Support and Consultation Centre for SMEs
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SUCCESS
E-newsletter
24 August 2022

What's New
Topical Issues
Business News

The Support and Consultation Centre for SMEs (SUCCESS) is an information and advisory centre for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) run by the Trade and Industry Department (TID).  If you are looking for free business information and practical consultation services, please visit SUCCESS.  The counter service of SUCCESS has been resumed.  Meanwhile, webinars, Customer Hotline (Tel.: (852) 2398 5133) and Email Enquiry (success@tid.gov.hk) continue to be operated as usual. 

More Details
 

What's New

Events & Activities of the SME Link

To enhance the integrated services of the four existing SME Centres, including the SUCCESS under the TID, the "SME Centre" under the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the "SME One" under the Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC) and the "TecONE" under the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation, the TID has established a web portal called "SME Link" for SMEs to access comprehensive information and support services from a single online platform.  The "Events & Activities" of the SME Link facilitates enterprises to obtain information on SMEs related seminars/workshops/activities, including those organised by the four SME Centres from a single platform, and also provides links to the relevant event web pages to facilitate registration. 

Please click here to browse the Events & Activities of the SME Link.

 

Activities of the SME Service Centres

SME Service Centres' "4-in-1" Seminar Series

The Government consolidated the services of the four SME Centres in October 2019 to provide “4-in-1” integrated services.  The four Centres are co-organising another round of “4-in-1” seminar series in the second half of 2022 on “New Normal of Business after Pandemic”, with an aim to assist enterprises to grasp business opportunities under the new normal by introducing the topics including digital transformation, the latest development of technological solutions and business transformation, etc.  SUCCESS of TID will organise a webinar under this seminar series on 25 August 2022.  Interested persons are welcome to register at the link below.  Admission is Free.

Webinar on “Introduction of FinTech Anti-epidemic Scheme for Talent Development (FAST)”
(This webinar will be held by SUCCESS of TID on 25 August 2022)

The FinTech Anti-epidemic Scheme for Talent Development (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.  Established under the Government’s Anti-epidemic Fund and administered by Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited (HKCMCL), FAST provides a subsidy of HK$10,000 per month for each successful local FinTech applicant company up to 12 months to create a job position related to the major business of the company.  In this webinar, a representative of the HKCMCL will explain the eligibility, application procedures, matters the applicant should be aware of, and answer some frequently asked questions.  (This webinar will be conducted in Cantonese.)

For more details of the webinar and registration, please click here.

For more details of FAST, please click here.

Promotional Fyler
 

Trade and Industry Department / SUCCESS-supported Activities

Energy Efficiency and Conservation Webinars: "Path to achieve Carbon Neutrality – for SME and Property Management Companies"

(This webinar will be live-streamed on 21 September 2022)

This webinar is organised by the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department.  SUCCESS is one of the supporting organisations.  This webinar aims to enrich SMEs and property management companies' understanding of energy efficiency and conservation.  (This webinar will be conducted in Cantonese.)


More Details

“Metaverse Series: All You Need to Know About NFT (Non-fungible token)”

(This course will be held on 3, 10, 17 and 24 October 2022 at Hong Kong Productivity Council)

This course is offered by the Hong Kong Productivity Council.  SUCCESS is one of the supporting organisations.  This course will dive deep into NFT, from basic knowledge to business applications.  (Admission fee is required.  This course will be conducted in Cantonese.)

More Details
 

Mainland and Hong Kong SAR, Macao SAR Intellectual Property Symposium 2022

(The Symposium will be live-streamed on 30 August 2022)

The Symposium is jointly organised by the Office of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Affairs of China National Intellectual Property Administration, the Intellectual Property Department of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and the Economic and Technological Development Bureau of the Government of the Macao Special Administrative Region.  Speakers of the Symposium will introduce the latest development of intellectual property in the Mainland, Hong Kong and Macau, and share experiences on trademark protection and brand building.  For details and registration, please visit https://www.ip.gov.hk/en/Intellectual-property-symposium-2022.html.  For enquiries, please contact Miss Jasmine Bootwala at (852) 2961 6833.  (The Symposium will be conducted in Putonghua.)
 

