Empowering the Next Generation Nurturing Innovative Visions from Emerging Designers for Hong Kong
HONG KONG, April 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — ‘DFA Hong Kong Young Design Talent Award’ (DFA HKYDTA), organised by Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC) since 2005, with Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA) of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) as the Lead Sponsor, Hong Kong Design Institute and the School of Design of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University as Sponsors. DFA HKYDTA has been nurturing the talents of young designers in Hong Kong, thereby promoting the advancement of the local creative industry, 2025 edition’s application is now open until 26 June 2025.
Left: Sharon Choi (Design Graduate, Awardee of 2022). Worked at TodayTomorrow, the Netherlands; Right: Mig Lau (Design Practitioner, Awardee of 2022). Worked at Nietro Sobejano, Spain
Over the course of over a decade, DFA HKYDTA has celebrated and recognised the outstanding talents of more than 230 young designers from Hong Kong. The programme offers awardees a sponsorship of up to HK$500,000, allowing them to embark on enriching international experiences. Through this initiative, awardees could broaden their perspectives by either gaining 6 to 12 months of work experience at prestigious design firms or pursuing further academic studies for 6 to 18 months at renowned institutions outside Hong Kong.
DFA HKYDTA has been instrumental in fostering the growth of young design talent in Hong Kong. By providing substantial sponsorships and international opportunities, it not only recognises their exceptional skills but also empowers them to gain invaluable global experiences. This initiative is a testament to its commitment to nurturing the next generation of designers and driving the evolution of the creative landscape in Hong Kong.
Online Application Details
Application period: 17 April 2025 (9:00 am) – 25 June 2025 (5:00 pm) (Hong Kong time) Online application: ydta.dfaawards.com
Application Requirements
Hong Kong permanent residents aged 18 to 35, who are (1) designers with relevant working experience; or (2) 2025 design graduates with Higher Diplomas, Associate’s, Bachelor’s or Master’s Degrees from accredited local educational institutions; or (3) 2025 design graduates with Master’s Degrees obtained from accredited educational institutions outside Hong Kong, and Bachelor’s Degrees completed locally under accredited local educational institutions. Every applicant needs to be nominated by a design-related organisation or professional.
Judging Criteria
A judging panel comprised of locally and internationally recognised professional designers and experts will assess the candidates based on their (1) potential contributions to the design and innovation development in Hong Kong; (2) personal aspirations, talents and achievements in specific fields with potential for continuous development; (3) effectiveness of communication and presentation skills; (4) portfolio of design works; and (5) proposals of working or studying outside Hong Kong.
DFA Hong Kong Young Design Talent Award 2024
The ‘DFA Hong Kong Young Design Talent Award 2024’ has conferred awards to 17 young designers in total. Among them, 13 awardees entitle a sponsorship totalling up to HK$5,000,000 for work or study outside Hong Kong.
DFA Hong Kong Young Design Talent Award 2024
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Established in 2005, DFA Hong Kong Young Design Talent Award, one of the programmes of ‘DFA Awards’ organised by Hong Kong Design Centre, aims to support and nurture Hong Kong’s up-and-coming designers and design graduates aged 18 to 35. Awardees may receive sponsorship to work in renowned design companies or study in institutes outside Hong Kong to unleash their potential and contribute to Hong Kong’s design and creative industries upon their return.
Hong Kong Design Centre is a strategic partner of the HKSAR Government in leveraging the city’s East-meets-West advantage to create value from design.
To achieve our goals we:
Cultivate a design culture
Bridge stakeholders to opportunities that unleash the value of design
Promote excellence in various design disciplines
About Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (www.ccidahk.gov.hk)
The Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA) established in June 2024, formerly known as Create Hong Kong (CreateHK), is a dedicated office set up by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region under the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau to provide one-stop services and support to the cultural and creative industries with a mission to foster a conducive environment in Hong Kong to facilitate the development of arts, culture and creative sectors as industries. Its strategic foci are nurturing talent and facilitating start-ups, exploring markets, promoting cross-sectoral and cross-genre collaboration, promoting the development of arts, culture and creative sectors as industries under the industry-oriented principle, and promoting Hong Kong as Asia’s creative capital and fostering a creative atmosphere in the community to implement Hong Kong’s positioning as the East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange under the National 14th Five-Year Plan.
Disclaimer: The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region provides funding support to some of HKDC’s activities/projects only, and does not otherwise take part in such funded activities/projects. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication and relevant materials/events (or by members of the project teams) are those of HKDC only and do not reflect the views of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency, the CreateSmart Initiative Secretariat or the CreateSmart Initiative Vetting Committee.
