LCQ18: Supporting development and application of technologies by small and medium enterprises
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Question:
Regarding the support for the development and application of technologies by the small and medium enterprises (SMEs), will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the respective numbers of applications made by enterprises on their own or through intermediaries under various funding schemes for supporting the development and application of technologies by SMEs in each of the past five years, as well as the respective amounts of funding approved, and set out in the table below a breakdown by funding schemes; and
Year: _________
| Funding scheme | Number of applications approved | Amount of funding approved | ||||
| Applications made by enterprises on their own | Applications made through intermediaries | Total | Applications made by enterprises on their own | Applications made through intermediarie | Total amounts | |
| Funding schemes supporting research and development under the Innovation and Technology Fund (ITF) | ||||||
| (a) Enterprise Support Scheme | ||||||
| (b) Research and Development Cash Rebate Scheme | ||||||
| Funding scheme promoting new industrialisation under the ITF | ||||||
| (c) New Industrialisation Funding Scheme | ||||||
| Funding scheme supporting technology start-ups under the ITF | ||||||
| (d) Innovation and Technology Venture Fund | ||||||
| Funding schemes for the logistics industry | ||||||
| (e) Pilot Subsidy Scheme for Third-party Logistics Service Providers | ||||||
| Funding schemes under the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks (HKSTP) Corporation | ||||||
| (f) Acceleration Programme | ||||||
| (g) Ideation Programme | ||||||
| (h) Incubation Programme | ||||||
| (i) Incu-Bio Programme | ||||||
| (j) HKSTP Venture Fund | ||||||
| Funding schemes under the Cyberport | ||||||
| (k) Cyberport Creative Micro Fund | ||||||
| (l) Cyberport Incubation Programme | ||||||
| (m) Cyberport Accelerator Support Programme | ||||||
| (n) Cyberport Macro Fund | ||||||
| (o) Digital Transformation Support Pilot Programme | ||||||
(2) apart from the 15 funding schemes mentioned in (1)(a) to (o), whether the Government has other funding schemes to support SMEs in developing innovative technologies or applying technologies to enhance productivity, and whether it has evaluated the effectiveness of such schemes?
Reply:
President,
Having consulted the Transport and Logistics Bureau and the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, my consolidated reply to the questions raised by the Hon Andrew Lam is as follows:
In the past five years, regarding the funding schemes for supporting the development and application of technologies by small and medium enterprises (SMEs) covered by the questions, the numbers of applications approved and amounts of funding approved are tabulated below:
| Funding scheme | Year | Number of applications approved | Amount of funding approved ($) | ||||
| Applications made by enterprises on their own | Applications made through intermediaries | Total | Applications made by enterprises on their own | Applications made through intermediaries | Total amounts | ||
| Funding schemes supporting research and development under the Innovation and Technology Fund (ITF) | |||||||
| (a) Enterprise Support Scheme | 2020 | 32 | 0 | 32 | 87 million | 0 | 87 million |
| 2021 | 27 | 0 | 27 | 59 million | 0 | 59 million | |
| 2022 | 21 | 0 | 21 | 63 million | 0 | 63 million | |
| 2023 | 14 | 0 | 14 | 56 million | 0 | 56 million | |
| 2024 | 17 | 0 | 17 | 49 million | 0 | 49 million | |
| (b) Research and Development Cash Rebate Scheme | 2020 | 311 | 0 | 311 | 142 million | 0 | 142 million |
| 2021 | 368 | 0 | 368 | 136 million | 0 | 136 million | |
| 2022 | 270 | 0 | 270 | 115 million | 0 | 115 million | |
| 2023 | 320 | 0 | 320 | 141 million | 0 | 141 million | |
| 2024 | 329 | 0 | 329 | 166 million | 0 | 166 million | |
| Funding scheme promoting new industrialisation under the ITF | |||||||
| (c) New Industrialisation Funding Scheme | 2020 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 9 million | 0 | 9 million |
| 2021 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 94 million | 0 | 94 million | |
| 2022 | 9 | 0 | 9 | 111 million | 0 | 111 million | |
| 2023 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 29 million | 0 | 29 million | |
| 2024 | 27 | 0 | 27 | 122 million | 0 | 122 million | |
