Eligibility
Manufacturing
Any enterprises whose business involves factory operation, manufacturing or assembly processes
Services
Any enterprises whose business does not involve factory operation, manufacturing or assembly processes
Property Management
Any enterprises whose business involves the provision of property management services with more than one category of services*
*Property Management Services listed on the Schedule 1 of the Property Management Services Ordinance
Environmental projects can be classified into the following categories:
01
Energy Conservation
02
Water Management
03
Waste Reduction & Reuse
04
Recycling of Resources
05
Gas Emissions
06
Noise Abatement
07
Green Management
08
Green Innovation
09
Green Technology
Fee
HK$4,500 Assessment Fee
The assessment fee for “EcoChallenger” should first be settled with the organiser before the completion of assessment. For on-site assessment to be conducted in Mainland China, the incurred transportation and accommodation expenses should be borne by the applicant. If the assessment period exceeds one day, the applicant should bear the additional assessment fee.
Subsidy for Assessment Fee
A subsidy of HK$4,500 will be granted to the first 40 SME applicants participating in EcoChallenger
 Number of employees |
||
| Manufacturing Sector | Services / Property Management Sector | |
| Hong Kong / Macao | <100 employees | <50 employees |
| Mainland China | <500 employees | <250 employees |
The “number of employees” refers to all individual proprietors, partners and shareholders who are actively engaged in the operation of the company; and salaried employees of the company, including full-time or part-time personnel directly paid by the company, both permanent and temporary, at the time of submitting the applications.
*SME Award participating enterprise's parent company, affiliated company (if applicable) and itself should NOT be a listed company. (Ownership of a 50% of interest or more will be classified as an affiliated company.)
*In case of any disputes about the subsidy for assessment fee, all decisions of the organiser shall be regarded as final.
Application and Judging Procedures
Submit "Online Application Form"
Fill in the basic information of the company.
Select the participation category "EcoChallenger".
(Optional) Apply for the "Low-Carbon Commitment" logo.
(Optional) Compete for:
After successfully submitting the online application form, the account login information will be sent to the provided email address once the organiser verifies your qualification.
Submit "Environmental Project Form"
Log in to your account.
Submit the "Environmental Project Form," providing detailed descriptions of the environmental project and uploading relevant documentation.
Following the successful submission of the "Environmental Project Form," a confirmation email will be sent.
On-site Assessment
On-site assessment conducts by the Assessment Organisations
During on-site assessment, assessor will verify eligibility and provide recommendations on environmental projects
Judging Process
Enterprises recommended during Preliminary Judging by the Assessment Organisation will undergo further review to determine eligibility for Final Judging.
Final Judging evaluates the shortlisted enterprises based on assessment results and project impact to determine the awardees.
Final Judging Presentation
Shortlisted enterprises are invited to present in the Final Judging.
Each enterprise presents their environmental initiatives to the judging panel.
Judging panel evaluates the presentations and selects the winners.
*After receiving the application form, the conference will provide the enterprise with an environmental protection project form. Participating enterprises must complete and return the form before the specified date. The assessment agency will also contact companies participating in the "Excellent Environmental Enterprises" category to arrange on-site audits.
Evaluation Criteria
(For applications with more than 3 environmental projects, only the average score of the top 3 projects will be considered.)
