LCQ15: Measures to support one-person companies
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Question:
There are views pointing out that with the growing maturity of generative AI technology, one-person companies (i.e. a company with only one shareholder, commonly known as OPC) have becoming increasingly popular. According to the 2024-25 Annual Report of the Companies Registry, of the over 150 000 new local companies incorporated in the year, more than 75 per cent were one-member companies. In addition, it has been reported that some Mainland cities have started to establish dedicated support systems specifically for OPCs, such as setting up start-up communities, service sharing platforms and low-cost start-up spaces. Regarding the measures to support OPCs, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) whether it has grasped the current number of active companies among Hong Kong's OPCs, their distribution across major industries, duration of operation, median income level and the number of employment opportunities they have created; if so, of the relevant details and set out by industry the number of new OPCs incorporated in each of the past five years, and among them, the proportion of those still in operation one year, three years and five years after incorporation; if not, whether it will consider commissioning a research institution to conduct a dedicated survey to gain an understanding of the development of OPCs in Hong Kong and the major difficulties they face, including their needs relating to financing, office premises, technical support, market development and administrative compliance;
(2) given that at present, the authorities primarily support entrepreneurial development through channels such as Cyberport, the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation, the Youth Development Fund and various funding schemes for small and medium enterprises, whether the authorities have compiled statistics on the proportion of OPCs that have benefited from or successfully applied for funding through the aforesaid channels; if so, of the numbers of relevant cases and the total amount of funding; if not, whether it will explore the establishment of a dedicated one-stop support platform or service window specifically for OPCs to assist them in accessing start-up information, professional advice, business matching and marketing support;
(3) as it has been reported that as of May this year, more than 20 Mainland cities have introduced special support policies for OPCs, and the Outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan released by multiple localities have highlighted OPCs, whether the Government will review the application thresholds as well as the vetting and approval procedures for various existing entrepreneurship as well as innovation and technology (I&T) funding schemes, including the application document requirements, the matching fund requirements and the limit on the duration of business operation, so as to assess whether these constitute barriers to OPCs with limited manpower and resources; if so, of the details and timetable; if not, the reasons for that; and
(4) given that the Mainland has introduced the relevant support policies, whether the authorities will study the provision of support such as co-work spaces, cloud computing resources, trial use of AI tools, as well as legal and accounting advice to eligible OPCs through the existing I&T support system; if so, of the details and timetable; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
President,
Technological reform has provided enterprises with new directions for business development and opportunities for transformation. Benefitting from the rapid advancement of technological tools such as AI, restrictions in doing business have been reduced, and the business model of one-person company is gradually expanding into more industries. Having consulted the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau, the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau (HYAB) and the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau (ITIB), a consolidated reply to the various parts of the question is as follows:
(1) According to information from the Companies Registry, in the past five years, the number of new local companies formed with one member each year is as follows:
| Year | Number of new local companies (Note) formed with one member in the Companies Register |
| 2021 | 91 104 |
| 2022 | 85 894 |
| 2023 | 104 875 |
| 2024 | 109 510 |
| 2025 | 157 812 |
(2) to (4) Relevant bureaux and departments of the Government have been, through various funding schemes and measures, providing support to individuals interested in starting a business and promoting diversified development of Hong Kong enterprises (including one-person companies).
Support for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and start-ups
The Dedicated Fund on Branding, Upgrading and Domestic Sales (BUD Fund) under the Trade and Industry Department (TID) provides funding support for non-listed Hong Kong enterprises to develop more diversified markets and to enhance competitiveness through branding, upgrading and restructuring, and promoting sales. All non-listed enterprises (including one-person companies) registered in Hong Kong under the Business Registration Ordinance (Cap. 310) with substantive business operations in Hong Kong are eligible to apply for funding support. As the funding support is applicable to all enterprises meeting the funding criteria, the Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC), the Programme Secretariat of the BUD Fund, does not maintain breakdown regarding applications made by one-person companies under the BUD Fund.
