Caritas Computer Workshop
Caritas Computer Workshop is a Hong Kong non-profit social enterprise that refurbishes donated computers, recycles e-waste, and delivers digital products, IT support, certified data destruction, and repair services to low-income individuals, NGOs, SMEs, and corporate donors.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersTo Kwa Wan, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR China
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Caritas Computer Workshop does
Caritas Computer Workshop is a Hong Kong-based non-profit social enterprise and programme of Caritas Youth and Community Service, established in 2001 with support from the Social Welfare Department. Operating from its headquarters in To Kwa Wan, Kowloon and a retail showroom called CTRL+Z in Kowloon Bay, the workshop collects donated computers and electronic equipment from over 1,000 corporations and individuals annually, professionally refurbishes them, and channels the output to low-income individuals, NGOs, SMEs, and the general public. The organization also operates more than 20 Caritas community centre collection points across Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, and New Territories, and distributes subsidized products through an online shop launched in February 2025.
The workshop's service portfolio spans five pillars: refurbished hardware sales and rentals (desktop rental from HK$450/month to HK$990/year), computer and smartphone repair (HK$80-110 per visit for subsidized members), certified data destruction using DOD 5220.22-M formatting, degaussing at over 10,000 Oe, and V-SHAPE physical hard disk shredding, IT technical support (network engineering, CCTV, VPN/firewall, server deployment), and specialized services including EMSD-registered electrical engineering (registration 033456, first NGO to obtain this in 2019) and German SBM-2015 non-ionizing radiation measurement. The organization has pioneered the 5R principle (Recycle, Refurbishment, Reuse, Rebuild, Reignite) and was the first NGO to receive Hong Kong's EPD Waste Disposal Licence in 2021.
The business model combines grant-funded social programmes with fee-based services. Philanthropic funding from the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust underpins the flagship 'One More Lap' programme (target of 9,000 refurbished laptops, 8,000+ delivered through September 2024), while the Environmental Protection Department, Education Bureau, and Social Welfare Department provide foundational support. Fee revenue is generated through subsidized memberships (HK$50/year), rental subscriptions, pay-as-you-go repairs, professional IT services to NGOs and SMEs, and certified data destruction for corporate donors. Customer segments include subsidized individuals receiving government assistance, NGOs with deposit-waivered rentals, SMEs seeking affordable IT infrastructure, corporate donors seeking ESG-aligned e-waste disposal, and the general public purchasing refurbished devices. Strategic partnerships with Fortress, Standard Chartered, Bank of China Hong Kong, Cathay Pacific, Rotary Club, and HKBN enable donation intake, co-marketing, and volunteer engagement, while referral pathways through social workers, teachers, clergy, and district councillors feed the subsidized member base.
Caritas Computer Workshop firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Caritas Computer Workshop
- Legal name
- Caritas Youth and Community Service (香港明愛青少年及社區服務)
- Website
- https://ccw.caritas.org.hk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Caritas Computer Workshop is a Hong Kong non-profit social enterprise that refurbishes donated computers, recycles e-waste, and delivers digital products, IT support, certified data destruction, and repair services to low-income individuals, NGOs, SMEs, and corporate donors.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Caritas Computer Workshop industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Computer Refurbishment and E-waste Recycling Services
- NAICS
- Electronic and Precision Equipment Repair and Maintenance (81121), Office Machinery and Equipment Rental and Leasing (532420)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Rental & Leasing (7377), Services-Miscellaneous Repair Services (7600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Electronics Refurbishment, Repair & Reuse (Remarketing/Resale) (BPALAIAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Repair, Refurbishment & Remanufacturing Services (EUAIANAB), Electronics Rental, Leasing & Subscription (Refurbished/Pre-Owned) (CRACAJAI), Reuse & Resale / Recommerce Operations (EUAIANAC), Enterprise Hardware Recycling (Servers, Storage, Networking) (BPALAIAI)
Keywords
Where Caritas Computer Workshop is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- To Kwa Wan, Kowloon
- HQ country
- Hong Kong SAR China
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices22 records
Markets served
Caritas Computer Workshop business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Refurbished Computer and Digital Product Sales: Sale of refurbished laptops, desktop computers, smartphones, tablets, and accessories to subsidized members (those receiving government financial assistance) at subsidized prices, and to the general public at low-cost prices. Products are sourced from donations and professionally refurbished by trained youth.
