Caja Arequipa launches national entrepreneurship contest with S/180,000 in prizes

Caja Arequipa announced the third edition of its national "Orgullo Emprendedor" contest, offering a total prize pool of S/180,000 to 18 Peruvian micro‑enterprises across six categories, including a Grand Prize of S/25,000 and one‑year mentorship.

BAC Honduras opened applications for the fifth edition of its "Mi Empresa Pyme BAC" programme, recognizing Honduran SMEs in three categories – Pyme Positiva, Pyme Mujer and Pyme Digital – with cash awards of L100,000, L50,000 and L50,000 respectively and a regional showcase in November.

In Chile, the InspiraTEC award extended its submission deadline to 9 August, inviting girls, adolescents and women to submit STEM projects for its tenth anniversary, while the regional Subcommittee on Innovation approved two technology‑diffusion projects – Biosuelo Palto and TomateLab Valparaíso – to support local agribusinesses.

The Dominican Republic’s finance conference highlighted the need for economic resilience, with the Ministry of Public Credit urging stronger fiscal and debt‑management policies.

Separately, students at the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú unveiled "Chavi," a conversational robot designed to guide visitors at the regional film festival in Áncash.