ELIGIBILITY
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The following criteria applies to the “Best Innopreneur Award”, “High Flyer Innopreneur Award”, “Excellence in Research Application Award”, “GBA+ Award”, “ESG Award” and “Most Popular Innopreneur Award”, which recognise eminent innopreneurs on an individual basis. The nominee must be:

  1.  An individual with Hong Kong permanent residency nominated by an individual or organisation;
  2.  Working in Hong Kong-registered company principally engaging in any startup business or industry which is related to innovation, such as technology, emerging industry or invented new products, services and business model;
  3.  Business focus and operations in Hong Kong and / or GBA region;
  4.   A company founder/co-founder, owner/co-owner who undertakes an active management position, owns the intellectual property rights and/or legitimate rights over the company’s product and/or service.

The following criteria applies to the “Corporate Innopreneur Award” and “Ecosystem Catalyst Award”, which recognise outstanding innovation within corporations and family businesses.  The organisation or company must be:

  1.  Registered in Hong Kong or GBA;
  2.  “Corporate Innopreneur Award”: realised innovation within a existing corporation / family business, and has contributed to the Hong Kong or GBA community through work in innovation, technology, emerging industries, or invented a new product or service with positive impact;
  3.  “Ecosystem Catalyst Award”: acting as an incubator, accelerator, angel fund, venture capital fund, private equity firm, crowdfunding, research translation and IP licensing office, or operating a business matching platform in the startup ecosystem.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE
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Deadline for nomination: 20 May 2022
(For application by online system/email, the deadline will be based on the server time of the Organiser; for application by post, the postmark date will be regarded as the date of application. Late application will not be accepted.)

  • All award nomination are free to enter and open to the public. Click the “APPLY NOW” button for nominations. Confirmation email will be sent upon successful application.
  • Each nomination must be submitted in the prescribed form endorsed by both the nominator and the nominee by online system/e-mail/post, together with supporting documents to the FHKI by the nomination deadline.
  • Members of the judging panel and employees of the organiser are not eligible to nominate and be nominated.
  • Nominators may submit as many nominations as they wish. Separate nomination forms should be used for each nominee.

Each nominee should submit the following documents for examination:

  • A copy of the nominee’s identity card
  • A copy of Hong Kong Business Registration Certification
  • Company brochure / annual reports (if any)

Information submitted by both the nominator and nominee will be taken into account by the screening committee and the judging panel when assessing the merits of the nominee. Providing as many details as possible would facilitate the judging process.

All information furnished will be kept strictly confidential except for evaluation by the screening committee and the judging panel, and the appropriate information will be released only if an award is granted.

AWARD CATEGORY AND JUDGING CRITERIA
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Best Innopreneur Award
  • Successful startup of a business from vision to reality;
  • Recognised as an icon by industry & community;
  • The business is operated by the founder;
  • Companies registered in Hong Kong in or after 2017, which have been established for five years or less* with solid business operations.
    *Determined by the date of incorporation on Certificate of Incorporation (applicable to incorporated limited company only) or Certified Extract of Information on the Business Register (applicable to non-incorporated limited companies only).

WEIGHT JUDGING CRITERIA
25% Technology Innovation | Creativity | Breakthrough
25% Growth | Viability | Scalability
20% Impact on society
15% Track record & story
15% Regional (GBA) & International Growth Potential
High Flyer Innopreneur Award
  • High growth minimum cumulative average growth rate (CAGR) of 30% in revenues for past 3 years;
  • Demonstrates leadership in building a sustainable business & strong team;
  • Companies registered in Hong Kong in or after 2017, which have been established for five years or less* with solid business operations.
    *Determined by the date of incorporation on Certificate of Incorporation (applicable to incorporated limited company only) or Certified Extract of Information on the Business Register (applicable to non-incorporated limited companies only).

WEIGHT JUDGING CRITERIA
25% Technology Innovation | Creativity | Breakthrough
25% Commercial Performance | Viability | Scalability
20% Positive Social Impact
15% Track record & story
15% Regional (GBA) & International Growth Potential
Excellence in Research Application Award
  • Concept must originate from academic institutional research;
  • Must be able to prove academic institution involvement;
  • Must be able to demonstrate translation of research into application(s);
  • Companies registered in Hong Kong in or after 2017, which have been established for five years or less* with solid business operations.
    *Determined by the date of incorporation on Certificate of Incorporation (applicable to incorporated limited company only) or Certified Extract of Information on the Business Register (applicable to non-incorporated limited companies only).