Seminar on Productivity Assessment for Employees with Disabilities under the Statutory Minimum Wage Regime

(This seminar will be held on 16 September 2022 at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre)

This seminar is organised by the Labour Department.  The seminar will introduce details of the productivity assessment for employees with disabilities under the Minimum Wage Ordinance.  Employers, persons with disabilities and their family members as well as representatives from rehabilitation organisations are welcome to attend.  Admission is free.  (The seminar will be conducted in Cantonese with sign language interpretation service provided.)

More Details and application form
 

Intellectual Property Department: IP Training Programme “IP202 Management and Strategies of Patent Commercialisation” and “IP203 Management and Strategies of Technology Transfer”

(IP202 will be live-streamed on 20, 22, 27 and 29 September 2022)
(IP203 will be live-streamed on 19, 21, 26 and 28 October 2022)

Two advanced intellectual property (IP) courses targeting persons engaging in the innovation and technology industry are now open for registration.  Those who have a basic understanding of patents are also welcome to join. 

“IP202 Management and Strategies of Patent Commercialisation” will introduce the concept and common forms of patent commercialisation, and shed light on the importance of patent valuation, preparing participants to plan better strategies of patent commercialisation for their enterprises. 

“IP203 Management and Strategies of Technology Transfer” will introduce the key issues of technology transfer and help participants understand how to identify the value of their research findings and formulate appropriate strategies for technology transfer. 

Interested participants may first enroll in the “IP Manager Scheme PLUS” for free by filling out an online form.  Registration fee for the courses is waived for members of the Scheme.  The two courses will be conducted in Cantonese or English.  Participants will receive a certificate upon completion of the respective training course.

More details for IP202
More details for IP203
 

“Part-time” Employment - Know More About Labour Legislation

Employees, except for those to whom the Employment Ordinance does not apply, be they designated as full-time, “part-time”, casual or substitute employees, and irrespective of their working hours, are entitled to certain basic protections, rights and benefits under the Ordinance including wage payment protection, restriction on deductions from wages, statutory holidays, maternity protection (prohibition of assignment of heavy, hazardous or harmful work), employment protection (unreasonable and unlawful dismissal), provision of information on conditions of service by employers and protection against anti-union discrimination, etc.  An employee who has been employed continuously by the same employer for 4 weeks or more, with at least 18 hours worked in each week, is regarded as being employed under a “continuous contract”.  Such employee who meets the qualifying conditions under the Employment Ordinance is also entitled to additional rights and benefits like rest days, pay for statutory holidays, annual leave with pay, sickness allowance, maternity protection (maternity leave, payment for maternity leave, protection of a pregnant employee against termination of employment), paternity leave and severance payment/long service payment, etc.

For details on statutory rights and protection for employees of “part-time” employment, please refer to the following publications produced by the Labour Department:

“Part-time Employment - Know More about Labour Legislation”
“A Concise Guide to the Employment Ordinance”

 

Topical Issues

 

Support Measures relating to Liquidity

In view of the cash-flow pressure of SMEs, SUCCESS has compiled a summary of support measures relating to liquidity.

More Details
 

SME ReachOut

Amid difficult business environment, HKPC knows SMEs are in the urgent need of cash to keep business running.  The "SME ReachOut" support team is here to help SMEs well equip for bouncing back, through introducing and matching the appropriate funding schemes.

"SME ReachOut", a dedicated service team operated by HKPC, has commenced operation starting from 1 January 2020 to support SMEs through free-of-charge one-on-one meetings.  The team would help SMEs identify funding schemes that suit their needs, while answering questions relating to applications.

