SUCCESS
E-newsletter
28 October 2025
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The Support and Consultation Centre for SMEs (SUCCESS) run by the Trade and Industry Department (TID) of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (the HKSARG) provides small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with free business information and consultation services.
Our website: https://www.success.tid.gov.hk/en_landing.html
Our email: success@tid.gov.hk
Our customer hotline:（852）2398 5133
(Service hours of hotline and counters: Monday to Friday 8:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m. & 1:30 p.m.-5:45 p.m., other than public holidays)
 More Details
"Four-in-One" Integrated Services of SME Centres
To strengthen support for SMEs and to raise SMEs' awareness of the various funding schemes and support services, the TID consolidated the services of the existing four SME centres, namely, 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 (HKSTP), in October 2019 to provide one-stop "Four-in-One" integrated services for SMEs. Enterprises can obtain business information, funding schemes information and advisory services, etc. at any of the centres. In addition, a web portal called "SME Link" is also established for SMEs to access information and support services provided by the four SME centres and government departments from a single online platform.
The Government provides over 70 funding schemes with different funding scopes, amounts and requirements to promote and support the development of enterprises and industries in Hong Kong. The "Government Funding Schemes" web page of the SME Link features information on these 70+ funding schemes, including overview and useful hyperlinks. The web page's search tool supports multiple search filters to facilitate enterprises identifying suitable funding schemes.
The "Events & Activities" of the SME Link facilitates enterprises to obtain information on activities organised by the four SME centres and various government departments, including seminars, workshops, exhibitions, conferences, training courses, etc., from a single platform, and also provides relevant links to facilitate registration.
As global awareness of decarbonisation grows and consumers' understanding of green and low-carbon lifestyle continues to enhance, whereas related international laws and regulations are constantly updated, SMEs need to grasp the latest information so as to capture the business opportunities and cope with related challenges. The "Decarbonisation ‧ Business Action", a one-stop thematic webpage, features links to information and services about decarbonisation and carbon audit, etc., including requirements and regulations of Hong Kong and our trading partners, support measures and technological solutions, to help SMEs better prepare and position their businesses in the dynamics of international trade networks and supply chains and capture the business opportunities arising from low-carbon solutions and new markets emerging around the world.
What's New
“Four-in-One” Seminar Series
The four SME centres co-organise "Four-in-One" seminar series regularly. Themes of this seminar series in the second half of 2025 are "Exploration of New Market", "E-Commerce" and "Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)". Upcoming events under this series are listed below. Interested persons are welcome to register at the links shown therein. Admission is Free.
I. Facilitating E-commerce Development for SMEs with Hongkong Post's One-stop Posting and Advertising Services (Seminar)
(This seminar will be held at Trade and Industry Tower on 31 October 2025)
This seminar is held by the "SUCCESS" of the TID. This seminar will introduce Hongkong Post’s advertising services and total eCommerce postal delivery solution, including the new “Sensitive Goods” end-to-end service, with a view to helping SMEs explore business opportunities. (This seminar will be conducted in Cantonese.)
More Details and Registration
II. “SME LevelUp Workshop” - Digital Biz Bootcamp Series: E-Commerce Made Easy and E-Commerce Made Easy Challenge
(Workshop (3) will be held at HKPC Building on 7 November 2025)
This series of “SME LevelUp Workshop” held by the SME One of the HKPC will have esteemed e-commerce experts sharing insider tips and strategies to help ambitious startups and SMEs thrive in the e-commerce landscape. Participants of the Challenge can also receive an additional 30-minute one-on-one consultation with e-commerce experts. “Digital Biz Bootcamp Series: E-Commerce Made Easy Challenge” workshop (1) “B2B vs B2C: Essential Operational Strategies” & “Going Global: Expanding Your E-commerce Empire” and workshop (2) “Content-Driven Traffic: Comprehensive Promotion Strategies” & “Data-Driven Growth: The New Engine for E-commerce” were held on 10 and 24 October 2025 respectively.
Workshop (3) “Regulatory Map: The First Step to E-commerce Success” & “Bestseller Strategy - Brand Attraction Techniques” will explain e-commerce regulations for compliant operations, how to create top-selling products and brand visual strategies.
This series of workshops will be conducted in Cantonese.
