SUCCESS
E-newsletter
10 December 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)". An upcoming event under this series is listed below. Interested persons are welcome to register at the link shown therein. Admission is Free.
“SME ReachOut” Webinar: Empowering Brands to Go Global with Funding Support
(This course will be live-streamed on 18 December 2025)
This webinar is held by the "SME ReachOut" of the HKPC. This webinar will analyse brand globalisation strategies, and share "Tech-Up Easy" digital marketing, as well as how to leverage government funding to accelerate brand upgrades and market expansion. (This webinar will be conducted in Cantonese.)
More Details and Registration
SUCCESS Activity
Latest Developments of China-US Trade Conflicts (Seminar)
(This seminar will be held at Trade and Industry Tower on 17 December 2025)
This seminar is held by the "SUCCESS" of the TID. Since the new US Administration took office in 2025, the US has been implementing and modifying a series of additional tariff measures on Chinese Mainland and Hong Kong. In October 2025, the economic and trade teams of China and the US had the fifth meeting in Kuala Lumpur, following which the Presidents of China and the US met in Korea to discuss China-US economic and trade relations and other issues. The two sides then announced adjustment of the tariffs imposed on each other. To assist SMEs in understanding the relevant situations, this seminar will cover additional tariff measures imposed by the US on products of Chinese Mainland and Hong Kong, and the tariff countermeasures imposed by Chinese Mainland on US products. (This seminar will be conducted in Cantonese.)
More Details and Registration
SUCCESS-supported Activities
I. Rewriting the Psychological Contract: Employee Wellbeing Support via AI (Online Course)
(This course will be live-streamed on 16 December 2025)
This course is offered by the HKPC. SUCCESS is one of the supporting organisations. This online course will explore how leaders can embed emotional wellness as a shared responsibility across teams and culture, as well as the application of relevant technology and digital tools. (This course will be conducted in Cantonese.)
More Details and Registration
II. AI-driven Proactive Health Management Platform (Online Course)
(This course will be live-streamed on 7 January 2026)
This course is offered by the HKPC. SUCCESS is one of the supporting organisations. This online course will explore the complexity of the immune system and relevant misconceptions in current understanding, as well as analyse how artificial intelligence (AI) technology is leading us to transform disease diagnosis, treatment and prevention. (This course will be conducted in Putonghua.)
More Details and Registration (in Chinese only)
LCSD's Subvention Scheme for New Sports in year 2026-27 opens for application (deadline: 9 January 2026)
To support the development of new sports, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) implements the Subvention Scheme for New Sports (SSNS) for application by eligible sports organisations. The SSNS for 2026-27 is now open for application, and the deadline is 9 January 2026.
For enquiries, please contact the Sports Funding Office of the LCSD at 2601 8756 or email ssns@lcsd.gov.hk. Please visit the LCSD's website (www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/programmes/programmeslist/sss/ssns.html) for details.
For relevant press release, please visit https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202512/05/P2025120500228.htm.
Hong Kong Flower Show 2026 commercial stalls to be auctioned on 17 December 2025
Auctions of the Hong Kong Flower Show (HKFS) 2026 commercial stalls will be held on 17 December 2025 at Cheung Sha Wan Sports Centre at the junction of Cheung Sha Wan Road and Hing Wah Street, Sham Shui Po, Kowloon. Bidders must be 18 years old or above and ordinarily resident in Hong Kong under section 2 of the Immigration Ordinance (Cap. 115). Any company incorporated in Hong Kong can also take part in the auctions. Each bidder can bid for one or more stalls.
Organised by the LCSD, the 10-day flower show will be held from 20 to 29 March 2026 at Victoria Park.
For enquiries, please call 2601 8260 or visit www.hkflowershow.hk/en/hkfs/2026/commercial.html.
For relevant press release, please visit https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202512/04/P2025120300589.htm.
Professional Services Advancement Support Scheme invites new round of applications (deadline: 28 February 2026)
The Main Programme under the Professional Services Advancement Support Scheme (PASS) is inviting a new round of applications for project proposals starting 1 December 2025 from non-profit-distributing organisations such as professional bodies, trade and industrial organisations and research institutes.
PASS, with a total allocation of $200 million, aims at funding non-profit-making industry-led projects to increase exchanges and co-operation between Hong Kong's professional services and external counterparts, promote relevant publicity activities, and enhance the standards and external competitiveness of Hong Kong's professional services.
The maximum grant for each approved project under the Main Programme of PASS is $3 million or 90 per cent of the total eligible project cost, whichever is lower. A wide range of professional services, such as accounting, legal and dispute resolution, architecture, engineering, healthcare, information and communications technology, design and technical testing and analysis, are eligible for the Main Programme. Sector-specific projects and cross-sectoral projects are both welcome. Expenses directly incurred for implementing a project, such as manpower costs, venue and set-up costs, production and promotion costs, and the project team and active participants' travel and accommodation costs outside Hong Kong, are typically eligible for funding support under the Scheme. Funding support may also be provided for travel and accommodation costs incurred by participants of relatively longer professional internships or attachment programmes outside Hong Kong which are funded by the Main Programme.
Up to early November 2025, nearly 130 projects had been funded under the Main Programme, including project deliverables in and outside Hong Kong. The deliverables include capacity-building programmes for enhancing the standards of local professionals, such as training programmes, workshops and study tours; outreach and promotional activities for showcasing the strengths of Hong Kong's professional services, such as roadshows, promotional seminars and participation in exhibitions outside Hong Kong; exchange activities for deepening interaction between Hong Kong professionals and their external counterparts, such as visits to other economies and international conferences and seminars held in Hong Kong; and research projects on potential external markets for Hong Kong professional services and development of best practice guidelines and manuals for professionals. Details about the Main Programme and its funded projects are available at www.pass.gov.hk/main/en/home.
