The ASOCIO Smart City Awards 2026 adopts a rigorous, transparent, and evidence-based evaluation process to ensure fairness and consistency across all Award Groups. The Awards process comprises three sequential phases:

1. Nomination
2. Evaluation & Judging
3. Award Recognition & Promotion

1. Nomination

Applicants are required to complete the nomination process through the official Awards portal.

Step 1 – Create an Online Account

Applicants should visit the official ASOCIO Smart City Awards website (https://smartcityaward.asocio.org/) to review the Awards information and create an account via the online nomination portal (https://registrationsma.asocio.org)

Step 2 – Review the Awards Guidelines

Applicants should carefully review the Award Rules, Award Categories, nomination guidelines, eligibility requirements, and submission templates before preparing their nominations.

Step 3 – Prepare the Nomination

Applicants are required to complete the online nomination form in accordance with the submission guidelines, including the relevant Award Group, Award Category, and the scope of the nomination.

Step 4 – Submit the Nomination

Nominations shall be submitted online in accordance with the following arrangements:

• Award Group F01 – Smart Cities: Nominations must be officially endorsed and submitted by the relevant ASOCIO Member representing the respective member economy.
• Award Groups F02 (Smart Urban Operations & Public Services Solutions) and F03 (Smart Living & Community Solutions): Eligible organisations may submit their nominations directly through the online Awards portal.

2. Evaluation & Judging

2.1 Awards Jury

The Judging Panels and Final Judging Jury is appointed by the Organising Committee and comprises distinguished experts from ASOCIO member economies with recognised expertise across the respective Award domains.

Composition

• The Chair of the Final Judging Jury shall be nominated by the host economy.
• Each ASOCIO member economy may nominate three to five experts to serve on the evaluation panels, subject to appointment by the Organising Committee.

Responsibilities

The Awards Jury is responsible for:

• evaluating all eligible nominations against the published evaluation criteria;
• assessing supporting evidence and presentation materials;
• selecting outstanding nominations for advancement to the Final Judging Jury;
• recommending nominations for Award recognition based on merit and evaluation results.

2.2 Evaluation Stages

Stage 1 – Eligibility Review

The Organising Committee will conduct an initial review of all submitted nominations to verify eligibility, completeness, and compliance with the Awards requirements.

Where necessary, applicants may be invited to provide additional information, clarification, or supporting documentation before the nomination proceeds to the next stage.

Only eligible nominations will advance to the Online Presentation and Interview stage.

Stage 2 – Online Presentation & Interview

All presentations and interviews will be conducted entirely online.

Award Group F01 – Smart Cities

Following the submission of an officially endorsed nomination by the relevant ASOCIO Member, nominated cities will participate in an online interview with the Evaluation Panel.

Interview format (60 minutes)

• Welcome and introduction – 3 minutes
• Presentation and supporting video (if applicable) – 15 minutes
• Questions and answers – 40 minutes
• Session closing – 2 minutes

Award Groups F02 (Smart Urban Operations & Public Services Solutions) & F03 (Smart Living & Community Solutions )

Shortlisted nominees will deliver an online presentation before the Evaluation Panel.

Presentation format (maximum 25 minutes)

• Welcome and introduction – 3 minutes
• Presentation and demonstration – 10 minutes
• Questions and answers – 12 minutes

Each Evaluation Panel comprises three to four experts, who will assess nominations in accordance with the published evaluation criteria and recommend outstanding nominations for consideration by the Final Judging Jury.

Stage 3 – Final Judging Jury Evaluation

Following completion of the panel evaluations, each Evaluation Panel shall submit its assessment reports and scoring results to the Final Judging Jury.

Based on the published evaluation criteria, evaluation reports, presentation outcomes, and scoring recommendations, the Final Judging Jury shall determine the nominations to be recognised as recipients of the ASOCIO Smart City Awards 2026.