The four SME centres, namely the Support and Consultation Centre for SMEs under the TID, the SME Centre under the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, the SME One under the HKPC, and the TecONE under the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTPC), provide four-in-one integrated consultation services for SMEs. The SME ReachOut operated by the HKPC also helps SMEs, including one-person companies, identify suitable government funding schemes and offer capacity building services to them. As the services are applicable to all SMEs in Hong Kong, we do not maintain breakdown regarding services utilised by one-person companies.
In addition, Invest Hong Kong has been promoting policies and measures conducive to the development of start-ups to the start-up community, supporting them to set up or expand businesses in Hong Kong. For example, the department organises the annual Hong Kong FinTech Week x StartmeupHK Festival, which brings together exhibitors as well as Mainland and international delegations and promotes the development of Hong Kong's start-up ecosystem and entrepreneurship.
Support for youth entrepreneurs
Under the Youth Development Fund, the HYAB and the Youth Development Commission have implemented the HYAB Funding Scheme for Youth Entrepreneurship in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (Entrepreneurship Scheme), which subsidises non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to implement youth entrepreneurship programmes for a duration of one to three years, providing entrepreneurial support and incubation services as well as start-up capital to young people intending to start their businesses locally and in Mainland cities of the Greater Bay Area. Under the latest round of the Entrepreneurship Scheme, a total of 264 youth start-up teams were recruited, of which 82 teams are one-member teams. Each eligible start-up team may receive a government grant capped at $480,000, with an additional matching fund of $120,000 provided by the NGO; the start-up team may therefore receive a total funding of at most $600,000.
Support for innovation and technology enterprises
The Innovation and Technology Commission (ITC) under the ITIB is committed to supporting projects that could contribute to the innovation and technology (I&T) upgrading in our manufacturing and service industry through the Innovation and Technology Fund (ITF). ITF funding schemes in general have not set requirements on the scale and capital of enterprise applying for funding. There are established electronic channels for applicants (including one-person companies) to submit applications, reports, change requests, etc, for all ITF funding schemes through the Innovation and Technology Commission Funding Administrative System. The ITF website also provides comprehensive information, with a one-stop enquiry hotline and email.
Furthermore, various I&T parks have been providing high-quality basic infrastructure and support services for I&T development. They offer start-ups (including one-person companies) research and development spaces and ancillary facilities, funding, technical and management guidance, investor matching, mentorship, marketing and business development support, etc. Depending on their business needs, the I&T parks also help these companies connect with service providers offering cloud computing resources, AI tools, as well as legal and accounting consultancy services, etc.
Focusing on incubation programmes, the HKSTPC offers a diverse range of support schemes for start-ups at different stages of development. Among these, HKSTPC's Ideation Programme provides a seed funding of $100,000 to assist early-stage entrepreneurs (including one-person companies) in transforming innovative ideas into viable businesses with market potential. Over the past three years, a total of 960 one-person companies have been approved under this programme.
In addition, the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park (HSITP) in the Loop has also launched the incubation programme in the first quarter of 2026 and held the HSITP Incubation Programme Launch Ceremony cum Technology Day Exhibition on March 30, 2026, providing incubation and acceleration support for the start-ups concerned (including one-person companies). The first incubation programme focuses on the two major industries of life and health technology, as well as AI and data science. Under the programme, more than 10 one-person companies have been approved.
Besides, Cyberport provides comprehensive start-up support to young innovators and start-ups (including one-person companies) through a series of entrepreneurial programmes, including funding, business matching, and mentorship, with a full commitment to nurturing digital technology talent. Over the past three years, more than 10 one-person companies have been approved under the Cyberport Creative Micro Fund and the Cyberport Incubation Programme. Cyberport will also launch the OPC Hub to provide dedicated workspace and other support, such as cloud services, model usage quotas and AI inference resources, to one-person companies and small teams focusing on AI, intelligent agents, blockchain or related digital technologies. This initiative aims to reduce the cost of early-stage product development and testing for AI start-ups (including one-person companies).
The Government will keep in view the implementation and effectiveness of various funding schemes and support measures, with a view to understanding the development of and challenges faced by enterprises (including one-person companies), as well as introducing enhancements/adjustments, thereby responding flexibly to the evolving operational and development needs of enterprises.
Ends/Wednesday, June 17, 2026
Issued at HKT 17:52
Issued at HKT 17:52
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