Uzbekistan is currently accepting applications for two presidential competitions, President Tech Award and President AI Award 2026, designed to support technology and AI startups. The combined prize fund for both competitions stands at $6 million.
President Tech Award is aimed at startups in the digital technology sector. With a total fund of $5 million, up to 70 teams are expected to receive support. Participants can choose from three tracks depending on their project's development stage.
The 'Incubation' track targets teams with a working prototype. 25 winners will be selected, each receiving a $40,000 grant. The 'Acceleration' track is for startups with initial sales, offering 15 teams $100,000 in investment.
The 'Best Startup' track is open to projects with a finished product that are seeking investment. It covers ten areas: FinTech, artificial intelligence, corporate digital solutions, Creative Industry & AdTech, GovTech, computer and mobile games, EdTech, Logistics & Mobility, HealthTech, and DeepTech. In each area, three winners will be chosen: $125,000 for first place, $75,000 for second, and $50,000 for third. In total, 30 projects will be supported in this track.
Teams of 2-5 people can participate in 'Incubation', while 'Acceleration' and 'Best Startup' require teams of 3-8 members. The competition is open to teams composed of citizens of Uzbekistan. Applications for 'Incubation' and 'Acceleration' will be accepted until August 10, and for 'Best Startup' until August 31.
President AI Award is being held for the first time in Uzbekistan exclusively for projects based on artificial intelligence technologies. Early-stage ideas are not accepted; only ready solutions with an MVP are considered. The startup must offer a practical solution to a real problem in the economy or social sphere.
Projects are accepted in five areas: public administration, industry and entrepreneurship, healthcare and medicine, education, and green economy and agrotechnologies. The total investment fund for President AI Award is $1 million. In each area, three winners will be selected: first place receives $100,000, second $60,000, and third $40,000. Thus, 15 AI startups will attract investment.
Funds are provided by IT Park Ventures in the form of investments, not grants. Financing will be disbursed in two tranches based on the achievement of approved KPIs. Teams of 3-8 people can participate, and participants must be at least 18 years old. President AI Award is open to citizens of Uzbekistan, as well as stateless persons permanently residing in the country.
To register, applicants must provide information about the team and project, a link to the MVP and GitHub, a presentation in Uzbek, Russian, and English, and a video of up to three minutes. After the preliminary selection, 25 startups will enter the acceleration program. Later, 15 finalists will be chosen. The final Demo Day and award ceremony are scheduled for December.
Applications for President AI Award can be submitted until August 15. Participation in both competitions is free. Detailed terms, choosing the right track, and registration are available on the awards.gov.uz platform. News and important announcements for participants are published on the Telegram channels @PresidentTechAward and @president_ai_award. The media partner of the competitions is The Tech, and the entertainment partner is the OQ mobile app.
Source: podrobno.uz