China Association for Quality

What China Association for Quality does

China Association for Quality (中国质量协会, CAQ) is a national, non-profit professional social organization established on August 31, 1979 and headquartered in Beijing's Haidian District. It is the government-authorized body for promoting quality management across China, administering flagship recognition programs including the National Quality Award (全国质量奖, the country's highest quality honor), the Quality Technology Award, Quality Benchmark recognitions, and the National Brand Story Competition. CAQ also runs grassroots initiatives such as QC小组 (Quality Control Groups), quality-trusted team building, lean on-site management, and the annual National Quality Month campaign, supported by multiple digital platforms (QPP, QC service platform, QIAWARD, member management system) and publications including China Quality Magazine and Quality Magazine.

CAQ serves manufacturing enterprises, service-sector organizations, construction firms, state-owned enterprises, and educational institutions through four primary revenue streams: annual membership dues from unit and individual members, fee-based training programs (chief quality officer training, TQM, Six Sigma, lean), certification and evaluation services (system certification, market quality credit ratings under T/CAQ 20301-2023), and award/competition fees. Its distribution operates through a nationwide network of regional and sectoral quality associations (全国质协系统) covering all 34 provincial-level administrative regions, complemented by international partnerships with ICQCC, ANQ, EFQM, IAQ, Japan Deming Society, and the UK Chartered Quality Institute.

The association is governed by President Huang Danhua with standing vice presidents Duan Yonggang and Li Gaoshuai, and vice president Wang Lin. It has approximately 251-500 employees and a wholly-owned training subsidiary, Beijing Zhongzhixie Zhuoyue Training Co., Ltd. While CAQ does not disclose revenue, scale signals — including 7.43 million participants in the 2023 TQM Knowledge Competition, 802 projects accepted in the 2026 Quality Technology Award, and 80,000+ trained self-assessment teachers over 20+ years — indicate an organization of national reach with diversified but largely public-good monetization across its program portfolio.

Name

China Association for Quality

Legal name

中国质量协会

Website

https://caq.org.cn

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

China Association for Quality (中国质量协会) is a government-authorized national non-profit founded in 1979 that administers China's National Quality Award, runs quality management training, certification, and benchmarking programs, and serves enterprises, SOEs, and institutions across all 34 provincial regions of China.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Quality Management Association Services

NAICS

Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (92615)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Standards, Metrology & Accreditation Bodies (BPAIAOAC)

Keywords

• Quality management services
• Quality standards development
• Quality certification programs
• Professional training services
• Excellence awards programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Haidian

HQ country

China

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership dues: The association collects membership dues from enterprise and individual members. Annual membership fees are collected from unit members and individual members, as disclosed in annual membership fee notices.
2. Training and consulting services: The association offers fee-based training programs including chief quality officer training, quality management training, Six Sigma, lean management, and other professional courses. Training programs are conducted both in-person and online.
3. Certification and evaluation services: The association conducts quality certification, user satisfaction rating evaluations, and market quality credit evaluations, which generate service fees from participating organizations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

China Association for Quality (CAQ) is a national, non-profit professional association that promotes quality management in China through a portfolio of programs including the National Quality Award, Quality Technology Award, quality benchmark initiatives, Quality Control (QC) team activities, lean on-site management, and brand cultivation programs. It delivers fee-based training, certification, and evaluation services, operates digital member platforms, and represents China in international quality organizations such as ANQ, ICQCC, and EFQM.

Product overview

China Association for Quality (CAQ) is a national professional association offering a comprehensive portfolio of quality management programs, awards, training, and consulting services. The organization operates multiple interconnected programs including the National Quality Award (全国质量奖) for organizational excellence recognition, the Quality Technology Award (质量技术奖) for technical innovation, quality benchmark programs, QC小组 activities, lean management services, and brand management initiatives. The association provides digital platforms including the Quality Activity Promotion Platform (QPP), National QC Service Platform, and specialized certification services. Additional offerings include publications such as China Quality Magazine and Quality Magazine, international quality programs like ICQCC and ANQ membership, and standards development services. The association organizes major national campaigns including National Quality Month and the National Brand Story Competition, serving as a central hub for quality advancement in China.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 《品质》杂志: Quality magazine published by China Association for Quality
• 《中国质量》杂志