More Details and Registration
III. Succeeding in Southeast Asia's New E-commerce Market in 2026: Key Trends, Regulatory Compliance, and Effective Go-To-Market Strategies for Businesses and Brands in Hong Kong (Seminar)
(This seminar will be held at Trade and Industry Tower on 28 November 2025)
This seminar is held by the "SUCCESS" of the TID. This seminar will cover key market trends in Southeast Asia for 2026, consumer behaviors, emerging opportunities, regulatory compliance, tips for navigating complex local regulations and ensuring adherence to market-specific rules, as well as explore how to utilise AI to transform e-commerce operations, reduce costs and scale businesses. Also, this seminar will highlight real-life success stories and provide practical insights to help brands expand sustainably. (This seminar will be conducted in Cantonese.)
More Details and Registration
TID/SUCCESS Activities
I. CEPA – Opening the Door for Business Development in the Mainland (Seminar)
(This seminar will be held at Trade and Industry Tower on 4 November 2025)
This seminar is held by the "SUCCESS" of the TID. The Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA) is a free trade agreement concluded by the Mainland and Hong Kong in 2003. CEPA gives Hong Kong businesses, products and services the most preferential treatment to open up the huge Mainland market. The latest liberalisation measures for trade in services have been implemented since March 2025, making it easier for Hong Kong enterprises and professionals to set up enterprises and develop businesses in the Mainland. Representative from the TID will introduce the latest development of CEPA in this seminar. (This seminar will be conducted in Cantonese.)
More Details and Registration
II. Branding to Win Seminar 2025: Hong Kong Brand．New Quality New Vision
(This seminar will be held at HKTDC SME Centre on 10 November 2025)
This seminar is co-organised by the Hong Kong Brand Development Council, the TID, the HKTDC and the Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong. This seminar will explore how Hong Kong enterprises can advance the integrated development of “Hong Kong Brand + New Quality”. (This seminar will be conducted in Cantonese.)
More Details and Registration (in Chinese only)
SUCCESS-supported Activities
I. Introduction to Ethical Hacking and AI: Navigating the Future of Cybersecurity (Online Course)
(This course will be live-streamed on on 4 November 2025) )
This course is offered by the HKPC. SUCCESS is one of the supporting organisations. This online course will explore how artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionising ethical hacking and its implications for the cybersecurity landscape. (This course will be conducted in Cantonese.)
More Details and Registration
II. Supercharge Your Marketing with Data and AI: Surge Exposure, Engagement, and Results! (Online Course)
(This course will be live-streamed on 11 November 2025)
This course is offered by the HKPC. SUCCESS is one of the supporting organisations. This online course will explore how to leverage data and AI technologies to improve brand marketing efficiency, expand the customer base, and enhance customer engagement. (This course will be conducted in Cantonese.)
More Details and Registration (in Chinese only)
III. AI‑Driven E‑Commerce Growth: Generative AI in Action (Seminar)
(This seminar will be held at HKTDC SME Centre on 17 November 2025)
This seminar is organised by the Hong Kong Federation of E-Commerce (HKFEC). SUCCESS is one of the supporting organisations. This seminar will focus on how the latest AI technologies can effectively drive online business growth and enhance productivity. (This seminar will be conducted in Cantonese.)
More Details and Registration (in Chinese only)
IV. Building Your Own App from Scratch: Transforming Your Career with Vibe Coding (Online Course)
(This course will be live-streamed on 21 November 2025)
This course is offered by the HKPC. SUCCESS is one of the supporting organisations. This online course will explain how to combine low-code programming with AI tools to easily create App, and how non-technical workers can open the door to AI-related careers through vibe coding. (This course will be conducted in Cantonese.)
More Details and Registration (in Chinese only)
The 7th Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Intellectual Property Trade Expo and International Geographical Indications Products Trade Expo
(This event will be held in Guangzhou from 31 October to 2 November 2025)
The event is co-organised by the Guangdong Administration for Market Regulation (Guangdong Intellectual Property Administration), The People’s Government of Guangzhou Municipality, the Intellectual Property Department of the HKSARG, and the Economic and Technological Development Bureau of the Government of the Macao Special Administrative Region. With the theme “Commercialization and Transaction of intellectual property propel high-quality development in Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area”, the event is composed of the kick-off ceremony, 2 intellectual property trading expositions and series of activity areas, covering different topics including patents, trade marks, copyright and geographical indications.