- Computer Rental Services: Rental of refurbished desktop computers and laptops to companies and organizations (NGOs and SMEs). Desktop rental: 1-year HK$990 (promotion: HK$891), half-year HK$600, monthly HK$450. NGO renters are exempt from HK$1,000 deposit. Rental includes free telephone support and free one-for-one replacement service.
- Data Erasure, Degaussing and Destruction Services: Charged services for data erasure (DOD 5220.22-M formatting), degaussing (physical magnetic destruction), and V-SHAPE hard disk shredding. Provides documented reports via email as proof of data destruction. Serves corporate donors and general public who need certified data destruction before donating or disposing of equipment.
- IT Technical Support Services: Professional IT services including computer maintenance, network engineering, CCTV installation, VPN and firewall setup, server deployment, wireless network solutions (Ruckus, Ubiquiti, Aruba, MikroTik, Draytek), IP-phone systems, and electrical engineering (registered electrical contractor services under EMSD registration 033456).
- Subsidized Membership Fees: Annual membership fee of HK$50 for subsidized members entitling them to unlimited computer repair services for 12 months. Membership provides access to discounted computer products and repair services.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Desktop Computer Rental - 1 Year |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Desktop Computer Rental - Half Year |
| Subscription | Monthly | Desktop Computer Rental - Monthly |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Laptop Rental - Half Year |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | On-site Computer Repair - Subsidized Member |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | In-store Computer Repair - Subsidized Member |
| Subscription | Annual | Subsidized Member Annual Membership |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels7 records
Caritas Computer Workshop product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Caritas Computer Workshop refurbishes donated computers, laptops, smartphones, and tablets, selling them at low cost or donating them to low-income individuals, NGOs, students, and elderly in Hong Kong. It also operates computer rental services for NGOs and SMEs, certified data erasure/degaussing/destruction services, IT technical support (network engineering, CCTV, VPN/firewall, server deployment), repair services for computers and mobile devices, and EMSD-registered electrical engineering work. The operations follow a 5R principle: Recycle, Refurbishment, Reuse, Rebuild, Reignite.
Product overview
Caritas Computer Workshop operates as a comprehensive e-waste recycling and digital inclusion organization offering refurbished computers, laptops, smartphones, and tablets alongside related services. The core portfolio includes: (1) Refurbished products - desktop computers, laptops, and mobile devices collected via donations and professionally restored; (2) Rental service - computer rental for companies and NGOs with environmental and cost benefits; (3) Data services - data erasure (formatting, degaussing, shredding), and data recovery for NGOs; (4) IT Technical Support - including network engineering, CCTV, security, and server solutions; (5) Repair services - for computers and mobile devices; (6) Specialized services - non-ionizing radiation measurement and electrical engineering (EMSD registered contractor); (7) Donation programmes - including the flagship One More Lap programme (suspended 2024) and Wang Fuk Court support; (8) Online shop and retail locations (CTRL+Z). The organization follows 5R principles: Recycle, Refurbishment, Reuse, Rebuild, and Reignite.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Caritas Jockey Club 'One More Lap' Computer Donation Programme: Computer donation program funded by Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, providing refurbished laptops to those in need
- Com4kids Computer Donation Program
- One More Lap (提步向前)
Products and services
- Refurbished Computers (Desktops and Laptops) Refurbished desktop computers and laptops collected through donations, professionally repaired and upgraded, then sold at low prices or donated to individuals and NGOs in need. Available via shop.ccw.org.hk and CTRL+Z showroom.
- Refurbished Smartphones and Tablets Recycled smartphones and tablets restored by the Mobile Phone Team (established 2016) and sold at affordable prices through the online shop and retail outlets.
- Computer Rental Service Rental of refurbished desktop computers and laptops to NGOs and SMEs at subsidized rates. Desktop: 1-year HK$990 (promo HK$891), half-year HK$600, monthly HK$450. Laptop half-year HK$600 promotional. NGO renters exempt from HK$1,000 deposit. Free telephone support and one-for-one replacement service included.