Award Recognition Principles

Award Group F01 – Smart Cities

• Each ASOCIO member economy may have one nominated city recognised as a recipient of an ASOCIO Smart City Award, subject to satisfying the evaluation requirements.

Award Groups F02 (Smart Urban Operations & Public Services Solutions) & F03 (Smart Living & Community Solutions)

• Nominations achieving a final evaluation score of 7.0 or above shall be recognised as a recipient of an ASOCIO Smart City Award.
• Nominations achieving a final evaluation score of 8 or above shall additionally be eligible for Five-Star Recognition.
• Number of Awards: Unlimited

Presentation performance and supporting evidence form an integral part of the overall evaluation and will be considered by the Final Judging Jury when determining the final Award Recipients.

Presentation Outcome

The presentation and interview form an integral part of the final evaluation process. The outcomes of the presentation, together with the supporting evidence and evaluation results, shall serve as the basis for the Final Judging Jury to review, assess, and determine the nominations to be recognised as recipients of the ASOCIO Smart City Awards 2026.

People’s Choice Award – Asia-Pacific Most Liveable City

In addition to the official Awards determined by the Final Judging Jury, the Organising Committee will present the People’s Choice Award – Asia-Pacific Most Liveable City to recognise the city that receives the highest level of public support through community voting.

Voting Mechanism

• Each ASOCIO member economy may nominate one city to participate in the People’s Choice Award – Asia-Pacific Most Liveable City public voting programme. The nominated city for this category can be difference from the nominated city at Group 1.
• Participating cities may encourage citizens and local communities to support and vote for their nominated city through the official voting platform.
• The city receiving the highest number of valid public votes will be recognised as the recipient of the People’s Choice Award – Asia-Pacific Most Liveable City.

Recognition & Award Benefits

1. Recognition

Recipients of the ASOCIO Smart City Awards 2026 will receive the following official recognition:

• An ASOCIO Smart City Awards Trophy;
• An Official Certificate of Recognition issued by ASOCIO;
• Official recognition during the ASOCIO Smart City Awards 2026 Presentation Ceremony;
• Authorisation to use the ASOCIO Smart City Awards logo and recognition mark for promotional and marketing purposes, in accordance with the Organising Committee’s Brand Guidelines.

2. Awards Presentation Ceremony

The ASOCIO Smart City Awards 2026 Presentation Ceremony will be held as part of the Vietnam – Asia Smart City Summit 2026, with the participation of government leaders, city representatives, international organisations, enterprises, technology experts, and media representatives from ASOCIO member economies.

Award Recipients will be formally recognised during the Ceremony and featured in the official communications and promotional activities of the Awards programme.

3. Award Benefits

In addition to official recognition, Award Recipients will enjoy a range of promotional and business development opportunities provided by the Organising Committee and its partners.

Special Privileges for Award Recipients

Benefits	Description
Official Promotion	Featured across the official communication channels of ASOCIO and the Organising Committee, including websites, social media platforms, newsletters, publications, and partner media networks.
Award Recipient Profile	Featured in the official directory of ASOCIO Smart City Awards recipients, showcasing outstanding cities, products, and digital solutions to governments, enterprises, investors, and international partners.
Business Networking	Priority access to business-matching programmes, networking activities, investment promotion events, and international cooperation initiatives organised by ASOCIO and its partners.
Exhibition & Showcase Opportunities	Opportunities to showcase award-winning products, solutions, and initiatives at selected ASOCIO events, exhibitions, forums, and international conferences.
VNetworks Business Platform	Complimentary introduction and promotion on the VNetworks.biz digital business networking platform in accordance with the programme’s applicable policies.
Online Business Booth	Complimentary online exhibition booth for promoting award-winning products, services, and solutions through the Organising Committee’s designated digital platforms.
NFC Digital Business Card	Complimentary NFC-enabled digital business card provided under the programme’s implementation arrangements.

Note: The above benefits shall be implemented in accordance with the annual programme plan and the detailed arrangements announced by the Organising Committee.