More Details (in Chinese only)
Communications Authority launches new Unmanned Aircraft System (Private) Licence
The Communications Authority (CA) launched on 27 October 2025 the new Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) (Private) Licence in support of the development of low-altitude economy (LAE).
A spokesperson for CA said, "As announced in the 2025 Policy Address, the Government will enhance core infrastructure facilities, including by designating spectrum, to advance Hong Kong as a major hub for low-altitude innovative applications. Under the UAS (Private) Licence regime, licensees will be assigned with the 1430 – 1444 MHz band (1.4 GHz band) as the dedicated spectrum for establishing, maintaining and operating radiocommunications installation for UAS operations. It offers an additional communications solution to UAS operators beyond the current use of wireless local area networks and 4G or 5G mobile network for data transmission and control, enhancing support for the safe and efficient operation of UAS and fully supporting the development of the LAE ecosystem in terms of communications networks."
The UAS (Private) Licence is now open for application to organisations participating in the LAE Regulatory Sandbox pilot projects. Interested parties can submit their application together with the relevant information to CA, including information of the UAS they operate, the approval from the Civil Aviation Department on specific flight paths and details of the radio base stations anticipated to be installed. CA will rigorously review the applications based on the submitted information and closely monitor the use of the dedicated UAS spectrum to ensure compliance with licence conditions and effective utilisation of spectrum resources.
For details of the UAS (Private) Licence, including application eligibility, procedures and technical requirements, please refer to the Office of the Communications Authority (OFCA)'s thematic webpage. For enquiries, please contact OFCA at 2961 6333.
For relevant press release, please visit https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202510/27/P2025102700178.htm.
2025 Legislative Council General Election kick-off ceremony held on 23 October 2025
The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, and the Chairman of the Electoral Affairs Commission, Mr Justice David Lok, officiated at the 2025 Legislative Council General Election (LCGE) kick-off ceremony on 23 October 2025 at the Central Government Offices to mark the kick-off of the eighth LCGE. Representatives from various sectors, including civil service groups, public corporations, business and industrial sectors, district organisations, ethnic minority groups, and tertiary institutions attended the ceremony.
The eighth LCGE marks the second LCGE being held after improving the electoral system in the HKSAR. It is of utmost importance for accelerating the development of Hong Kong's economy and improving people's livelihood. The nomination period is running from 24 October to 6 November and polling will take place on 7 December.
For relevant press release, please visit https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202510/22/P2025102200774.htm.
Court users may use iCMS for personal injuries cases in High Court and seek technical assistance on case initiation
The Judiciary announced that starting from 30 October 2025, the integrated Court Case Management System (iCMS) will be extended (Note) to cover personal injuries cases (HCPI) in the Court of First Instance of the High Court.
The iCMS provides a series of electronic services, including sending and receiving case-specific court documents to and from the courts (e-filing), inspecting or searching filed documents and other case-related information held by the courts, searching cause books, and making payments for court services. The Judiciary is planning to make it mandatory for all legally represented parties to use e-filing under the iCMS (where available) as from the latter half of 2026.
With the iCMS, there is no need to visit the High Court Building to scan (this function is available to Litigants-in-Person only) and upload the electronic copy of the document to be filed using the self-service kiosks located at the Resource Centre for Unrepresented Litigants or make payments in the Accounts Office for paper filing.
To facilitate law firms' early migration from conventional paper mode to the iCMS in preparation for mandatory use in 2026, the Judiciary is inviting all law firms to make an appointment with the Judiciary for technical assistance on using the iCMS, either at the High Court Building or their own offices, when they are initiating a new case of an iCMS-enabled case type (including HCPI upon its rollout on 30 October) for the first time. Taking into account the law firms' response and available resources, the Judiciary may require all law firms initiating a new case through paper filing to go through this assisted e-filing process for the purpose of enhancing training on iCMS before mandatory e-filing. To encourage migration to the iCMS, a 20 per cent concession is offered to iCMS users for three years on fee items of the High Court that are primarily or directly related to the electronic handling of court documents.
Eligible users, including parties of ongoing or new e-proceedings and their legal representatives (if any), need to register for a user account to access the full range of services under the iCMS. Unregistered users can only use limited iCMS services, mainly searching for electronic documents that are open to public inspection. Registration is free of charge.
