The Caring Company Scheme
Championing Caring Entreprises, Shaping New Social Norms
Renew. Advance. Shape a Sustainable, Inclusive Future Together.
The Caring Company Scheme believes every Hong Kong enterprise can achieve commercial success while, through cross-sector collaboration, cultivating a culture that cares for the community, values employees, and safeguards the environment—together creating a truly caring society.
- 23 yearsforging cross-sector consensus and setting a trusted benchmark for "caring" business practices
- 1scheme, grounded in Hong Kong and attuned to global sustainability priorities
- 4,000+participating companies and organsiations
- 500+non-profit organisations as nominators
- 3tiers for continuous improvement
- 90%+survey respondents recognise Caring Company Logo
(Based on the 2024 stakeholder survey, with a total of 1,988 respondents)
Focusing on Social, Economic and Environmental Sustainability:
Building a Caring Society Together
Building a Caring Society Together
Taking part in the Scheme is just the beginning. The public expects participating organisations to serve as role models in their industries, demonstrating ongoing commitments of embedding care in their business practices.
For companies and organisations
We invite you to join the Scheme - collaborating with non-profit organisations and using our assessment criteria to evaluate whether your operating model meets the basic threshold for being a caring business.
For non-profit organisations
We invite you to be a nominator - nominating businesses that have partnered with you or encouraging other companies to join the Scheme and start the cross-sector collaboration journey.
Launched in 2002 with 259 participating companies, the Scheme has championed in promoting corporate social responsibility (CSR) through cross-sector collaboration.
CSR is widely recognised today. The Scheme has been renewed with a vision of "Nurturing a Caring Society in Hong Kong" — to meet local needs while helping business align with global sustainability standards and move towards an era of responsible business.
CSR is widely recognised today. The Scheme has been renewed with a vision of "Nurturing a Caring Society in Hong Kong" — to meet local needs while helping business align with global sustainability standards and move towards an era of responsible business.
3 Tiers for Continuous Improvement
Successful applicants can use the Caring Company logo to show their commitment to caring for the community, employees and the environment.
Successful applicants can use the Caring Company logo to show their commitment to caring for the community, employees and the environment.
- Caring Company Identity: The logo may be used on business cards, company websites, product packaging, service brochures, promotional items, and advertising samples (subject to prior review and record by HKCSS).
- 3-tier Recognition: The recognition aims to nurture continuous improvement and facilitate better understanding of organisations' performance. The 3-tiers are:
- Tier 1: For above-average performers
- Tier 2: For advanced performers
- Tier 3: For leading performers
- Annual Benchmarking Analysis: Based on data provided by participating organisations, an in-depth analysis is conducted to offer tailored benchmarking reports. This helps identify each organisation's strengths and areas for improvement when compared to peers of a similar scale.
Strengthened Caring Business Practices: Shaping a Sustainable Future Together
Guiding principles to drive progress for all Caring Company Scheme participants
- Progressive standardsThe Scheme sets a basic threshold to encourage participation while offering higher recognition for outstanding performers.
- Continuous improvementParticipation marks the beginning of the journey. The public expects companies and organisations to improve continuously and embody the spirit of care in their business practices.
- TransparencyThe Scheme is committed to ensuring transparency in assessment criteria and recognition. Decisions are based on the principle of integrity — namely, whether there exists contribution to social development. Participating companies and organisations are expected to uphold the same principle in their actions.
- Cross-sector collaborationThe Scheme requires all applicants to be nominated by a community partner. It also encourages companies and organisations to strengthen their collaboration with community partners over time.
New Online Platform: Enhancing User Experience
Create or activate your online account:
Register via the online system with basic organisation information.
Nominated by your community partners:
Invite community partners to nominate or accept their nomination (no limit on the number of nominating organisations).
Submit your application
Submit "Form A: Community Partnership" and "Form B: Sustainability" (approx. 60 multiple-choice and data-entry questions）
Pay your application fee
One-stop online payment helps streamline the process with a standardised fee.
- Alignment with Global Standards: The renewed Scheme reflects stakeholder expectations (gathered by HKCSS through a study of over 2,000 stakeholders in 2024) and is benchmarked against international, national, and local sustainability trends. Participating companies need to respond to 65 questions as the basic requirement, which could also be seen as a gateway to global sustainability standards. "Community Partnership" remains a prerequisite - reflecting the Scheme’s aim to encourage cross-sector collaboration while addressing Hong Kong's needs.