- Data Erasure and Destruction Service Professional data destruction services including hard drive formatting using DoD 5220.22-M standard, degaussing with 10,000+ Oe magnetic field, and V-SHAPE hard drive shredding via four drill bits. Documented reports provided via email as proof of destruction.
- Data Recovery Service Data recovery services for NGOs to retrieve valuable data from damaged hard drives, providing reliable and professional data restoration.
- Non-Ionizing Radiation Measurement On-site non-ionizing radiation testing using German SBM-2015 standard, providing test reports and improvement works to assess electric field data (V/m) and evaluate whether non-ionizing radiation poses health risks in premises.
- IT Technical Support
- Computer and Mobile Phone Repair Service
- Electrical Engineering Services Electrical engineering services as EMSD Registered Electrical Contractor (registration 033456), including new installations, modifications, WR1 completion certificates, periodic inspections, and WR2 test certificates for NGOs and those in need.
- Caritas Jockey Club 'One More Lap' Computer Donation Programme Flagship computer donation programme funded by Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, providing free refurbished laptops to eligible individuals with 12-month warranty. Applications closed September 11, 2024 after distributing over 8,000 laptops against 9,000 target.
- Wang Fuk Court Residents Support Programme
- Online Shop (Self-Service Membership and Product Platform) Self-service online platform launched February 10, 2025 for purchasing refurbished digital products, membership registration, and application for subsidized membership with document upload capability.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 8,000 refurbished laptops donated to eligible individuals through the Caritas Jockey Club 'One More Lap' programme (2021-2024)
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Caritas Computer Workshop
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Caritas Computer Workshop technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Caritas Computer Workshop partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- Fortress (豐澤)coreStrategic partner for the 'Laptop Transformation Program' promoting computer recycling and donations through Fortress retail locations. Fortress customers can participate in donating laptops at Fortress stores.
- Standard Chartered (渣打)coreStrategic partner providing volunteer services and funding support. Previously sponsored the 'Brain Master' (腦師傅) mobile computer repair service through the Standard Chartered Hong Kong 150th Anniversary Community Foundation. Also partnered in the Com4kids COVID-19 computer donation programme.
- Environmental Protection Department (EPD) (環保署)coreEPD provided funding and support for the Computer Reuse Programme starting in 2003, and the CRT Recycling and Reuse Programme. EPD also co-hosted the All-Hong Kong Used Computers and Electronic Appliances Recycling Day in 2007.
- Social Welfare Department (社會福利署)coreSupported the establishment of Caritas Computer Workshop in 2001, providing initial funding and institutional backing that enabled the workshop's formation as a training programme for disadvantaged youth.
- Cathay Pacific (國泰航空)supportingJointly hosted a computer donation programme donating a few hundred reused computers to school children in need, leveraging Cathay Pacific's resources and community reach.
- Bank of China Hong Kong (中銀香港)supportingCo-operated the Caritas + Bank of China Hong Kong Computer Donation Program, donating 2,000 computers to grassroots families and arranging computer knowledge workshops for families of school children, elderly, and ethnic minorities.
- RoadShowsupportingCo-organized the '有腦大行動' (Big Brain Action) programme, donating recycled computers to grassroots elderly, young school children, and subdivided families while promoting environmental protection and social mutual help.
- Rotary Club of Hong KongsupportingCo-launched three phases of the Com4kids Computer Donation Programme during COVID-19, donating over 600 laptops and desktop computers to students in need, in partnership with Standard Chartered Bank and Keswick Fund.
- Hong Kong Broadband Network (香港寬頻)supportingPartnered during COVID-19 to donate laptops and tablets to students in need through the '再生電腦寬贈學童計劃' (Reused Computer Donation for Students Programme).
- Synnex HK (聯強)supportingOfficial distributor partner since 2018, enabling the workshop to source new computer parts and accessories for repair and assembly operations.
- Hornington (漢科)supportingOfficial distributor partner since 2018, enabling the workshop to source new computer parts and accessories for repair and assembly operations.
- Felton (飛爾頓)supportingOfficial distributor partner since 2018, enabling the workshop to source new computer parts and accessories for repair and assembly operations.
- Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (機電工程署)coreAccredited Caritas Computer Workshop as a Registered Electrical Contractor (registration number 033456) in 2019, making it the first NGO to receive this qualification, enabling the workshop to provide professional electrical engineering services.