The iCMS can be accessed using personal computers or mobile devices with an Internet connection, commonly used operating systems and browsers. It operates around the clock, except during system maintenance. Any e-filing and e-payment received under the iCMS after the registry and the accounts office are normally closed to the public (i.e. after 5.30pm on a working day) will be deemed to be received at the start of the normal opening hours of the registry and the accounts office on the following working day.
For more details about the iCMS, including its technical requirements, please visit the dedicated webpage on e-Courts of the Judiciary website at www.judiciary.hk/en/e_courts/index.html.
For enquiries, please call the general enquiry hotline at 2477 1002 or the technical helpline at 2886 6474, email enquiry@judiciary.hk, or visit the Help Centre at 5/F, Wanchai Tower, 12 Harbour Road, Wan Chai.
Note: The iCMS application currently covers personal injury actions, tax claim proceedings, civil action proceedings and employees' compensation cases in the District Court, summons cases in the Magistrates' Courts, bulk claims in the Small Claims Tribunal, and selected case types of civil proceedings of the High Court, including civil appeal cases (CACV) in the Court of Appeal and commercial cases (HCCL), construction and arbitration cases (HCCT) and intellectual property cases (HCIP) in the Court of First Instance.
For relevant press release, please visit https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202510/20/P2025102000294.htm.
Largest-ever Hong Kong FinTech Week x StartmeupHK Festival 2025 to celebrate decade of innovation with world-class line-up
Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK) unveiled details of the 10th anniversaries of Hong Kong FinTech Week x StartmeupHK Festival 2025 (HKFW x SMUF) on 17 October 2025, set to take place from 3 to 7 November. This strategic alliance marks a decade of innovation while creating an expanded platform dedicated to all facets of technology and business impacts. The joint celebration underscores Hong Kong's commitment to the digital economy, leveraging its position as a leading international financial centre and thriving start-up hub.
As Hong Kong's premier innovation-focused event, HKFW x SMUF is organised by the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau (FSTB), the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau (CEDB) and InvestHK, in collaboration with the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC), and the Insurance Authority, and the appointed event organiser, Finoverse. The event is expected to attract over 37 000 attendees, more than 800 leading speakers and over 700 exhibitors from more than 100 economies. The main conference taking place on 3 to 4 November at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre will enable the event to reach its largest scale ever.
For more event details, please visit www.fintechweek.hk and follow via official social media accounts:
LinkedIn: Hong Kong FinTech Week; StartmeupHK;
YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/HongKongFinTechWeek; and
Facebook: Startmeup.HK
For details of Hong Kong FinTech Week x StartmeupHK Festival 2025 press conference, please refer to relevant press release https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202510/17/P2025101600281.htm.
Highways Department invites industry to attend briefing sessions on Smart and Green Mass Transit System in East Kowloon project
The Highways Department (HyD) will hold briefing sessions on 14 November and 21 November 2025 in Hong Kong and Shenzhen respectively to introduce the details of the Smart and Green Mass Transit System in East Kowloon (SGMTS-EK) project and related tender invitation matters.
Through the briefing sessions, the HyD aims to provide the industry with information on the project scheme, procurement and financial arrangements, and key tender conditions, as well as attract the interest of more local, Chinese Mainland and overseas organisations of the industry in the project, thereby encouraging their participation in the tender exercise.
The HyD cordially invites representatives from relevant organisations, including contractors, operators, consultants, system suppliers and manufacturers, and developers interested in participating in the SGMTS-EK project to attend the briefing sessions. The enrolment details and forms for the briefing sessions are in the Annex. Completed enrolment forms should be submitted on or before 31 October (Friday).
A smart and green mass transit system is environmentally friendly and incorporates advanced technologies to improve efficiency, safety and convenience. Compared to a heavy rail system, the smart and green mass transit system will feature a medium-to-low carrying capacity characterised by its energy efficient, intelligent and convenient nature. The SGMTS-EK will be about 7 kilometres in length, including viaducts and a tunnel, with nine elevated stations. The termini will be connected to the MTR Choi Hung Station and the Yau Tong Station, with its alignment passing through Choi Wan, Shun Lee, Shun On, Sau Mau Ping, Po Tat, Ma Yau Tong and Lam Tin North, serving over 300 000 residents in Kwun Tong uphill areas and enabling their commuting to and from other areas in Kowloon and Hong Kong. Tenders for the SGMTS-EK project are expected to be invited in the first half of 2026 with the target for commissioning of the system in 2033 or earlier.
For relevant press release, please visit https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202510/17/P2025101700210.htm.
