Water & Climate Resilience
- Flood and drought resilience
- Water treatment
- Water efficiency
- Climate-risk services
- Resilient agriculture
Riverpreneur Challenge
Turning Solutions into Sustainable Enterprises
Are you a young founder building a business that could improve the future of the Mekong?
The Riverpreneur Challenge is looking for young founders from Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand and Viet Nam who are building businesses that respond to challenges affecting the Mekong River and the people whose livelihoods depend on it.
USD 24,000
Total Prize Pool
Overview
What is a Riverpreneur?
A Riverpreneur uses entrepreneurial thinking to develop sustainable solutions for rivers. They see a challenge, understand the people affected and build a product, service or technology that can generate income while benefiting communities and river ecosystems.
A Riverpreneur does not stop at an idea. They test, learn, adapt and turn a promising solution into a viable business.
Lao PDR
Thailand
Cambodia
Viet Nam
The challenge facing the Mekong
The Mekong supports food production, jobs, local economies and the wellbeing of millions of people. But the connections between water, food and income are under increasing pressure.
Floods, droughts, changing rainfall, pollution and shifting river conditions are making it harder for farmers, fishers, businesses and communities to plan. These pressures can reduce production, damage equipment and infrastructure, disrupt transport, increase food losses and raise operating costs.
The effects are often greatest for small producers, resource dependent households, women and communities with limited access to information, technology, finance and markets.
Behind every challenge is an unmet need. Riverpreneurs can turn those needs into practical business opportunities.
We want applicants who can ask the difficult questions:
- What is the real problem?
- What is causing it?
- Who is most affected?
- Why are current responses not working?
- Who needs a better solution?
- Who would pay for it?
- How could the solution generate revenue and measurable impact?
Solutions
What solutions are we looking for?
We welcome ventures responding to one or more of the following challenges.
Sustainable Food & River Livelihoods
- Fisheries
- Aquaculture
- Market access and sustainable tourism
- Sustainable agriculture
- Local food enterprises
Circular River Economy
- Wastewater solutions
- Recycling
- Resource recovery and pollution reduction
- Organic waste
- Fishery by-products
- Plastics
Eligibility
Who can apply?
The Challenge is open to a lead applicant who meets all of the following requirements:
- 1
Ages 18–35
Is between 18 and 35 years old.
- 2
Lower Mekong citizen
Is a citizen of the Lower Mekong countries (Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand, and Viet Nam).
- 3
Founder or co-founder
Is the founder or co-founder of the venture submitted and holds an active leadership and decision-making role.
- 4
Early-stage venture
Leads an early-stage venture that operates or is being piloted in at least one Lower Mekong country and is linked to an eligible focus area.
- 5
Beyond the concept stage
Can demonstrate that the venture has moved beyond a concept through a prototype, minimum viable product, operating service, customer or community test, early revenue from initial sales, or comparable evidence. Idea only applications are not eligible.
- 6
Available to take part
Can personally complete the accelerator, deliver the final pitch and lead a three-month pilot if selected. Other team members may participate, but the eligible founder remains the official applicant.
Submission
What to submit
Business ProposalMaximum 500 words
Short Video1 minute
Deadline
4 December 2026
Applicants must submit a business proposal of no more than 500 words. The proposal should be clear, specific and based on the applicant’s own venture and experience. It should include:
Problem statement
100 wordsExplain the selected Mekong challenge, its causes, who is affected and why current responses are insufficient.
Proposed solution
150 wordsDescribe the product, service or technology, how it works, who will use it and what makes it practical or different.
Expected outcomes
150 wordsExplain the expected benefits for customers, communities, livelihoods or river ecosystems and how the results will be measured.
Business model
100 wordsIdentify the target customers, how the venture will generate revenue and any evidence of testing, customer interest or early revenue.
Use of AI tools
Applicants may use AI tools to check grammar, spelling and sentence clarity, or to refine wording they have written themselves. However, AI must not be used to generate the entire proposal, invent information or produce responses that do not reflect the applicant’s own work and experience. Proposals found to have been generated entirely by AI will be disqualified.
Applicants remain responsible for the originality, accuracy and authenticity of all submitted information.
Submit a video of no more than 60 seconds introducing your venture and proposed solution in English. The video should cover:
01
The challenge
State which Mekong challenge area your venture addresses and briefly explain the specific problem.
02
The solution
Explain what your product, service or technology does, who will use it and what makes it practical or different.