| Funding scheme supporting technology start-ups under the ITF | |||||||
| (d) Innovation and Technology Venture Fund (ITVF) | 2020 | ITVF would co-invest with venture capital funds selected as co-investment partners (CPs) at a matching ratio of approximately 1 (Government) : 2 (CP) upon the invitation of the latter. Enterprises cannot apply for this scheme on their own or through intermediaries. | 15 | ITVF would co-invest with venture capital funds selected as CPs at a matching ratio of approximately 1 (Government) : 2 (CP) upon the invitation of the latter. Enterprises cannot apply for this scheme on their own or through intermediaries. | 51.9 million | ||
| 2021 | 7 | 70.1 million | |||||
| 2022 | 6 | 31.2 million | |||||
| 2023 | 3 | 6.8 million | |||||
| 2024 | 20 | 129 million | |||||
| Funding scheme for the logistics industry | |||||||
| (e) Pilot Subsidy Scheme for Third-party Logistics Service Providers | 2020 | The Scheme was launched in October 2020 with the first application approved in January 2021. | |||||
| 2021 | 136 | 0 | 136 | 85 million | 0 | 85 million | |
| 2022 | 37 | 0 | 37 | 17.6 million | 0 | 17.6 million | |
| 2023 | 54 | 0 | 54 | 34.1 million | 0 | 34.1 million | |
| 2024 | 45 | 0 | 45 | 25.9 million | 0 | 25.9 million | |
| Funding schemes under the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTPC) | |||||||
| (f) Ideation Programme | 2020 | HKSTPC did not maintain relevant information. |
126 | HKSTPC did not maintain relevant information. |
12.6 million | ||
| 2021 | 211 | 21.1 million | |||||
| 2022 | 500 | 50 million | |||||
| 2023 | 599 | 59.9 million | |||||
| 2024 | 871 | 87.1 million | |||||
| (g) Incubation Programme | 2020 | 109 | 141 million | ||||
| 2021 | 76 | 98 million | |||||
| 2022 | 119 | 153 million | |||||
| 2023 | 197 | 254 million | |||||
| 2024 | 151 | 195 million | |||||
| (h) Incu-Bio Programme | 2020 | 12 | 72 million | ||||
| 2021 | 10 | 60 million | |||||
| 2022 | 17 | 120 million | |||||
| 2023 | 11 | 66 million | |||||
| 2024 | 24 | 144 million | |||||
| (i) Acceleration Programme | 2020 | 16 | 76.8 million | ||||
| 2021 | 12 | 57.6 million | |||||
| 2022 | 4 | 19.2 million | |||||
| 2023 | 12 | 57.6 million | |||||
| 2024 | 11 | 52.8 million | |||||
| (j) Corporate Venture Fund | 2020 | 4 | 28 million | ||||
| 2021 | 6 | 175 million | |||||
| 2022 | 6 | 87.2 million | |||||
| 2023 | 1 | 19.5 million | |||||
| 2024 | 6 | 63 million | |||||
| Funding schemes under Cyberport | |||||||
| (k) Cyberport Creative Micro Fund | 2020 | 86 | 0 | 86 | 8.6 million | 0 | 8.6 million |
| 2021 | 105 | 0 | 105 | 10.5 million | 0 | 10.5 million | |
| 2022 | 95 | 0 | 95 | 9.5 million | 0 | 9.5 million | |
| 2023 | 110 | 0 | 110 | 11 million | 0 | 11 million | |
| 2024 | 98 | 0 | 98 | 9.8 million | 0 | 9.8 million | |
| (l) Cyberport Incubation Programme | 2020 | 128 | 0 | 128 | 64 million | 0 | 64 million |
| 2021 | 129 | 0 | 129 | 64.5 million | 0 | 64.5 million | |
| 2022 | 128 | 0 | 128 | 64 million | 0 | 64 million | |
| 2023 | 144 | 0 | 144 | 72 million | 0 | 72 million | |
| 2024 | 125 | 0 | 125 | 62.5 million | 0 | 62.5 million | |
| (m) Cyberport Accelerator Support Programme | 2020 | 37 | 0 | 37 | 2.4 million | 0 | 2.4 million |
| 2021 | 27 | 0 | 27 | 2.8 million | 0 | 2.8 million | |
| 2022 | 39 | 0 | 39 | 2.4 million | 0 | 2.4 million | |
| 2023 | 19 | 0 | 19 | 2 million | 0 | 2 million | |
| 2024 | 13 | 0 | 13 | 0.9 million | 0 | 0.9 million | |
| (n) Cyberport Macro Fund | 2020 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 35 million | 0 | 35 million |
| 2021 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 35.7 million | 0 | 35.7 million | |
| 2022 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 14.1 million | 0 | 14.1 million | |
| 2023 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3.9 million | 0 | 3.9 million | |
| 2024 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7.8 million | 0 | 7.8 million | |
| (o) Digital Transformation Support Pilot Programme | 2020 | The Programme was formally open for applications from SMEs in early 2024. | |||||
| 2021 | |||||||
| 2022 | |||||||
| 2023 | |||||||
| 2024 | 2 054 | 0 | 2 054 | 99.4 million | 0 | 99.4 million | |
Relevant government bureaux and departments will continue to closely monitor the actual situation, promote and support SMEs to develop innovation and technology or adopt technologies to enhance productivity.
Ends/Wednesday, April 16, 2025
Issued at HKT 15:20
Issued at HKT 15:20
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