<p>The Mapletree Budding Entrepreneurs Challenge (MBEC) is a youth entrepreneurship competition organised by Mapletree Investments, inaugurated in 2026 as a continuation of the Mapletree-SCCCI River Hongbao Hackathon. Teams develop and pitch product or service ideas aligned with themes such as Education or Healthcare, with mentoring, workshops, and fireside chats with start-up leaders throughout the challenge.</p><ul><li>Format: Multi-day hackathon followed by mentoring rounds and a Grand Finals pitch</li><li>Inaugural 2026 edition: 35 ideas submitted, 12 teams shortlisted, 4 top projects at Grand Finals</li><li>Top 4 projects at the 2026 Grand Finals each received S$10,000 in prize money and seed funding</li><li>Winning teams run rent-free pop-up stalls at VivoCity, with 70% of net profits donated to an IPC-registered charity aligned with Mapletree's CSR pillars</li><li>Additional S$500 cash prize for the team with the highest stall profits</li></ul><p>Further editions and application details will be announced via Mapletree's newsroom.</p>