03
The outcomes
Describe the results you expect, including benefits for customers, communities, livelihoods or the river environment.
Keep it simple
Videos may be recorded using a smartphone. Professional production is not required. Use clear sound, adequate lighting and simple language. The founder or co-founder applying to the Challenge should appear and speak in the video.
Ready to apply?
Applications open 26 October 2026 and close 4 December 2026.
Assessment Criteria
How applications are judged
Applications will be reviewed by a judging panel consisting of the MRC representative and external partners.
Assessment criteria may include:
- Relevance to water quality, water sustainability and Mekong livelihoods25%
- Innovation and creativity20%
- Feasibility and practicality20%
- Social and environmental impact20%
- Scalability and replication potential15%
Challenge Journey
Apply. Accelerate. Pitch. Pilot.
-
Application and video submission
-
Announcement of the 15 finalists
-
Skill training and mentoring
-
Final submission of the refined business models
-
Announcement of the Top 8 finalists
-
Final pitch at the International Conference of the 5th MRC Summit
The 8 finalists will be invited to the final pitch at the International Conference in Bangkok, Thailand. Travel and accommodation will be covered.
At the final pitch, the 8 finalists may present:
Physical prototype
Eco-product, water filter model, farming tool, packaging sample
Digital demo
Mobile app, online platform, dashboard, data tool
Service model
Community tourism route, fisheries value chain service, training model
Visual display
Poster, infographic, business model canvas, impact map
Video showcase
1 minute demonstration video
Participant Benefits
What you gain
15Top
Top 15 Acceleration Programme
- Expert mentoring
- Pitch coaching
- Regional visibility
- Access to business networks
8Top
Top 8 Finalists
- Fully funded Summit participation
- Conference showcase space
- Connections to potential investors, policymakers and private companies
- Pitch venture at the International Conference
4Top
Top 4 Pilot Grant Winners
- USD 6,000 seed funding each
- Three months implementation support
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Can’t find what you’re looking for? Reach out to the MRC Secretariat using the contact details below.
The term Riverpreneur combines “river” and “entrepreneur”. A Riverpreneur uses entrepreneurial thinking to develop a commercially viable solution that benefits rivers, communities and local economies.
Yes. Students may apply if they meet all eligibility requirements and are already the founder or co-founder of a venture. Being a student alone is not sufficient.
No. The Challenge is intended for ventures that have progressed beyond the idea stage. Applicants must provide evidence such as a prototype, minimum viable product, operating service, customer or community test, first sale or similar result.
Formal registration is not required at the application stage. However, applicants must demonstrate that the venture is active, being tested, has already engaged potential customers, users or communities, and has early revenue from initial sales.
Yes. A team may apply, but it must nominate one eligible founder or co-founder as the official applicant and primary contact. The lead applicant must complete the training, deliver the final pitch and lead the pilot if selected.
Yes. The age requirement applies to the lead applicant. Other team members may be older than 35, provided the official applicant is an eligible founder or co-founder aged between 18 and 35.
Not necessarily. The venture may operate anywhere in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand or Viet Nam. However, its product or service must address a challenge affecting the Lower Mekong Basin and create clear benefits for its people, economy or environment. Applicants must be citizens of one of these four countries.
Yes. A social enterprise is eligible if it has a clear business model, identifies its customers or users and explains how it will generate sufficient revenue to sustain its operations and impact.
Fifteen applicants will be selected for online business training, mentoring and pitch coaching. After refining and resubmitting their business models, eight finalists will be chosen to pitch at the International Conference of the 5th MRC Summit in Bangkok.
Training may cover:
- The Riverpreneur mindset
- Problem and stakeholder analysis
- Business model development
- Market and customer understanding
- Sustainability and impact
- Financial feasibility and risk
- Pitch development and presentation
Shortlisted applicants will also receive individual consultation to strengthen their ventures.
The final pitch will take place on 3 April 2027 during the International Conference of the 5th MRC Summit in Bangkok, Thailand.
Yes. The eight finalists will receive funded participation in the International Conference. Details on approved travel, accommodation and related arrangements will be provided to selected finalists.
Four ventures will each receive USD 6,000 in seed funding to implement a three-month pilot. They will also receive follow-up guidance and opportunities to demonstrate the results of their ventures.
No. All eight finalists will pitch at the International Conference, but only four ventures will be selected to receive seed funding.