist teams navigate the regulatory and implementation pathways their solutions will need to reach real-world deployment.
Companies and organizations that surface real operational problems, fund prizes, coach finalist teams through the build window, and commit to piloting or deploying the strongest solutions that come out of the competition — turning Solutionsfest into a procurement and innovation pipeline, not just an event.
