On the afternoon of August 28, 2025, the Launching Ceremony of the 2025 Digital Business Student Contest officially took place. The Digital Business Contest (DBC) is an annual competition first organized in 2022 by the Vietnam E-commerce Association (VECOM) and the Network of E-commerce Training Institutions (VecomNet). It has become the largest practical playground in the field of e-commerce and the digital economy for university students across the country.
E-commerce (EC) and the digital economy (DE) in Vietnam are currently experiencing significant growth potential and opportunities thanks to favorable factors: a dynamic young population, well-developed digital commerce infrastructure, increasing internet usage and online consumption in both scale and quality, and enterprises actively engaging in digital transformation. According to the 2025 E-business Index (EBI) Report: “VECOM estimates that Vietnam’s e-commerce market reached 32 billion USD in 2024, with a growth rate of 27%. Online retail alone accounted for 22.5 billion USD, up 30% compared to the previous year. E-commerce thus represented around 12% of total retail sales of goods and consumer service revenue, higher than the 10% recorded in 2023.” Alongside this, the rapid expansion of cross-border e-commerce requires enterprise workforces to be highly skilled, well-trained, and equipped with strong practical capabilities. Therefore, businesses need to place greater emphasis on recruiting and training talent to support their e-commerce operations.
In response, Decision No. 1568/QĐ-BCT (2025) approving the National Master Plan for E-commerce Development 2026–2030 sets out two key tasks in developing high-quality human resources for EC and DE: i) 60% of higher education and vocational institutions will implement specialized training programs related to e-commerce; ii) 1,000,000 businesses, cooperatives, households, individuals, government officials, and students will participate in training courses on e-commerce application skills. To support this effort, the Network of E-commerce Training Institutions (VecomNet) was established in September 2022 to promote the training of high-quality human resources for EC and DE.
Among the various solutions proposed to improve human resource quality in e-commerce, universities recommended organizing a nationwide competition for students majoring in e-commerce, the digital economy, and related fields. The competition enables students to apply theoretical knowledge in real-world digital business practices, improve teamwork skills, and foster an entrepreneurial mindset. Over three seasons organized by VECOM and VecomNet, the Contest has gained significant recognition within the student and business communities. By 2024, nearly 500 teams with 2,500 students from 80 universities nationwide participated, supported by nearly 30 leading enterprises in e-commerce, digital business, marketing, and entrepreneurship.
In 2025, the Contest returns with even more exciting challenges across three main categories: Online Sales, Digital Marketing, and Digital Business Ideas. Notably, in response to alarming statistics—Vietnam’s e-commerce sector consumed more than 330,000 tons of packaging in 2023, including 170,000 tons of plastic materials, and with an average annual growth rate above 25%, plastic waste from e-commerce is projected to rise significantly by 2030 (according to the 2023 Report on Plastic Packaging Waste from E-commerce in Vietnam)—this year’s contest incorporates themes of Green E-commerce and Sustainable Business Models into all three categories. The aim is to strongly promote the message of sustainable e-commerce development tied to environmental protection.
The Contest is supported by the National Plastic Action Partnership (NPAP), led by UNDP Vietnam, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, and other stakeholders, with the goal of encouraging young intellectuals to actively seek solutions to plastic pollution. This collaboration is expected to inspire innovative approaches among the younger generation to address the pressing issue of plastic waste. It represents one of the highlights of this year’s competition, as the green living message will be widely spread throughout the community via student initiatives.
(Dr. Lê Hoàng Oanh – Director General, Department of E-commerce and Digital Economy, Ministry of Industry and Trade)
(Dr. Nguyễn Trung Kiên – Deputy Director, Posts and Telecommunications Institute of Technology)
(Mr. Trần Trọng Tuyến – Vice President, Vietnam E-commerce Association)
Up to now, the Contest has received strong interest, support, and companionship from many organizations, enterprises, and major investment funds both domestically and internationally, such as: Doppelherz, TikTok Shop Vietnam, Grab, MB Life, BSH, NPAP, Shopee, VietGuys, Netco Post, FADO, Metric, Gotadi, VnPost, Do Ventures, Accesstrade, IViet, ImGroup, Cova Media, Ecom Group, BambuUp, The Cay, Dnes, Vietnam Internet Center (VNNIC), Sapo, Haravan, Vinalink, Lyon, Ladipage, ECN Alliance, Guuads, Comme Asia, Mắt Bão, VESA, DTM Sub-association, Nextstart, … promising to bring a highly competitive and exciting playground for participating teams. With the aim of helping students gain the closest exposure to the real practices of e-commerce and the digital economy, the Contest will create numerous opportunities for teams to be trained in hands-on knowledge and practical business skills from leading industry experts. Winning teams will receive significant support and attractive career opportunities after graduation. In particular, universities with prize-winning teams in each competition category will also demonstrate their leading training quality nationwide in the respective fields.
At the event, the Organizing Committee officially announced the opening of team registration, introduced the Contest Regulations and Award Rules, and provided clarifications regarding Contest-related issues. Accordingly, from 16:00 on August 28, 2025, teams nationwide can register to participate in the 2025 Digital Business Student Contest via the official website: https://dbc.vecomnet.vn/.