- 3-Tier Recognition Scheme: For the first time, a scoring mechanism is used to assess organisations' performance using the data submitted. Organisations are awarded according to 3 tiers: Tier 1: For above-average performers; Tier 2: For advanced performers; and Tier 3: For leading performers.
- New tailored annual benchmarking reports: The system will conduct in-depth analysis based on data submitted by participating companies, providing a tailored benchmarking report to help identify strengths and areas for improvement compared to peers of a similar scale to support continuous improvement.
- Companies or organisations taking part in the Scheme must be registered with Business Registration and the business must be in operation in Hong Kong for at least one year.
- Caring Company Logo: Companies applying for the Caring Company Logo must be registered with Business Registration. If a company operates as a group, the holding company and its subsidiaries must submit applications separately.
- Caring Organisation Logo: Government departments, statutory bodies, chambers of commerce, professional bodies, international service clubs, alumni associations, and philanthropic foundations, hospitals, universities and tertiary educational institutions under Section 88 of the Inland Revenue Department, are eligible for application.
To recognise companies and organisations that have continuously supported the Caring Company Scheme over the years, the Scheme will continue to honour long-term participants under the previous recognition scheme. After the renewal of the Caring Company Scheme, companies that have already received annual accumulation recognition may continue to accumulate their years of participation — provided they meet the minimum requirement in the year of application. However, this recognition scheme will no longer apply to newly joined companies.
- Eligible nominators should be charitable organisations exempt from tax under Section 88 of the Inland Revenue Ordinance (according to the effective date of Inland Revenue Department, registered in Hong Kong for at least one year).
- These organisations can be HKCSS Agency Members or other charitable organisations, which include social welfare, educational, medical, environmental, cultural, recreational and sports, and international and cross-border organisations.
- Each nominator must register as a nominating organisation via the online platform.
The Hong Kong Council of Social Service
The Hong Kong Council of Social Service is an umbrella organisation of over 520 Agency Members which provide over 90% of the social welfare services in Hong Kong. Its vision is to build a welfare sector that is highly accountable, efficient, effective and responsive to social needs, upholding the long-term sustainable development of society and the well-being of our citizens.
Special thanks to the corporate members of the Caring Company Patron’s Club for their continued support of the Scheme.
Since its launch in 2005, the Caring Company Patron’s Club has been gathering business leaders who share the same vision of promoting sustainable development. Through the Caring Company platform, our members leverage their resources and expertise to benefit the community. The Club now consists of over 40 corporate members collaborating with HKCSS to enhance synergy and co-create value and impact, all aimed at building a sustainable and prosperous society.
Caring Companies and Caring Organisations are welcome to join the Patron’s Club. If interested, please contact us by email at caringcompany@hkcss.org.hk.
Since its launch in 2005, the Caring Company Patron’s Club has been gathering business leaders who share the same vision of promoting sustainable development. Through the Caring Company platform, our members leverage their resources and expertise to benefit the community. The Club now consists of over 40 corporate members collaborating with HKCSS to enhance synergy and co-create value and impact, all aimed at building a sustainable and prosperous society.
Caring Companies and Caring Organisations are welcome to join the Patron’s Club. If interested, please contact us by email at caringcompany@hkcss.org.hk.
PIE Strategy
PIE Strategy is the Knowledge and Strategy Partner of the Caring Company Scheme. As a certified impact-driven sustainability consultancy (Certified B Corporation®) and a Best For The World Honouree, PIE Strategy specialises in providing corporations in Asia with independent, professional advisory services for embedding ESG considerations in their corporate and product strategies that deliver sustainable growth and drive better outcomes for people and planet.
PIE Strategy’s sustainability strategists and specialists equip businesses in Asia with the knowledge, tools and clarity to connect business success with social progress and environmental conservation, and communicate their contribution with relevance and authenticity.
PIE Strategy’s sustainability strategists and specialists equip businesses in Asia with the knowledge, tools and clarity to connect business success with social progress and environmental conservation, and communicate their contribution with relevance and authenticity.