"SME ReachOut: FUND Fair plus Tech Sourcing 2025" held on 16 and 17 October 2025
With support from the TID, the HKPC held "SME ReachOut: FUND Fair plus Tech Sourcing 2025" (the Fair) for two consecutive days starting 16 October 2025. The Fair seeks to provide information on government funding schemes and assist SMEs in undertaking digital transformation, with a view to enhancing their competitiveness in the digital economy era.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau, said that the Government has been supporting SMEs in transformation and upgrading, expanding into overseas markets, and assisting SMEs in enhancing operational efficiency and market competitiveness by leveraging new technologies. This year's Policy Address has announced a number of initiatives in support of SMEs, such as injecting $1.43 billion into the BUD Fund (Dedicated Fund on Branding, Upgrading and Domestic Sales) and expanding its geographical scope to cover eight more economies, including Belt and Road countries, and setting up the "Economic and Trade Express" to encourage local SMEs and start-ups to conduct more overseas visits to explore business opportunities.
He added that the Government will, through the HKTDC, support the continued organisation of the Hong Kong Shopping Festival, covering Mainland and ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) e-commerce markets over the next three years to promote Hong Kong brands, and strengthen training and information services through the four SME centres, the Mentorship Programme of the TID and the E-Commerce Express under the HKTDC, as well as implementing the "Creativity • E-commerce – Beyond Limits" programme and providing one-stop business matching and referral services. He encouraged SMEs to leverage the various support measures to expedite their upgrading and transformation, and explore diversified markets to cope with current challenges and seize opportunities.
The Fair is the third large-scale annual event under the enhanced services of "SME ReachOut", containing thematic zones such as digital transformation, Go Global, cross-border e-commerce and retail technologies, and government funding schemes. The Fair also features over 10 thematic seminars, where experts will share information related to the themes, enabling SMEs to understand the latest market trends and seek opportunities for co-operation and suitable solutions.
Operated by the HKPC under the support of the Government, "SME ReachOut" has been in service since 2020 to assist SMEs in identifying suitable government funding schemes, and provide capacity-building services.
Details of "SME ReachOut: FUND Fair plus Tech Sourcing 2025" are available at smereachout.hkpc.org/fund&techsourcingfair2025/en. For details of "SME ReachOut", please visit smereachout.hkpc.org/en.
For enquiries, please contact "SME ReachOut" (Tel: 2788 6868).
For relevant press release, please visit https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202510/16/P2025101500602.htm.
Government welcomes passage of Road Traffic (Amendment) (Ride-hailing Service) Bill 2025
The Government welcomed the passage of the Road Traffic (Amendment) (Ride-Hailing Service) Bill 2025 on 15 October 2025, which marks a significant milestone in introducing a regulatory regime for ride-hailing services, providing the public with safer, more reliable, and diverse personalised point-to-point transport services.
The Road Traffic (Amendment) (Ride-hailing Service) Ordinance 2025 (the Ordinance) introduces a regulatory framework for ride-hailing services, requiring platforms, vehicles, and drivers providing ride-hailing services to obtain licences or permits. Platforms holding ride-hailing service licences must maintain proper and efficient services and conduct due diligence on their vehicles and drivers. Ride-hailing vehicles must meet various requirements, including holding appropriate third-party risk insurance, complying with the requirements on the age and inspection of vehicles, and being linked to the driver (i.e. the vehicle must be registered in the name of an individual and be driven by its registered owner to provide ride-hailing passenger services). Also, ride-hailing vehicle drivers must meet specified conditions, such as being at least 21 years old, having no serious traffic convictions within the past five years, and have passed a relevant test.
In addition to regulating ride-hailing services, the Ordinance also strengthens penalties and arrangements related to illegal carriage of passengers for reward. This includes specifying that convicted drivers should be disqualified from driving for not less than 12 months (and not more than three years), and strengthening arrangements for the temporary suspension of vehicle licences and vehicle impoundments, enabling enforcement agencies to impound vehicles involved, even if the driver involved cannot be identified for the purpose of instituting criminal proceedings, thereby further combating illegal carriage of passengers for reward.
The Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Ms Mable Chan, said, "The Government is determined to introduce a legal framework for regulating ride-hailing services. This will address the long-standing controversies surrounding such services and provide the public with more travel options that are safer and lawful, while promoting the modernisation and rejuvenation of the point-to-point transport trade, thereby achieving a win-win situation for the public, taxis and ride-hailing services.
