Tackling poverty through targeted innovation

Beyond Measure: Annual Outstanding Project Award Ceremony cum Showcase Day 2026 were held on 25 April (Saturday) at The Mills, Tsuen Wan, honouring exemplary initiatives that demonstrate transformative social impact. As this year marks the 50th anniversary of Oxfam Hong Kong, the Grant for Good Programme also reflected on the organisation’s enduring mission of World Without Poverty, showcasing how Oxfam is evolving traditional poverty alleviation into innovative, technology-driven, and sustainable social innovative solutions to meet the poverty challenges of an ever-changing world. 

At the event, over 30 social innovation projects funded by the Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Fund (SIE Fund) and supported by Oxfam’s Grant for Good showcased their achievements. The "Annual Outstanding Project Award" was also presented to four teams that had exceptional performance and potential in poverty alleviation, recognising their innovative approaches to addressing complex social challenges. 

The ceremony was officiated by distinguished guests including Professor Kevin Orr Ka-yeung, Chairperson of the SIE Fund Task Force, Mr Henry Li Yun-lung, Head of Industry Partnership of Cyberport Hong Kong and Mr Henry Tang Chi-fai, Director General of Oxfam Hong Kong. In addition to the project showcase, the event featured a roundtable discussion titled "Social Impact Investment and Pathways to Long-term Sustainability". Industry experts gathered to explore how different models of funding and impact investment can provide appropriate and sustainable support for social innovation projects, and amplify their social impact.  

In his welcome remarks, Mr Henry Tang Chi-fai said: "Years of poverty alleviation work have taught us that complex social problems cannot be solved by traditional models alone; they require also innovative solutions and multi-sectoral collaboration. Through Grant for Good, we aim to nurture entrepreneurs with a social mission, turning innovative ideas into viable social solutions to address the challenges of our time."  

Professor Kevin Orr Ka-yeung remarked during the ceremony: "To achieve substantive progress in poverty alleviation, we often need to break away from traditional mindsets. The SIE Fund has always upheld this belief, using social innovation as a core strategy to drive poverty relief efforts in Hong Kong. We actively encourage and facilitate collaboration among the business sector, NGOs, academia, philanthropic organisations, and the general public. Together, we explore new pathways to address poverty and social isolation, creating tangible and profound positive change for society." 

Mr Henry Li Yun-lung expressed in his speech: “Cyberport has long been a supporter of local innovation and technology development. We are delighted to see numerous Cyberport community companies participating in today's event, and we welcome more tech firms to launch social innovation projects — leveraging technology to give back to society.” 

The four award-winning projects each offer unique highlights, fully reflecting the diverse and vibrant landscape of social innovation (listed in alphabetical order): 

Debt-free Family: Experiential Learning for Financial Empowerment

Using engaging board games and simulated scenarios, this project provides young people with financial education to help them establish healthy financial values and prevent debt risks. Scenarios faced by ethnic minority groups are also integrated into the game to deepen players' understanding of the challenges these groups face and foster a spirit of inclusion. 

Marigot Smart Living 

This initiative conducts home assessments and provides elderly-friendly furniture prototypes to enhance home safety for low-income seniors and facilitate aging in place. The project aligns with government’s “targeted poverty alleviation” policy, utilising technical solutions to ensure the safety and dignity of the singleton and doubleton elderly at home. 

Medi Help 

This project provides convenient, affordable and culturally sensitive online, in-person, and home-based medication consultations for ethnic minority individuals suffering from minor illnesses and chronic conditions. By training multicultural healthcare education ambassadors to provide guidance in patients’ native languages, the project closely aligns with the government's policy direction on strengthening primary healthcare, and extends its support to ethnic minority communities. 

Wellness Tie: Equitable Healthcare for Seniors and Single Mothers via Community Health Worker 

Empowers low-income individuals through cross-disciplinary training to become "Community Health Workers", who proactively reach out to grassroots families to provide health assessments and personalised follow-up care. This model reduces the risk that grassroots patients with chronic conditions will miss opportunities to improve their health or slow down disease progression due to shortages in community healthcare manpower.  

In addition to the certificates of recognition, the winning teams were awarded a HK$10,000 grant to support their continued development. Oxfam Hong Kong will continue to work alongside the SIE Fund and partners from various sectors to nurture more mission-driven social innovation entrepreneurs, creating a profound and lasting positive impact on Hong Kong society. 

- Ends -

About Oxfam Grant for Good  

Oxfam has been commissioned by the Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Fund (SIE Fund) to establish Grant for Good, encouraging people from all sectors of society to propose innovative solutions to address poverty and social exclusion. Through fund matching and a strong cross-sectoral network, in collaboration with its strategic partner Cyberport, the initiative provides key technical support to project teams, helping them achieve sustainability and maximise their social impact.  

To date, Grant for Good has nurtured nearly 300 social innovation teams and funded over 60 projects across areas including economy, employment, education, health, housing, and community development. This award ceremony is not only a recognition of outstanding social innovation projects but also an important milestone in advancing the development of social innovation. 

About Oxfam
Oxfam is a global organisation committed to creating a world without poverty through its advocacy, development and humanitarian work.
 
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The second Beyond Measure: Annual Outstanding Project Award Ceremony cum Showcase Day was held on 25 April 2026 at The Mills.

Over 30 funded social innovation projects showcased their achievements.

Prof Kevin Orr Ka-yeung, Chairperson of the Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Fund (SIE Fund) Task Force, delivered a speech on stage.

Mr Henry Tang Chi-fai, Director General of Oxfam Hong Kong, delivered a speech on stage.

Mr Henry Li Yun-lung, Head of Industry Partnership of Cyberport Hong Kong, delivered a speech on stage.

Prof Kevin Orr Ka-Yeung (left) presented the "Annual Outstanding Project Award" certificate to the Grant for Good winning project, "Medi Help".

Mr Henry Tang Chi-fai (left) presented the "Annual Outstanding Project Award" certificate to the Grant for Good winning project, "Wellness Tie: Equitable Healthcare for Seniors and Single Mothers via Community Health Worker ".

Mr Henry Tang Chi-fai (left) presented the "Annual Outstanding Project Award" certificate to the Grant for Good winning project, "Debt-free Family: Experiential Learning for Financial Empowerment".

Mr Henry Li Yun-lung (left) presented the "Annual Outstanding Project Award" certificate to the Grant for Good winning project, "Marigot Smart Living".

A roundtable discussion "Social Impact Investment and Pathways to Long-term Sustainability" was held after the ceremony to explore how different models of funding and impact investment can provide appropriate and sustainable support for social innovation projects, and amplify their social impact.

Guests visited the exhibition area to learn about the project showcases.