House Award

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Benchmark has raised the bar with an updated judging methodology that emphasizes sustainable financial and ESG performance. All participants are scored using a predefined set of answer options in the Questionnaire, ensuring consistent and comparable treatment across strategies. Independent investment and sustainability analytics are built into the scoring framework, and qualifying entrants gain inclusion in BlueOnion’s FundBase Registry, giving distributors practical, standardized information to support their ongoing due diligence.

Methodology

The ETF awards will use a blend of quantitative and qualitative criteria to select winners in each category. Eligible ETFs must be listed on the chosen exchange over a defined 12‑month period and fall into clearly defined segments such as Hong Kong equity, China equity, Asia and global equity, fixed income, smart beta, active, thematic technology, and leveraged and inverse products. For each category, issuers will first be screened on basic scale and liquidity (assets under management, trading volume, and listing history), and then scored using hard data on AUM growth, liquidity, tracking quality, and performance versus benchmarks and peers. A judging panel will overlay this with a structured qualitative review of product design, investor protection, client support, and operational robustness, and the combined score will determine the shortlist and ultimate winners, with any discretionary adjustments clearly documented to preserve transparency and credibility.

Although this program assesses ETF strategies rather than issuers, we use a reference ETF for data and documentation so that all candidates can be evaluated on a comparable basis. The ETF strategy must:

✓ Have a minimum 1‑year live listing history on a recognized stock exchange (with longer track records viewed favorably).

✓ Be represented by a primary listing (home exchange / main line) for performance and liquidity data.

✓ Have a valid ISIN and stock code.

✓ Provide a current prospectus, ETF factsheet, and, where applicable, index or benchmark methodology.

You may submit more than one ETF strategy to each category by entering each reference ETF as a separate entry. The ETF does not need to be authorized in the jurisdiction of competition, provided it is available to professional or eligible investors (for example, UCITS, SICAV, or other cross‑border structures).

The assessment period is from 1 October 2024 to 30 September 2025.
The strategy with the highest final score in its peer group wins the Best-in-Class award. Up to two Outstanding Achiever awards will be given to Strategies within a 5% margin below the Best-in-Class.
Step 1 – Decide which investment strategies you would like to pursue.

Step 2 – Fill out the Multiple-Choice Questionnaire for each entered category. Due to the increasing number of entries each year, we can no longer offer each fund an opportunity to the Gatekeeper Forum. To present the best candidates to the judges, those who have met the qualifying threshold will be shortlisted to enter the Gatekeeper Forum. These shortlisted candidates are selected based on the quality of the answers provided in the questionnaire.

Step 3 – Attend the Gatekeeper Forum, where judges will rate their interviews with the PM/CIO based on the specified criteria for each type of award. This is a subjective process, and the judges will be provided with the submissions, as well as the independent financial performance reporting from Morningstar and the sustainability performance from BlueOnion. The forum is highly curated, and only the PM, CIO, or Product Specialists are invited to meet the Senior Gatekeepers in person. During the 30-minute session, 3-5 jurors will ask in-depth questions along the five critical pillars to gain a deeper understanding of team practices. Jurors assigned to a particular peer group will score based on their experience with the fund house and team, as well as the evidence presented.
Submitting Materials for Multiple Regions

If you are entering the same category for more than one region, you may use the same information, documents, and flagship fund across all the areas. For example, you've entered your global fixed-income strategy for Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan. You may use the same information for all three regions. You would still need to complete the submission for each area separately. Submit all the answers and documents for the first region, then input the related submission ID for the other areas.

Submitting Materials for Multiple Strategies

Separate groups of jurors will evaluate different product types, so please make sure there is one submission per strategy. Please submit separate entries for each strategy, except Pillar 5-Corporate Strength (only need to submit this once for all entries). DO NOT send one request to represent different strategies.

Merging Categories

To ensure the quality of the awards, categories with less than three funds participating may be incorporated into a larger category of the same kind without prior notice.

Other Info

Key Dates

Key Event	Date
Entry Open	March 02, 2026
Awards Briefing	March 02 - March 23, 2026
Entry Close	March 23, 2026
Submission Period	March 23 - April 24, 2026
Results Announcement	April 28, 2026
Awards Ceremony	June 26, 2026

Book a Briefing Session to learn more.

