Funding Sources

The Leading Enterprises Acceleration Programme (LEAP) gives startups wings to fly and fast tracks their global expansion. The growth-stage business acceleration programme is designed to support high potential startups in all industries.

Incu-App is a two-year programme designed to help startups develop new solutions from existing technology. We provide designated account managers who can give you professional guidance, so you can tap into industry expertise in content development, application platform and market support value chains through partnerships with top companies in Hong Kong. 

Cyberport Incubation Programme supports entrepreneurs and start-ups with resources that aim to accelerate their growth.

To continuously support Cyberport community companies, the Overseas/Mainland Market Development Support Scheme (MDSS) is announced by Hong Kong Government to provide a financial subsidy for graduates of Cyberport Incubation Programme (CIP) and Cyberport Creative Micro Fund (CCMF) to develop Mainland and Overseas market.

PRP aims to support applied research and development (R&D) projects undertaken by R&D Centre or designated local public research institutes in collaboration with private companies.

• Provide matching funding support for Collaborative R&D projects.
• Maximum Project Duration: 36 months.
• Industry Sponsorship: at least 50% of the total project cost.
• Intellectual Property (IP) Rights Ownership: industry co-applicant if it contributes at least 50% of the total project cost.

CRS aims to encourage more research and development (R&D) investment in the private sector and encourage companies to establish a stronger partnership with local public research institutes.

The Scheme provides a cash rebate equivalent to 40% of a company's eligible expenditure in two types of applied R&D projects –

• R&D projects funded by the Innovation and Technology Fund (ITF) ("ITF projects"); and
• R&D projects funded entirely by companies and conducted in partnership with designated local public research institutes ("Partnership projects").

FAST aims to create new job opportunities in the Fintech sector and enrich Hong Kong’s Fintech talent pool in order to enhance the city’s competitive edge and reinforce its position as a leading international financial centre.

The Scheme has a quota of 1,000 new roles with a total subsidy of up to HK$120 million. 

The RTH-TC aims to provide funding support for technology companies conducting or planning to conduct research and development (R&D) activities in Hong Kong to engage research talents to conduct R&D work. The RTH-TC merged the previous Researcher Programme and Postdoctoral Hub for technology companies conducting R&D activities in Hong Kong.

• An applicant company can engage up to 4 research talents at any one time.
• The maximum engagement period for each research talent is 36 months in general.
• The maximum monthly allowance is HK$18,000 for research talents with a bachelor degree, HK$21,000 for those with a master degree, and HK$32,000 for those with a doctoral degree.

Financial Industry Recruitment Scheme for Tomorrow (FIRST) is the first job-creation scheme dedicated to the financial industry. FIRST allows eligible employers to apply for a subsidy to make eligible new hires. The subsidy will be up to HK$10,000 per month per new hire for 12 months.

Employers regulated by the prescribed statutory bodies (see below) are eligible for FIRST:

• Authorised by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA)
• Licensed by the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC)
• Authorised by the Insurance Authority (IA)
• Approved by the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority (MPFA)
• Registered with the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants (HKICPA)

The PoC Scheme aims to encourage traditional financial institutions to partner up with Fintech companies to conduct PoC projects on innovative financial service products. Applications may be submitted via Cyberport's website from February 26, 2021 till June 30, 2021.

Each approved PoC project will be provided a maximum direct one-off grant of up to $100,000.

Deserving PoC projects with greater complexity and broader usage, such as those involving cross-sector or cross-boundary/border applications (e.g. the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, ASEAN) may receive a grant of up to $150,000.

Eligibility: Applications must be submitted by a Hong Kong registered company which has a fixed physical office in Hong Kong and with its main business being in the Fintech fields, jointly with a financial institution regulated by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, the Securities and Futures Commission, the Insurance Authority and/or the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority. The PoC project must address practical issues faced by the financial institution concerned with no prior used-case in the market.

The Scheme aims at helping local small and medium-sized enterprises (“SMEs”) and non-listed enterprises to obtain financing from participating lenders for meeting their business needs so as to enhance their productivity and competitiveness in the rapidly changing business environment. Under the Scheme, the HKMCI may provide guarantee coverage of 50%, 60% or 70% to the credit facilities of eligible enterprises approved by participating lenders.

The 90% Guarantee Product aims at providing additional support to the Enterprises, businesses with relatively less operating experience, as well as professionals seeking to set up their own practices, to obtain financing. application period will last until end-June 2022. Guarantee Fee Concessions and Further Concessions in Guarantee Fee apply to the 90% Guarantee Product as well.

The Special 100% Loan Guarantee under the Scheme started to receive applications on 20 April 2020. The Special 100% Loan Guarantee aims at alleviating the burden of paying employee wages and rents by the Enterprises which are suffering from reduced income to help minimising enterprise shutting down and layoffs. The application period will last until 31 December 2021.

Provides funding support to SMEs for their participation in the following export promotion activities to promote their own products and/or services. Such export promotion activities/platforms must be organised/operated by organisations with a good track record:

1) Trade fairs/exhibitions outside Hong Kong.
2) Business missions outside Hong Kong.
3) Local trade fairs/exhibitions which mainly target markets outside Hong Kong.
4) Placing advertisements on trade publications which mainly target markets outside Hong Kong.
5) Export promotion activities (such as placing advertisements, keyword search, listing product information, setting up or enhancing online shop, participating in virtual exhibitions, etc.) which are conducted through electronic platforms/media and which mainly target at markets outside Hong Kong.
6) Setting up or enhancement of a corporate website/mobile application of the applicant enterprise which mainly targets at markets outside Hong Kong.