A total of 13 projects in Baotou city -- located in North China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region -- are to take part in the fourth China Chuangyi Youth Entrepreneurship and Innovation Competition (Inner Mongolia division), according local news reports on Aug 3.

The China Chuangyi Youth Entrepreneurship and Innovation Competition is a national-level competition, hosted by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, as well as the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Science and Technology.

Local officials said it will be the third time the selection competition for the autonomous region is performing its tasks in Baotou city.

They said that in recent years, Baotou has continued to improve conditions for entrepreneurial innovation. The city has promoted employment through entrepreneurship and introduced a number of policies prioritizing employment.

The city has also established 95 entrepreneurial incubation bases at or above the city level, covering a total area of 3.53 million square meters.

Officials said it has also attracted some 5,500 enterprises to establish themselves there and helped 65,000 people to find work.

They added that innovation and entrepreneurship training sessions in the city have benefitted 100,000 people. After training, 78,000 people successfully went on to start businesses, helping some 220,000 people find employment.

In addition, Baotou has issued 5.85 billion yuan ($838 million) in secured loans for entrepreneurial ventures, ranking it first among the leagues and cities in the autonomous region.