Products and services

• CAQ National Quality Award (中国质量协会全国质量奖) Government-authorized award program recognizing organizations that implement the Excellent Performance Model and achieve outstanding quality management results. Includes categories for organizations, projects, teams, and individuals.
• CAQ Quality Technology Award (中国质量协会质量技术奖) Annual award program recognizing organizations and individuals for outstanding contributions to quality technology advancement. Includes project awards (first, second, third class) and individual quality technology awards.
• Quality Benchmark Typical Experience Program (质量标杆典型经验征集) Annual program that identifies and disseminates best practices in quality management across manufacturing, construction, and service sectors, including digital quality management and supply chain quality control.
• Quality Control (QC) Group Activities (质量管理小组) Grassroots quality improvement program engaging employees in voluntary quality management and innovation teams, applying quality theories and methods to address operational issues.
• Quality Trusted Team Building (质量信得过班组建设) Program based on T/CAQ 10204-2024 group standards that helps teams achieve sustained customer and stakeholder trust through systematic quality management practices.
• Lean On-site Management Services (精益现场管理) Lean management promotion services guided by GB/T 29590-2013 national standards, including evaluation and on-site management improvement activities for organizations.
• Quality Activity Promotion Platform (QPP) (质量活动推进平台) Online platform for event registration, quality activity promotion, and member engagement in CAQ's quality programs.
• National QC Service Platform (全国QC服务平台) Digital service platform supporting QC group activities and quality management improvement programs for member organizations.
• Consulting and Training Services (咨询培训服务) Fee-based consulting and professional training services covering Total Quality Management, Six Sigma, lean management, and other quality methodologies and tools.
• Quality Certification Services (质量认证服务) Quality certification services including management system certification, service certification, and product certification for organizations.
• Market Quality Credit Rating Evaluation (市场质量信用等级评价) Market quality credit rating evaluation based on T/CAQ 20301-2023 standards, providing AAA, AA, and A level ratings to participating organizations.
• Group Standards Development (团体标准) Development and publication of group standards covering quality management practices, including T/CAQ series standards.
• China Quality Magazine (中国质量杂志) Professional quality management journal published by CAQ providing industry insights, best practices, and quality management research.
• Quality Magazine (品质杂志) Magazine publication covering quality management topics, industry trends, and news for the quality profession.
• National Quality Month Campaign (全国质量月) Annual nationwide quality awareness campaign held every September, organized under government guidance to mobilize society-wide participation in quality management.
• User Satisfaction Engineering (用户满意工程) Social quality program promoting customer-centric business philosophy, including customer satisfaction measurement and evaluation services.
• Total Quality Management Knowledge Education (全面质量管理知识普及教育) TQM knowledge popularization education program running since 2001, including the National Enterprise Employee TQM Knowledge Competition engaging millions of employees.
• China Automobile Industry User Satisfaction Index (CACSI) (中国汽车行业用户满意度指数) Annual customer satisfaction index for the Chinese automotive industry, measuring user satisfaction with new vehicle purchases and post-purchase experience.
• QIAWARD Platform (QIAWARD) Digital platform for managing award submissions, recognition, and quality achievement tracking.

Quantifiable outcome

• 743万+ employees participated in the 2023 TQM knowledge competition across 34 provincial regions
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• International Convention on Quality Control Circles (ICQCC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICQCC is the International Convention on Quality Control Circles, known as the 'Quality Olympics'. China Association for Quality selects and recommends outstanding Chinese QC小组 projects to participate in ICQCC annual conferences. The 51st ICQCC will be held in Dhaka, Bangladesh in November 2026.
• Asian Network for Quality (ANQ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerANQ (Asian Network for Quality) was established in 2002 and CAQ is a member of the ANQ Council. The organization promotes quality management through conferences, awards including the Ishikawa-Kano Award, Asian Quality Excellence Award, and Asian Service Award.
• European Quality Management Foundation (EFQM)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAQ maintains cooperation with EFQM and has organized study tours to Europe on Excellent Performance leadership. EFQM Global Award evaluation programs are promoted in China through CAQ.
• International Academy for Quality (IAQ)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAQ sends delegations to attend International Academy for Quality spring and autumn conferences, participating in quality exchange and cooperation at the global level.
• Japanese Federation of Science and Technology (日科技连)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAQ was invited to attend the 80th anniversary commemorative ceremony of the Japanese Federation of Science and Technology, strengthening bilateral quality cooperation between China and Japan.
• Turkish Quality Association (KalDer)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTurkish Quality Association visited CAQ for business exchange, discussing quality management cooperation and best practices between the two organizations.
• UK Chartered Quality Institute (CQI)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAQ and the UK Chartered Quality Institute signed a strategic cooperation memorandum to promote quality management exchange and cooperation between China and the UK.
• Japan Deming Society (日本科学技术连盟)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAQ participated in the 2025 Deming Award ceremony and signed a new cooperation agreement with the Japan Science and Technology Federation, continuing the long-standing quality exchange relationship.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Standards Australia: Standards Australia is Australia's peak non-government standards body, developing standards and running related certification programs. While more standards-focused than association-focused, it operates in the same quality/standards ecosystem as CAQ and serves as a broader incumbent in the Asia-Pacific region.

Direct peers

• France Qualité Performance: France Qualité Performance is the French national movement for quality performance, organizing quality awards and management training for French enterprises. It is a direct functional peer in Western Europe with a similar award-and-training portfolio.
• European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM): EFQM operates the European Excellence Model and EFQM Global Award and is a direct partner of CAQ. It is the most comparable European quality framework operator, offering similar assessment, training, and recognition services to enterprises.
• International Academy for Quality (IAQ): IAQ is a global honorary body of quality leaders that CAQ engages with through regular delegation exchanges. It functions as a peer-level knowledge network in the same quality-promotion space.
• Asian Network for Quality (ANQ): ANQ is the regional quality body in which CAQ holds council membership. ANQ runs the Ishikawa-Kano Award, Asian Quality Excellence Award, and Asian Service Award — overlapping directly with CAQ's award and recognition franchise at a pan-Asian level.
• Turkish Quality Association (KalDer): KalDer is Turkey's national quality association and a direct bilateral partner of CAQ. It runs the Turkish National Quality Award based on the EFQM model, making it a smaller-scale but structurally identical peer.
• American Society for Quality (ASQ): ASQ is the largest U.S. national quality association, offering certifications, training, publications, and the Influential Voice in quality. It is a direct functional equivalent of CAQ in North America, serving manufacturers and service firms with the same mix of awards, training, and standards advocacy.
• Chartered Quality Institute (CQI): CQI is the UK's chartered body for quality professionals, offering chartered quality professional status, training, and registration. CAQ signed a strategic cooperation memorandum with CQI, indicating equivalent national-association positioning.
• Union of Japanese Scientists and Engineers (JUSE): JUSE administers the Deming Prize and Deming Award, Japan's most prestigious quality recognition, and is a long-standing bilateral partner of CAQ. It is the closest direct peer in terms of running a national quality award franchise.
• German Society for Quality (DGQ): DGQ is Germany's national quality association, providing training, certification, and quality management services. It is a direct functional peer in continental Europe, serving manufacturers with a similar portfolio of programs.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/caquality

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about China Association for Quality