Contest Timeline:
Launching Ceremony: August 28, 2025
Registration: August 28 – September 28, 2025
Preliminary Round: October 1 – November 10, 2025
Qualifying Round: November 15 – November 25, 2025
Semi-final Round: November 28 – December 5, 2025
Final Round & Gala Award Ceremony: December 2025
Consultation Workshops for teams: September – November 2025
Unitour consultation at selected universities: August – November 2025
Regarding the prizes, winning teams will receive cash awards along with support services from partner enterprises accompanying the Contest. Specifically:
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CHAMPION: VND 50 million in cash and prizes from partner enterprises;
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FIRST RUNNER-UP: VND 20 million in cash and prizes from partner enterprises;
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SECOND RUNNER-UP: VND 10 million in cash and prizes from partner enterprises;
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ENCOURAGEMENT PRIZE: VND 5 million in cash and prizes from partner enterprises.
In the three competition categories – i) Online Sales; ii) Digital Marketing; iii) Digital Business Ideas – teams winning First, Second, and Third Place will also receive prizes sponsored by the Contest’s partner enterprises.
(The Contest has received great attention from students and online audiences)
As part of the Launching Ceremony of the Digital Business Student Contest, the “Digital Startup Forum” was organized with the participation of experts, entrepreneurs, and influencers from various fields. The forum focused on discussing the opportunities and challenges of the entrepreneurial journey in the digital era.
The event not only provided practical perspectives but also created an opportunity for students – the future contestants – to gain additional knowledge, motivation, and confidence to embark on their own digital business journey.
The Contest also attracted strong interest from enterprises, notably Doppelherz. Mr. Nguyễn Hồng Quân, representing the Doppelherz brand, shared:
“In the context of the continuous and dynamic development of e-commerce and the digital economy, businesses – including Doppelherz – are facing many challenges both in terms of human resources and the constant need for innovation. Therefore, we highly value the Digital Business Student Contest as a highly practical platform. The Contest not only helps students put their knowledge into practice and apply it to real business models but also deepens their awareness of the importance of linking business activities with community values, moving toward green and sustainable development.
As the No. 1 vitamin and mineral supplement brand in Germany, Doppelherz has always pursued the mission of building a healthy and active life, both physically and mentally. In our business operations, we particularly emphasize sustainable values: selecting clean raw materials, reducing emissions in production, and using environmentally friendly packaging.”
(Mr. Nguyễn Hồng Quân – Representative of the Doppelherz brand)
Sharing his perspective on this year’s Contest, Mr. Đỗ Đăng Khang – Acting General Director of Saigon – Hanoi Insurance Corporation (BSH) – stated:
“At the 2025 Digital Business Student Contest, we are not looking for ‘textbook-perfect’ business plans, but for courage, creativity, and the ability to turn ideas into action. This is also the spirit that BSH Insurance pursues as we undergo a strong transformation into the digital insurance era.
This is the third year BSH Insurance has had the honor of accompanying the Contest. For us, Gen Z is not only the successor generation but also the pioneering one – equipped with the ability to adapt quickly, dare to take on challenges, and assert themselves in the digital space. On this journey, beyond classroom knowledge, you need ‘practical classrooms’: where you engage with data, analyze markets, create solutions, and most importantly, ‘run the numbers’ to turn ideas into real results.”
(Mr. Đỗ Đăng Khang – Acting General Director, Saigon – Hanoi Insurance Corporation (BSH))
Continuing with perspectives from the national internet infrastructure management sector, a representative of the Vietnam Internet Center (VNNIC) under the Ministry of Science and Technology shared:
“As the national internet infrastructure management agency and the developer of the .vn domain brand, VNNIC has identified its core mission as accompanying the community – especially young people and businesses – in the process of digital transformation and innovation. By participating in this year’s Contest, we aim to spread the message of building a Vietnamese digital brand associated with the national .vn domain, creating a solid foundation for development in the digital space. VNNIC will continue to provide support through training programs, infrastructure assistance, and resource connection so that the ideas from the Contest not only remain as concepts but can be transformed into practical solutions, contributing to a prosperous digital Vietnam.”
(Ms. Nguyễn Thị Phương Linh – Representative of the Vietnam Internet Center (VNNIC), Ministry of Science and Technology)
The 2025 Digital Business Student Contest has officially kicked off, promising to bring fresh and distinctive highlights compared to previous seasons in the fields of e-commerce and the digital economy. Not only outstanding in scale and quality, this year’s contest also emphasizes practical application, tied to real-world business activities and sustainable development based on ESG criteria. It will be an opportunity for students to gain hands-on knowledge, sharpen their skills, and enhance their awareness of social and environmental responsibility – factors that are becoming increasingly important in building future careers and businesses.
#DBC2025 #DBC #VecomNet #VECOM
2025 Digital Business Student Contest (DIGITAL BUSINESS CONTEST)
▶︎ Fanpage: https://www.facebook.com/VecomNet
▶︎ Website: https://dbc.vecomnet.vn/
▶︎ Email: vecomnet@vecom.vn
▶︎ Organizing Committee: Ms. Ánh (0328.455.923 | anhhn@vecom.vn)