Methodology

The Awards may be entered either by self‑nomination or by nomination from the judging committee. The objective is to recognize managers – across active funds, ETFs, and private markets strategies – for delivering sustained, risk‑adjusted outperformance while maintaining excellence in BENCHMARK’s pillars. The BENCHMARK and buy‑side communities believe that investment strategies are best evaluated holistically rather than by over‑emphasizing past returns and risk metrics. In that spirit, each submitted strategy is assessed on multiple facets of portfolio and risk management and overall firm quality, calibrated for the type of vehicle. These facets are treated as interlocking pieces that form a cohesive whole. BENCHMARK’s five pillars are Investment Approach, Performance & Risk, Portfolio Management, Stewardship, and Corporate Quality.

Although this program assesses investment strategies rather than funds, we request factsheets and other information related to the oldest share class of a flagship fund so that the same metrics can evaluate all candidates. The strategy must:

✓ Have a minimum 3-year track record

✓ Have an ISIN code
✓ Must provide a prospectus or fact sheet

You can submit more than one fund to each category by entering the fund into a separate entry. The strategies presented do not require authorization of funds in the jurisdiction of competition. It can be a UCITS, SICAV, etc..…

The assessment period is from 1 October 2024 to 30 September 2025.
The strategy with the highest final score in its peer group wins the Best-in-Class award. Up to two Outstanding Achiever awards will be given to Strategies within a 5% margin below the Best-in-Class.
Step 1 – Decide which investment strategies you would like to pursue.

Step 2 – Fill out the Multiple-Choice Questionnaire for each entered category. Due to the increasing number of entries each year, we can no longer offer each fund an opportunity to the Gatekeeper Forum. To present the best candidates to the judges, those who have met the qualifying threshold will be shortlisted to enter the Gatekeeper Forum. These shortlisted candidates are selected based on the quality of the answers provided in the questionnaire.

Step 3 – Attend the Gatekeeper Forum, where judges will rate their interviews with the PM/CIO based on the specified criteria for each type of award. This is a subjective process, and the judges will be provided with the submissions, as well as the independent financial performance reporting from Morningstar and the sustainability performance from BlueOnion. The forum is highly curated, and only the PM, CIO, or Product Specialists are invited to meet the Senior Gatekeepers in person. During the 30-minute session, 3-5 jurors will ask in-depth questions along the five critical pillars to gain a deeper understanding of team practices. Jurors assigned to a particular peer group will score based on their experience with the fund house and team, as well as the evidence presented.
Submitting Materials for Multiple Regions

If you are entering the same category for more than one region, you may use the same information, documents, and flagship fund across all the areas. For example, you've entered your global fixed-income strategy for Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan. You may use the same information for all three regions. You would still need to complete the submission for each area separately. Submit all the answers and documents for the first region, then input the related submission ID for the other areas.

Submitting Materials for Multiple Strategies

Separate groups of jurors will evaluate different product types, so please make sure there is one submission per strategy. Please submit separate entries for each strategy, except Pillar 5-Corporate Strength (only need to submit this once for all entries). DO NOT send one request to represent different strategies.

Merging Categories

To ensure the quality of the awards, categories with less than three funds participating may be incorporated into a larger category of the same kind without prior notice.

Other Info

Key Dates

Key Event	Date
Entry Open	February 23, 2026
Awards Briefing	February 23 - March 20, 2026
Entry Close	March 20, 2026
Submission Period	March 20 - April 24, 2026
The Gatekeeper Forum	April 28-30, 2026
Results Announcement	May 05, 2026
Awards Ceremony	June 26, 2026

Book a Briefing Session to learn more.
The Gatekeeper Forum is a sub-set of the judging process with three to five jurors holding a two-way conversation with the manager of a contesting strategy. The forum allows the shortlisted contestants’ CIO or Portfolio Manager to showcase how they're running a profitable strategy and respond to technical questions raised by the gatekeepers. The Forum is a highly curated platform that connects both the buy and sell side of funds and empowers gatekeepers from Private Banks, Institutions, Foundations, and Single and Multi-Family Offices to look under the hood before they invest. Another purpose of the Gatekeeper Forum is to promote investment clarity and transparency.

The interaction between senior fund house representatives and our jurors can reveal the underlying idea generation and philosophy of the contesting strategies from multiple perspectives, particularly from a qualitative and ESG perspective. Judges will be presented with independent financial and sustainability performances provided by Morningstar and BlueOnion together with narratives of the challenges provided by the shortlisted candidates. Only invited jurors can select the sessions they are interested in. The forum was held virtually last year, with managers and jurors joining from all over the world and this year the forum will be conducted in a hybrid format.
Find out more

Methodology

The Private Equity Awards extend the BENCHMARK Integrated Benchmark into private markets and welcome general partners (GPs) , applying the same principles of independent analysis, structured questionnaires, and experienced gatekeeper judgment, adapted for closed-end and private vehicles. The methodology is designed to identify managers who deliver strong net outcomes for investors, demonstrate disciplined, repeatable investment processes, and uphold institutional-grade governance and ESG practices over time.