| Environmental Project | Score |
|---|---|
| Individual Project Aspect | |
|
Energy conservation and waste reduction |
15 |
|
Innovation |
15 |
|
Green Technology |
15 |
|
Positive impact on environment and industry |
10 |
| Overall aspect – past environmental projects will also be counted | |
|
Comprehensiveness |
10 |
|
Management involvement |
10 |
|
Goals and strategies for achieving carbon neutrality |
10 |
| Sub-total | 85 |
| Community Participation and Promotion in Environmental Protection | Score |
|---|---|
|
Innovation |
10 |
|
Comprehensiveness |
5 |
| Sub-total | 15 |
| Project Total Score | 100 |
Extra Points
Other Plans
If an enterprise participates in the following programs at the same time, it can receive an additional 1 point in the on-site audit score (the upper limit is 4 points):
Click here to learn the details and fees for participating in S-Carbon for the first time through the "BOC Hong Kong Corporate Low-Carbon Environmental Leadership Award 2025"
Key Dates
Open for Application
19 Aug 2025
Application Deadline
31 Oct 2025
On-site Assessment
Sep 2025 to Jan 2026
Preliminary Judging
Feb to Mar 2026
Final Judging
Apr - May 2026
Award Presentation
Aug 2026
*Applicable to shortlisted companies competing for the "Belt and Road Environmental Protection Leadership Award" and "Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Environmental Protection Leadership Award"
Environmental Awards
All applicants of EcoChallenger will be competing for the following awards:
Manufacturing Industry Sector
Gold Award (1 awardee)
Cash prize of HK$30,000 đ°
Silver Award (1 awardee)
Cash prize of HK$20,000 đ°
Bronze Awards (2 awardees)
Cash prize of HK$10,000 eachđ°
SME Gold Award (1 awardee)
Cash prize of HK$20,000 đ°
SME Silver Award (1 awardee)
Cash prize of HK$10,000 đ°
SME Bronze Award (1 awardee)
Cash prize of HK$6,000 đ°
Service Industry Sector
Gold Award (1 awardee)
Cash prize of HK$30,000 đ°
Silver Award (1 awardee)
Cash prize of HK$20,000 đ°
Bronze Awards (2 awardees)
Cash prize of HK$10,000 each đ°
SME Gold Award (1 awardee)
Cash prize of HK$20,000 đ°
SME Silver Award (1 awardee)
Cash prize of HK$10,000 đ°
SME Bronze Award (1 awardee)
Cash prize of HK$6,000 đ°
Property Management Industry Sector
Gold Award (1 awardee)
Cash prize of HK$30,000 đ°
Silver Award (1 awardee)
Cash prize of HK$20,000 đ°
Bronze Awards (2 awardees)
Cash prize of HK$10,000 each đ°
The Outstanding Sustainability Corporate Award 10+ was added to recognize companies that continuously improve their environmental performance and lead green transformation through measurable eco-friendly initiatives
Other Environmental Awards
All qualified applicants can compete for the following awards:
Bonus HK$10,000
The Belt and Road Environmental Leadership Recognition Award will be given to ONE winner for its outstanding environmental performance and green initiatives that have benefitted countries along the Belt and Road#.
The "Belt" refers to economic and overland transport links across China to Central Asia and Europe while the "Road" is a network of maritime routes connecting regions through Chinese sea ports. For the list of Belt and Road countries, please refer to the link: https://eng.yidaiyilu.gov.cn/
Bonus HK$10,000
The conference will select an enterprise that improves the quality of the local ecological environment and promotes green and low-carbon recycling development in the urban agglomeration of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area in terms of resource management, environmental protection, industrial structure, production methods and lifestyles, and will award the "Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Environmental Leadership Award" for encouragement.
The GBA consists of Hong Kong, Macao, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Zhongshan, Dongguan, Zhaoqing, Huizhou, and Jiangmen. The parent company, factory and subsidiary company of the applicant are considered eligible to participate in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area Environmental Leadership Recognition Award.
Eligibility
Any applicants with environmental projects carried out in ANY single region (e.g. Hong Kong), instead of all related locations, are eligible to enrol. One awardee of each award is selected in accordance with the scope of application in environmental work and its positive impact brought to the respective region.
Application and Judging Procedure
Submit Your Environmental Project
Fill out the Environmental Protection Project Form
Upload a briefing presentation for the award you are applying for (must use the provided template)
Use the Official Templates:
[Download Template] for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Leadership Award
[Download Template] for the Belt and Road Environmental Protection Leadership Award
Shortlisting & Final Review
Special Review Committee will evaluate submissions
Shortlisted companies will receive an exclusive invitation to the final judging
Live Presentation required before the Award Judging Panel
Stand out with your project and secure your spot in the final round!
Benefits of Participating in the Competition
Low Carbon Commitment
Companies that set carbon reduction goals & implement measures will receive the "Low Carbon Commitment" logo & certificate.
Environmental Pioneer
Companies that participate for 3, 5, 8, or 10 years will receive the "Environmental Pioneer Logo".
Award Usage Rights
Winning companies can use the award logo on marketing materials for 1 year.
Media Exposure
Eligible companies gain media coverage & promotional opportunities.
Remarks: All information submitted will be kept strictly confidential and the organizer reserves the right to change the terms and conditions of this grand prize. In case of any dispute, the organiser reserves the right of final decision.
