On 24 September 2021, the Organising Committee of the China International Internet Plus College Student Innovation Competition announced the projects shortlisted for the finals. Among the 150 projects in the vocational education category, 12 from the Experimental School of the Open University of China (OUC) as well as the Liaoning, Zhejiang, Qingdao, Henan, Wuhan, Hunan and Guangzhou branches made the list.

In April 2021, to cater to the requirements of MOE's Notice on Holding the 7th China International Internet Plus College Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition, the OUC issued a call for participants. Jing Degang, secretary and president of the OUC, led the mobilisation and related deployments on 22 April.

After the announcement of the competition, the OUC branches across the country held meetings to mobilise teachers and students, with all branches and study centres organising selection and coordination of participants and providing services for their projects. 32 branches and experimental schools organised competitions at the school level, and 281 branch schools participated.

In order to enhance the competitiveness of the projects, the Department of Student Affairs and Teacher Development has hired experts to provide live-streamed courses based on different themes and one-on-one guidance online to the shortlisted applicants. Through the cooperation of the OUC headquarters, branches, branch schools, and study centers, 9,486 projects with 24,801 participants entered the competition. 206 were shortlisted at the provincial level and 122 won provincial awards: 49 gold, 31 silver, and 42 bronze medals as of 26 September, with 30 shortlisted for the national competition and 12 for the finals to be broadcast live.

By OUC