All entrants submit a standardized information pack covering track record, portfolio characteristics, team and governance, and ESG integration, alongside case studies that illustrate how value is created and risks are managed. Results are assessed both quantitatively and qualitatively, with a focus on realized outcomes, downside management, and alignment of interests with investors, particularly in wealth and private bank channels.

For the Private Markets categories, the program assesses investment strategies rather than individual funds, but we request information on a flagship vehicle so that candidates can be evaluated consistently. The strategy must have a minimum 3‑year verifiable track record at strategy level, be implemented through at least one vehicle with a unique legal or reporting identifier (for example, fund or partnership registration number, LEI, or equivalent), and provide a current offering document or factsheet (for example, PPM, term sheet, or investor factsheet).

You may submit more than one strategy into each category by completing a separate entry for each, even if they are managed by the same firm. The strategies do not need to be authorized funds in the jurisdiction of the competition and may be structured as limited partnerships, SICAV‑RAIF, trust structures, or other common private markets vehicles.
The strategy with the highest final score in its peer group wins the Best-in-Class award. Up to two Outstanding Achiever awards will be given to Strategies within a 5% margin below the Best-in-Class.
Step 1 – Decide which investment strategies you would like to pursue.

Step 2 – Fill out the Multiple-Choice Questionnaire for each entered category. Due to the increasing number of entries each year, we can no longer offer each fund an opportunity to the Gatekeeper Forum. To present the best candidates to the judges, those who have met the qualifying threshold will be shortlisted to enter the Gatekeeper Forum. These shortlisted candidates are selected based on the quality of the answers provided in the questionnaire.

Step 3 – Attend the Gatekeeper Forum, where judges will rate their interviews with the PM/CIO based on the specified criteria for each type of award. This is a subjective process, and the judges will be provided with the submissions, as well as the independent financial performance reporting from Morningstar and the sustainability performance from BlueOnion. The forum is highly curated, and only the PM, CIO, or Product Specialists are invited to meet the Senior Gatekeepers in person. During the 30-minute session, 3-5 jurors will ask in-depth questions along the five critical pillars to gain a deeper understanding of team practices. Jurors assigned to a particular peer group will score based on their experience with the fund house and team, as well as the evidence presented.
Submitting Materials for Multiple Regions

If you are entering the same category for more than one region, you may use the same information, documents, and flagship fund across all the areas. For example, you've entered your global fixed-income strategy for Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan. You may use the same information for all three regions. You would still need to complete the submission for each area separately. Submit all the answers and documents for the first region, then input the related submission ID for the other areas.

Submitting Materials for Multiple Strategies

Separate groups of jurors will evaluate different product types, so please make sure there is one submission per strategy. Please submit separate entries for each strategy, except Pillar 5-Corporate Strength (only need to submit this once for all entries). DO NOT send one request to represent different strategies.

Merging Categories

To ensure the quality of the awards, categories with less than three funds participating may be incorporated into a larger category of the same kind without prior notice.

Other Info

Key Dates

Key Event	Date
Entry Open	February 23, 2026
Awards Briefing	February 23 - March 20, 2026
Entry Close	March 20, 2026
Submission Period	March 20 - April 24, 2026
The Gatekeeper Forum	April 28-30, 2026
Results Announcement	May 05, 2026
Awards Ceremony	June 26, 2026

Book a Briefing Session to learn more.
The Gatekeeper Forum is a sub-set of the judging process with three to five jurors holding a two-way conversation with the manager of a contesting strategy. The forum allows the shortlisted contestants’ CIO or Portfolio Manager to showcase how they're running a profitable strategy and respond to technical questions raised by the gatekeepers. The Forum is a highly curated platform that connects both the buy and sell side of funds and empowers gatekeepers from Private Banks, Institutions, Foundations, and Single and Multi-Family Offices to look under the hood before they invest. Another purpose of the Gatekeeper Forum is to promote investment clarity and transparency.

The interaction between senior fund house representatives and our jurors can reveal the underlying idea generation and philosophy of the contesting strategies from multiple perspectives, particularly from a qualitative and ESG perspective. Judges will be presented with independent financial and sustainability performances provided by Morningstar and BlueOnion together with narratives of the challenges provided by the shortlisted candidates. Only invited jurors can select the sessions they are interested in. The forum was held virtually last year, with managers and jurors joining from all over the world and this year the forum will be conducted in a hybrid format.
Find out more

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