There are over 40 funding schemes provided by the Government for SMEs, with different funding scopes, amounts and requirements.  "SME ReachOut" serves to enhance SMEs' understanding of the Government's funding schemes, with a view to encouraging better utilisation of the support provided by the Government, and to enhancing their competitiveness and development.

For further information or enquiries, please contact "SME ReachOut" Hotline / WhatsApp (Text Message Only) at 2788 6868 or email by sme_reachout@hkpc.org or visit https://www.hkpc.org/en/support-resource/sme-one/sme-reachout.

 

Dedicated Fund on Branding, Upgrading and Domestic Sales (BUD Fund)

The TID has rolled out an enhancement to the BUD Fund on 27 June 2022.

To further support enterprises in making use of the better protection afforded by Investment Promotion and Protection Agreements (IPPAs) to develop more diversified markets, the geographical scope of the BUD Fund has been extended with an addition of two economies with which Hong Kong has signed IPPAs, namely Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.

The geographical scope of the BUD Fund has been extended, in three phases since July 2021, from 20 economies with which Hong Kong has signed Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) to cover 37 economies1 with which Hong Kong has signed FTAs and/or IPPAs.

The Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC) as the BUD Fund implementation partner regularly organises seminars/webinars in order to enhance enterprises’ understanding of the BUD Fund.  For more details of the BUD Fund, please visit its website (https://www.bud.hkpc.org/en) or contact the HKPC at 2788 6088. 

Upcoming event for September 2022 is as follows:

 Date  Theme of Event/Seminar
 5 September 2022  BUD Fund Seminar on Enhanced Mainland + FTA and IPPA Programmes

More Details

You are welcome to join the seminar.

1Besides the two newly added economies of Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, the other 35 economies covered under the BUD Fund are the Mainland, New Zealand, the four member states of the European Free Trade Association (i.e. Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland), Chile, Macao, the ten member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (comprising Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam), Georgia, Australia, Japan, Korea, Austria, Belgo-Luxembourg Economic Union, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
 

Corruption Prevention Advisory Service (CPAS) of ICAC

A good governance system is vital for SMEs' effective operation, and can help sustain their company image and hence counterparts' confidence in doing business with them.  The Corruption Prevention Department of the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) has launched the Corruption Prevention Advisory Service (CPAS).  The CPAS is a specialised unit dedicated to providing tailor-made, free and confidential corruption prevention advice on system control in common business areas such as procurement and staff administration.  Enterprises can access its user-friendly web portal (https://cpas.icac.hk/EN/) for details of the services and to get timely and useful resources on corruption prevention such as staff code of conduct, corruption prevention guides and tools, case studies, quick tips and red flags.  To receive regular updates on corruption prevention, please click here to subscribe to the CPAS e-news.
 

Free IP Consultation Service

The Intellectual Property Department (IPD), supported by the Law Society of Hong Kong, now provides FREE One-On-One IP Consultation Service for SMEs.  To obtain more information and/or apply for the Service, please visit IPD's dedicated website "Hong Kong - The IP Trading Hub": https://www.ip.gov.hk/en/free-ip-consultation-service-highlights.html.
 

Webinar "The Road to Net Zero: Assessing Your Carbon Footprint"

(This webinar will be live-streamed on 19 September 2022)

The webinar is organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council.  The COVID-19 outbreak gave a wake up call on the global supply chain for businesses, including SMEs who are the backbone of the world economy, causing them to recalibrate their supply chain strategies and shift to a more sustainable approach.  This webinar will focus on the ways in which companies can assess their greenhouse gas emissions and reduce carbon footprints to formulate a holistic strategy.  (This webinar will be conducted in Cantonese.)


More Details

 

Business News

GDETO Newsletter

The latest issue of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Guangdong (GDETO) Newsletter has been published.

More Details (in Chinese only)
 

Commercial Information Circulars (CICs) of the Mainland

The TID issued a number of Commercial Information Circulars (CICs) on the Mainland's trade and economic rules and regulations.  The latest CICs have been published. 

More Details

   
   
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