National Productivity and Quality Excellence Award (NPQEA) 2026

Theme:  Unlocking Organisational Potential: Sustaining Productivity and Quality Excellence

To promote and foster greater productivity and quality awareness among the public, the NPCC organises a national award to recognise individuals, teams, and organisations for their outstanding achievements in quality and productivity.

The NPCC launched the 7th edition of the National Productivity and Quality Excellence Award (NPQEA) on 5 March 2026. 

Objectives of NPQEA
The NPQEA is designed to inspire and promote excellence among Mauritian public, private, and non-governmental organisations. It serves as a platform for sharing best practices, systems, and initiatives, while encouraging collaboration and mutual learning among participants.

The NPQEA aims to achieve the following:
1. Raise Awareness: Promoting organisational excellence and cultivating a culture of productivity and competitiveness in all sectors of the economy.
2. Acknowledge Excellence: Recognising organisations that consistently demonstrate outstanding management and operational practices.
3. Establish Benchmarks: Identifying role models and set benchmarks for productivity and quality excellence to inspire other organisations.

Through NPQEA 2026, organisations are encouraged to celebrate their transformational journeys, embrace continuous improvement, and foster a forward-looking mindset that supports sustainable productivity and quality excellence. Sustaining excellence depends on effective leadership, data-driven decision-making, and employee engagement, ensuring that quality and productivity are not one-time achievements but ongoing strategic priorities that drive long-term success and competitiveness.

  • General Rules for NPQEA 2026
  • Participants are advised to regularly check the NPCC website for updates and important information
    Applicants must register online by 30 June 2026. 
  • Each organisation is allowed to submit up to two entries (two teams) per category.
  • Improvement projects may focus on but not limited to the following areas:
    1. Productivity and Quality Improvement
    2. Innovation
    3. Business Excellence
    4. Lean Management
    5. Digital Transformation
    6. Sustainability
  • Eligible projects much have been implemented in 2024, 2025, or up to the first quarter of 2026.
  • Incomplete online registration forms or entries will not be accepted.

Training and support
The NPCC will conduct face to face/Online training sessions. Dates will be communicated.
These sessions will provide:
1. Hands-on guidance on NPQEA 2026 criteria and the submission process.
2. Support in aligning the selected improvement project with the award requirements.

  • Attendance is highly recommended as these sessions offer critical practical support.
  • Teams are required to attend the training with a selected improvement project implemented within the eligible period (2024–2026), as the sessions will be hands-on and practical. Participants will work directly on their own projects during the training, applying the NPQEA criteria with guidance from NPCC. The training schedule will be communicated to all registered participants.

Assessment process
Online technical assessments by an independent panel of jurors will be held between July and August 2026 (Dates will be communicated later). Participating organisations will compete for the following awards per category:
1. Gold
2. Silver
3. Bronze

  • An onsite assessment will be conducted among the Gold Awardees to determine the final GRAND WINNER in each category
  • The Award Ceremony is scheduled for 27 October 2026 and will be held during the Africa Kaizen Annual Conference (AKAC) 2026 which will gather international delegates from Japan, Africa and Latin America.

Additional rules
Council Members of the NPCC and their organisations are not eligible to participate in NPQEA 2026.
The decision of the Jury is final and binding.
The NPCC shall own all soft copies of PowerPoint presentations.
The NPCC, as organiser shall be the deciding authority on any matter not specifically covered under these rules and regulations.
Participation in NPQEA 2026 shall imply acceptance of the rules and regulations with regards to the Award.

Who can participate:
Private and public sector organisations in Mauritius are eligible to participate in NPQEA 2026.

Categories

  1. Small and Medium private enterprises including Micro enterprises (annual turnover of less than Rs 100 million) and registered associations
  2. Mid-Market and Large Private enterprises (annual turnover of more than Rs 100 million)
  3. Government departments, parastatals bodies

 

Benefits of participation

  • Recognition and awards: Projects will be awarded Gold, Silver and Bronze following online assessments and presentations to a panel of jurors. The Grand Winners for each category will be announced during the award ceremony.
  • Celebration of Excellence: Recognition of outstanding quality and productivity improvement initiatives at a prestigious Award Ceremony.
  • Boosted employee morale: Engaging employees in participation builds pride and drives motivation.
  • Enhanced reputation: Participating organisations gain prestige within their community and industry.
  • Best practice sharing: Organisations can identify, learn and adopt best practices from others.
  • National media exposure: Winning teams receive strong visibility across our social media, website and local press, radio and TV
  • Global opportunities: Eligible teams (Winners) can participate in the International Convention on Quality Control Circles (ICQCC) and/or the Africa Kaizen Award (AKA).

Modalities for Technical Assessments- NPQEA 2026
Presentation Format
• Technical presentations, including case studies and improvement projects, will be conducted online as per a pre-determined schedule (To be communicated later).

• Each team must comprise of a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 3 participants.
• Presentations will be evaluated according to the official NPQEA 2026 assessment criteria.

Submission of Materials
• All presentation materials (PowerPoint or video) must be submitted to the NPCC at least one week prior to the scheduled assessment date by mail or WeTransfer for larger files.

Presentation Schedule
• Each team will receive their presentation schedule in advance of the technical sessions.
• A test session will be done two (2) days before the scheduled assessment to allow teams to check their setup and presentation flow.

Duration & Format
• Each presentation will last 15 minutes, followed by a 5-minute Q&A session with the panel of jurors.
• A timekeeper/moderator will be present during each session to ensure smooth facilitation.
• Please note that audience feedback or comments will not be provided during the online session.
• Each team will be assessed by a panel of jurors.

Presentation Materials
• There is no limit to the number of slides, but teams must adhere strictly to the 15-minute presentation time.

Technical Requirements
Participating teams must ensure they have the following:
• Access to Zoom
• A stable internet connection
• A laptop or desktop computer equipped with a webcam and integrated microphone (Presentations via mobile phone will not be accepted)
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