"The Ordinance represents a crucial step forward in the Government's legislative work. By first establishing the fundamental regulatory principles, it lays a solid legal foundation for establishing the technical details in the next stage. We will immediately proceed with the next stage of work, including discussing in a focused manner with stakeholders and finalising the regulatory details through subsidiary legislation and licence/permit conditions. We will continue to listen to the views and suggestions from all parties, with a view to adopting a 'people-oriented and win-win' approach," she added.
The Ordinance is gazetted on 24 October. The Government plans to submit the subsidiary legislation detailing regulatory requirements to the Legislative Council for scrutiny in the first half of 2026, with a view to completing the relevant legislative procedures in mid-2026. Subject to the preparatory work of the platforms that are granted ride-hailing service licences, it is expected that the licensed platforms may commence operations in the fourth quarter of 2026.
For relevant press release, please visit https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202510/15/P2025101500726.htm.
Lunar New Year fair stall auctions start
The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) announced on 13 October 2025 putting up stalls at the 2026 Lunar New Year (LNY) fairs for open auction in batches starting from 27 October (Monday).
The LNY fairs are to be held at 14 locations and will be open for seven days from 11 to 17 February 2026. A total of 915 wet goods stalls, 647 dry goods stalls and 26 fast food stalls will be provided.
Details of the 2026 LNY fairs such as the public notice, the locations and layouts of the fair venues, commodities allowed for sale at the fair stalls, open auction arrangements and related rules, and a sample of the licence agreement are available on the FEHD website (www.fehd.gov.hk). For enquiries, please call the FEHD hotline 2868 0000.
For details of the auctions for stalls of the LNY, please refer to relevant press release https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202510/13/P2025101300744.htm.
LegCo Secretariat releases Policy Pulse on "Latest developments in fintech and digital assets in Hong Kong"
The Legislative Council (LegCo) Secretariat released the latest issue of the Policy Pulse on "Latest developments in fintech and digital assets in Hong Kong" on 13 October 2025. This issue provides a brief overview of how Hong Kong has leveraged technology for innovation and application in the areas such as financial technology (fintech), digital assets (DA), green and sustainable finance and cross-border finance, as well as relevant discussions of LegCo along with suggestions by Members.
As an international financial centre, Hong Kong possesses a robust regulatory system, rich business opportunities and an active financing market. Coupled with its unique advantages of connecting with the Mainland and the world, Hong Kong stands as a premier hub for promoting the integrated development of fintech and the third generation Internet (Web3). According to the newly published Global Financial Centres Index, Hong Kong continued to rank third globally and first in Asia Pacific. On fintech offering, Hong Kong even ranked first in the world.
LegCo has long attached great importance to the development and application of Web3 and DA technologies, and get a head start to form the Subcommittee on Issues Relating to the Development of Web3 and Virtual Assets in October 2023 to study relevant matters. The Policy Pulse summarises Members' recommendations made to the Government, including refining the DA regulatory framework to protect investors; enhancing on-the-job training on Web3 and fintech for practitioners in financial, trading, accounting and legal sectors; and introducing technological concepts such as blockchain and tokenisation into the secondary school curriculum to promote public knowledge of DA and Web3 technologies.
Regarding the regulation of stablecoins, LegCo enacted the Stablecoins Bill in May 2025, establishing a licensing regime for issuers of stablecoins pegged to fiat currencies, governing the issuance and related activities of stablecoins, and providing the Monetary Authority with investigatory and enforcement powers. Hong Kong has become one of the first jurisdictions in the world to establish a regulatory regime for stablecoin issuers.
The Policy Pulse points out that, in the light of Members' suggestions, the Government proposed amendments to the Bill, including allowing stored value facility licensees, in addition to the four types of permitted offerors originally proposed, to offer fiat-referenced stablecoins (FRS). In Members' view, this will help promote the wider use of FRS in Hong Kong. Looking ahead, Members suggest seeking the Central Government's support to develop offshore Renminbi stablecoins in Hong Kong, and to boldly explore and practise in emerging financial areas such as DAs and cryptocurrencies, thereby leveraging the role of a "stablecoins testing ground".
