The awards aim to honour foreign direct investment (FDI) firms with great achievements in Vietnam, as well as encouraging them to step up operation and expand business in the country, said VET's Chief Editor Dao Nguyen Cat.

Applicants for these awards should be operating in the automobile industry, agriculture, forestry and fisheries, food and beverages, construction and construction materials, real estate, banking and finance, insurance, machinery manufacturing, garments and footwear, transportation, cosmetics, electronics, IT and telecom, oil and gas, healthcare, and education.

The newspaper is gathering ratings from customers and relevant ministries, distributors, staff of applicants, as well as residents living near these companies in an effort to enhance the awards quality.

Vietnam Economic Times recently created an exclusive website to popularise the awards for prospective applicants at www.gda.com.vn and www.fdivietnam.com.vn, where a forum was created for the FDI community in Vietnam to exchange experiences.