WEIGHT JUDGING CRITERIA
25% Technology Innovation | Creativity | Breakthrough
25% Commercial Performance | Viability | Scalability
20% Positive Social Impact
15% Track record & story
15% Regional (GBA) & International Growth Potential
GBA+ Award
  • Demonstrates significant business presence in GBA or International markets;
  • Companies registered in Hong Kong in or after 2015, which have been established for seven years or less* with solid business operations.
    *Determined by the date of incorporation on Certificate of Incorporation (applicable to incorporated limited company only) or Certified Extract of Information on the Business Register (applicable to non-incorporated limited companies only).

WEIGHT JUDGING CRITERIA
25% Technology Innovation | Creativity | Breakthrough
25% Commercial Performance | Viability | Scalability
20% Positive Social Impact
15% Track record & story
15% Regional (GBA) & International Growth Potential
ESG Award
  • Business must be socially responsible & sustainable;
  • Must provide outstanding environmental, social and governance (ESG) impact to society;
  • Companies registered in Hong Kong in or after 2015, which have been established for seven years or less* with solid business operations.
    *Determined by the date of incorporation on Certificate of Incorporation (applicable to incorporated limited company only) or Certified Extract of Information on the Business Register (applicable to non-incorporated limited companies only).

WEIGHT JUDGING CRITERIA
25% Technology Innovation | Creativity | Breakthrough
25% Commercial Performance | Viability | Scalability
20% Positive Social, Environmental and Governance Impact
15% Track record & story
15% Regional (GBA) & International Growth Potential
Corporate Innopreneur Award
  • Organisation or company must realised innovation within a existing corporation / family business;
  • Has contributed to the Hong Kong or GBA community through work in innovation, technology, emerging industries, or invented a new product or service with positive impact.

WEIGHT JUDGING CRITERIA
25% Technology Innovation | Creativity | Breakthrough
25% Commercial Performance | Viability | Scalability
20% Positive Social Impact
15% Track record & story
15% Regional (GBA) & International Growth Potential
Ecosystem Catalyst Award
  • Organisation or company must be acting as an incubator, accelerator, angel fund, venture capital fund, private equity firm, crowdfunding, research translation and IP licensing office, or operating a business matching platform in the startup ecosystem.

WEIGHT JUDGING CRITERIA
25% Differentiated value proposition and breadth of support
provided to startup companies
25% Number of business matching facilitated or concluded
25% Value of funds referred or matched or invested
25% Performance of portfolio companies (investees, incubatees, acceleratees)
Most Popular Innopreneur Award
  • Winner to be selected by online public voting;
  • Companies registered in Hong Kong in or after 2017, which have been established for five years or less* with solid business operations.
    *Determined by the date of incorporation on Certificate of Incorporation (applicable to incorporated limited company only) or Certified Extract of Information on the Business Register (applicable to non-incorporated limited companies only).

WEIGHT JUDGING CRITERIA
25% Technology Innovation | Creativity | Breakthrough
25% Commercial Performance | Viability | Scalability
20% Positive Social Impact
15% Track record & story
15% Regional (GBA) & International Growth Potential

ASSESSMENT AND JUDGING
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Preliminary Screening

The screening committee reviews all the nominations and selects those they consider should be recommended to the judging panel for consideration.

Final Judging

Final judging day: 1 September 2022

Only shortlisted candidates recommended by the screening committee will be notified in writing after the preliminary screening and invited to attend the final judging session. Only one candidate will be selected as winner for each award.

Public Voting

Finalists of the Most Popular Innopreneur Award will be announced on the Hong Kong Innopreneur Awards website. Online voting will be opened for public after final judging.

Recognition

Date of Presentation Ceremony: 14 February 2023

The Organiser will obtain further information from the winner for publicity purposes. The winner and his/her nominator must attend the presentation ceremony. Trophy and souvenir will be presented to the winner and his/her nominator respectively at the presentation ceremony. If the winner has more than one nominator, the souvenir will be presented to the one who first submitted the nomination form to the Organiser.

Remarks

All decisions made by the Organiser, the screening committee and the judging panel are final and binding in all aspects relating to the Award. The Organiser, at its sole discretion, reserves all rights to modify the rules and criteria for the Award. The Organiser also reserves the right to withdraw or revoke any award that has been made and presented.

Key Dates And Activities

6 April 2022 – Open for Nomination
20 May 2022 – Nomination Deadline
1 September 2022 – Final Judging
14 February 2023 – Award Presentation Ceremony