The Vietnam Quality Award (VQA) has been established in accordance with the Decision No. 1352-QD/TDC dated August 5th, 1995 by the Ministry of Sciences, Technology and Environment.The VQA aims at encouraging production business and service organizations to improve quality of their activities for higher  competitiveness on the domestic and overseas markets. The VQA is annually presented to organizations with outstanding quality achievements, positive impacts on the society and good business performance.

This is the National Award with criteria consulted from other countries' Awards that have reached international standard. Selection process is laborious and scientific, from local level to central level, in concerned Ministries and Branches. Enterprises can participate only in International Award if they have been awarded with Vietnamese Quality Award.

General provisions

The VQA consists of 2 types:

- Vietnam Quality Gold Prize

- Vietnam Quality Award

The Ministry of Science and Technology decides to present VQA to enterprises on the basis of VQA National Council and Directorate for Standards and Quality (STAMEQ) propositions.

The VAQ is presented to enterprises from provinces and cities belonging directly to Central on the basis of total point gained according to VQA's criteria, with the unlimited number. There are four types of business as follows:

- Big production enterprises

- Small and medium production enterprises

- Big service enterprises

- Small and medium service enterprises

The Vietnam Quality Gold Prize with maximum of 6 is presented to the best performance enterprises of VQA enterprises by the selection of National Council. Its consists of:

- 02 Prizes for big production enterprises

- 02 Prizes for small and medium production enterprises

- 01 Prize for Big service enterprise

- 01 Prize for small and medium service enterprise

The VQA selection process is carried out by 2 level: provincial and municipal level (preliminary level) and national level (final level). The Ministry of Science and Technology considers only enterprises meeting strictly to this provision.

Criteria for the VQA

The assessment for VQA presentation is based on quality system management and business results with 7 criteria:

- leadership

- development strategic planning

- Customer focus and market

- Communication and performance analysis

- Human resources development

- Process management

- Business results

These criteria are applied to each business type and used by giving note methods. The maximum note for all criteria is 1000 points. Only enterprises with at least 600 points are considered for VQA presentation. Enterprises with more than 800 points are considered for Gold Prize. STAMEQ stipulates content for these criteria with concrete guidelines and point scale for each criteria.

VQA Selection Council

National Council is founded by decision of the Ministry of Science and Technology on the basis of STAMEQ's proposition. Council includes 9 to 11 members representing related Ministries, Branches and organizations. Council consists of 1 Chairman, 1 Vice-Chairman and commissioners.

National Council is assigned to consider and propose the Ministry of Science and Technology to present VQA to enterprises among those submitted by Preliminary Council, to select the best performance enterprises for proposing the Ministry of Science and Technology to present Vietnam Quality Gold Prize and the Prime Minister to present Merits.

The Preliminary Council consists of 5 to 7 members representing related provincial departments, Branches and organizations. It includes 1 Chairman, 1 Vice-Chairman and commissioners. Council members should be quality experts and deeply understand VQA requirements.

Procedures for registering VQA

Enterprises participating in VQA must prepare a dossier including:

- VQA participation form;

- Report presenting general activities of enterprise;

- Report on self-evaluation according to VQA criteria;

- Copy of certificate for environmental standard conformity

The VQA dossier must be submitted to the Local Preliminary Council Secretary in the stipulated period.

VQA presented enterprises are allowed to communicate, propagate, advertise on mass media or on other presentation types about this award, to use the VQA logo on their publications in accordance with regulations as follows:

1. Symbol must clearly write the name Vietnam Quality Award accompanying with the presented year

2. Symbol must not be used by the way that may lead to misunderstanding that the product of enterprise is presented VQA.