- EcoPark (環保園)supportingRecognized as a 'Friend of EcoPark' in 2019, acknowledging the workshop's environmental contributions through e-waste recycling and refurbishment operations.
Scale indicators13 records
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Caritas Computer Workshop competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- ALBA IWS (Integrated Waste Solutions Group): Hong Kong-based integrated waste management and recycling company with e-waste handling capabilities. Operates in the same geography as Caritas Computer Workshop and competes in commercial e-waste processing and recycling.
Direct peers
- Free Geek: Nonprofit that refurbishes donated computer equipment for reuse by low-income individuals and nonprofits, paired with a youth/adult technology training programme. Directly comparable in combining social mission (training) with refurbished-device distribution and resale.
- PCs for People: US-based nonprofit refurbishing donated computers for low-income individuals and nonprofits, selling at subsidized prices and offering internet service. Most direct structural analog to Caritas Computer Workshop in mission, refurbishment, and digital-inclusion focus.
- ReCompute: Nonprofit social enterprise refurbishing donated computers for distribution to charities, schools and community organizations. Comparable in targeting institutional recipients with subsidized/refurbished hardware.
Others
- Habitat for Humanity ReStores: Nonprofit home-furnishings reuse retail chain that resells donated items for charitable purpose. Comparable social-enterprise model mixing donation collection, refurbishment/repair and subsidized resale, though not focused on electronics.
- Goodwill Industries International: Nonprofit social enterprise collecting donations, refurbishing items and selling at low prices while providing job training. Comparable dual-mission structure (social impact + resale of donated goods), though primarily non-electronics focused.
Broad incumbents
- Sims Lifecycle Services: Global ITAD provider offering enterprise data destruction, asset remarketing and circular economy services. Comparable in certified data erasure, degaussing and refurbishment services to corporate clients, though operating at far greater scale.
- 3R Technology: Commercial IT asset disposition and electronics refurbishment company handling enterprise-grade hardware resale and recycling. Comparable in offering certified data destruction and refurbished hardware, but operates commercially rather than as a charitable mission.
Market position
Strengths1 record
Weaknesses1 record
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Caritas Computer Workshop social profiles
Digital presenceCaritas Computer Workshop compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Caritas Computer Workshop financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Caritas Computer Workshop leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Caritas Computer Workshop funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Caritas Computer Workshop M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Caritas Computer Workshop
What does Caritas Computer Workshop do?
Caritas Computer Workshop refurbishes donated computers, laptops, smartphones, and tablets, selling them at low cost or donating them to low-income individuals, NGOs, students, and elderly in Hong Kong. It also operates computer rental services for NGOs and SMEs, certified data erasure/degaussing/destruction services, IT technical support (network engineering, CCTV, VPN/firewall, server deployment), repair services for computers and mobile devices, and EMSD-registered electrical engineering work. The operations follow a 5R principle: Recycle, Refurbishment, Reuse, Rebuild, Reignite.
Is Caritas Computer Workshop a public or private company?
Caritas Computer Workshop is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Caritas Computer Workshop founded?
Caritas Computer Workshop was founded in 2001. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Caritas Computer Workshop based?
Caritas Computer Workshop is headquartered in To Kwa Wan, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR China, in the Asia region.
How does Caritas Computer Workshop make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Refurbished Computer and Digital Product Sales are the primary driver. The others are computer Rental Services, data Erasure, Degaussing and Destruction Services, IT Technical Support Services and subsidized Membership Fees.
Who are Caritas Computer Workshop's main competitors?
ALBA IWS (Integrated Waste Solutions Group) is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are Free Geek, PCs for People and ReCompute. Others are Habitat for Humanity ReStores and Goodwill Industries International. Broad incumbents are Sims Lifecycle Services and 3R Technology.
Does Caritas Computer Workshop have an API?
No public API is recorded for Caritas Computer Workshop.
What industry is Caritas Computer Workshop in?
Caritas Computer Workshop's product category is Computer Refurbishment and E-waste Recycling Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPALAIAD, Electronics Refurbishment, Repair & Reuse (Remarketing/Resale), with a secondary code of EUAIANAB, Repair, Refurbishment & Remanufacturing Services. Its NAICS code is 81121 and its SIC code is 7377.