The Policy Pulse also details that Hong Kong promotes the development of green and sustainable finance by issuing tokenised green bonds and expanding the local green fintech ecosystem. To date, the volume of green and sustainable bonds arranged in Hong Kong has amounted to around US$43 billion, ranking first in the Asian market for seven consecutive years since 2018. Members urge the Government to formulate measures to attract Mainland enterprises to conduct relevant financing and certification testing in Hong Kong, thereby enhancing the city's attractiveness as a platform for green and sustainable bond issuance. Members also suggest that the Government should explore the feasibility of tokenising carbon credits using blockchain technology.
The Policy Pulse points out that Hong Kong, as a key fintech hub in the region, has established multiple cross-regional financial co-operation platforms to drive fintech innovation and strengthen linkage with international markets. Among these, the annual Hong Kong FinTech Week will be held together with the StartmeupHK Festival in November 2025, bringing together over 30,000 industry leaders, speakers and exhibitors from over 100 economies worldwide. To attract more compliant fintech enterprises to establish presence in Hong Kong, Members urge the Government to continuously refine the regulatory framework, encourage trials of financial technology, further streamline licensing process, and promote upgrading and transformation of traditional industries towards digitalisation, thereby promoting complementarity of advantages with the Mainland cities in the Greater Bay Area, as well as contributing to the emerging industries and the innovative development of the digital economy of the country.
The detailed content of "Latest developments in fintech and digital assets in Hong Kong" is available on the LegCo Website. The Policy Pulse, published by the Council Business Divisions of the LegCo Secretariat, covers specific topics and offers a comprehensive overview of related policy developments and summarizes discussions in LegCo.
For relevant press release, please visit https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202510/13/P2025101300517.htm.
For more recent news, please visit the "What's New" web page of the SUCCESS Website or the "News" web page of the SME Link.
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
“SME ReachOut”, a dedicated service team operated by HKPC, has commenced operation since 1 January 2020 to enhance SMEs’ understanding of the Government’s funding schemes, with a view to encouraging better utilisation of the support provided by the Government. The team would help SMEs identify funding schemes that suit their needs, and answer questions relating to applications.
The Government has allocated $100 million to HKPC to gradually enhance the services of “SME ReachOut” in the ensuing five years starting from 2023. HKPC has enhanced the services of “SME ReachOut” in October 2023, including arranging visits to more chambers of commerce, commercial and industrial buildings and co-working spaces, and increasing the publicity in social media so as to step up the promotion of government funding schemes. At the same time, more one-on-one consultation sessions will be provided to assist SMEs in applying for government funding and building their capacities, focusing on areas such as ESG, technology transformation, digitalisation and cyber security, with a view to enhancing their competitiveness through leveraging new technologies.
For further information or enquiries on “SME ReachOut”, please contact “SME ReachOut” Hotline / WhatsApp (Text Message Only) at 2788 6868 or email by sme_reachout@hkpc.org or visit https://smereachout.hkpc.org/en.
Dedicated Fund on Branding, Upgrading and Domestic Sales (BUD Fund)
To support enterprises to develop the markets of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) through electronic commerce (e-commerce) business, the geographical coverage of “E-commerce Easy” was expanded to the 10 ASEAN countries on 14 March 2025.
The HKPC as the BUD Fund implementation partner regularly organises seminars/webinars in order to enhance enterprises’ understanding of the BUD Fund, including “Easy BUD” and “E-commerce Easy”. For more details of the BUD Fund, please visit its website (www.bud.hkpc.org/en) or contact the HKPC at 2788 6088.
【Deception Is Illegal Apply for Funding Truthfully】
We have recently referred suspected fraud cases under the SME Export Marketing Fund (EMF) to the Police and arrests have been made.
The TID reviews all applications to ensure strict compliance with the Guide to Application and the relevant procedures in order to ensure proper use of public money. Any suspected provision of false information will be followed up on accordingly. It is the responsibility of an applicant enterprise to complete an Application Form timely and truthfully and to provide all genuine supporting documents. The TID will take administrative measures as deemed appropriate on party(ies) to an application for any malpractice unearthed in the application process. Serious cases will be referred to the law enforcement agencies for further action.
It is an offence in law to obtain property/pecuniary advantage by deception or assisting persons to obtain property/pecuniary advantage. Any person who does so may be liable to legal proceedings. Applicant enterprises are urged not to violate the law.
Enquiry
Tel: 2398 5127
Email: emf_enquiry@tid.gov.hk
Website: https://emf.tid.gov.hk
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