Furthermore, with a view to stepping up the promotion of Hong Kong's competitive edges and professional services to the Mainland and overseas markets, $50 million has been set aside for the Professionals Participation Subsidy Programme (PSP) under PASS to subsidise Hong Kong major professional bodies to participate in relevant activities organised by the Government (such as Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices) and the HKTDC after the pandemic situation has stabilised. Details of the PSP and its list of activities are available at www.pass.gov.hk/psp. Hong Kong professionals from the eligible professional sectors under PASS may make use of the PSP subsidy to join the relevant activities.
The Main Programme and the PSP receive applications for project and activity proposals all year round, and they are processed on a quarterly basis. The deadline for the new round of applications is 28 February 2026. A briefing session will be held in December 2025 for organisations interested in applying for the PASS funding. One-on-one consultations are also available upon request for discussing preliminary project ideas or projects in the planning stage. To register for the briefing session, schedule a consultation, or for other enquiries, please contact the PASS Secretariat at 3655 5418 or pass@cedb.gov.hk.
For relevant press release, please visit https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202512/01/P2025120100512.htm.
Public consultation on proposed updates to safety standards for toys and children's products launched (deadline: 31 December 2025)
The Government launched a public consultation on 1 December 2025 on the proposed updates to Schedules 1 and 2 to the Toys and Children's Products Safety Ordinance (Cap. 424) to implement up-to-date safety standards promulgated by the relevant standardisation bodies for toys and children's products listed in Schedule 2 (Schedule 2 products).
The Ordinance stipulates that a person must not manufacture, import or supply a toy or a Schedule 2 product unless it complies with all the applicable requirements contained in any one of the safety standards (international standards or standards adopted by major economies) specified in Schedule 1 (applicable to toys) or Schedule 2 (applicable to Schedule 2 products) to the Ordinance. The Government keeps in view any updates or amendments to the safety standards so as to apply up-to-date and operative versions of the standards to toys and Schedule 2 products supplied in Hong Kong.
As the safety standards specified for toys and for four classes of Schedule 2 products, namely (i) children's high chairs and multi-purpose high chairs for domestic use; (ii) children's paints; (iii) playpens for domestic use; and (iv) wheeled child conveyances have been updated, the Government proposes to adopt the up-to-date versions of those safety standards under the Ordinance. Details of the proposals are available on the website of the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau at www.cedb.gov.hk.
Members of the public are welcome to send their views on the proposals in writing to the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau at 23/F, West Wing, Central Government Offices, 2 Tim Mei Avenue, Tamar, Hong Kong, or by fax to 2869 4420, or by email to tcpso_standards_updates@cedb.gov.hk, on or before 31 December 2025.
For relevant press release, please visit https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202512/01/P2025120100294.htm.
Green Tech Fund opens for sixth round of applications (deadline: 13 February 2026)
The Green Tech Fund (GTF) is open for the sixth round of applications from 1 December 2025 to 13 February 2026. Research and development (R&D) projects that fall into four areas, namely net-zero electricity generation, energy saving and green buildings, green transport, and waste reduction will be accorded priority. The GTF welcomes applications from local public research institutions and R&D centres, as well as local private companies to develop low-carbon and green technologies that cater for the needs of Hong Kong's environment and market.
The GTF Secretariat will hold a webinar on 15 January 2026, to introduce the application procedures and priority themes of the GTF. Details about application for the GTF are available on its website (www.gtf.gov.hk).
For relevant press release, please visit https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202512/01/P2025112700309.htm.
International Organizations (Privileges and Immunities)(International Organization for Mediation) Order gazetted
The International Organizations (Privileges and Immunities) (International Organization for Mediation) Order was gazetted on 28 November 2025.
The Convention on the Establishment of the International Organization for Mediation was signed by the People's Republic of China and various foreign states on 30 May 2025, in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and entered into force for the People's Republic of China (including the HKSAR) and other ratifying foreign states on 29 August 2025. Pursuant to the Convention, the headquarters of the International Organization for Mediation (IOMed) is established in the HKSAR. At the first Governing Council meeting on 20 October 2025, the IOMed was authorised to commence its operations as of the same date. Under the Convention, legal status is conferred to the IOMed, and privileges and immunities are granted to the IOMed and to persons connected with it.
The Order seeks to recognise the legal status of the IOMed in the HKSAR and implement the privileges and immunities as provided under the Convention.
A spokesperson for the Department of Justice said, "The IOMed is the first international intergovernmental legal organisation in the world specialising in the settlement of international disputes by providing friendly, flexible, economical and efficient mediation services. The IOMed is also the first international intergovernmental organisation with its headquarters being set up in Hong Kong. The establishment of the IOMed will strengthen the city's positioning as a centre for international legal and dispute resolution services, supporting Hong Kong's development into a global mediation capital."
The Order was made by the Chief Executive in Council under the International Organizations (Privileges and Immunities) Ordinance (Cap. 558).
The Order is deemed to have come into operation on 29 August 2025 (i.e. the date when the Convention entered into force) and will be tabled before the next Legislative Council Session (in 2026) for negative vetting.
For relevant press release, please visit https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202511/28/P2025112800322.htm.
SCOLAR invites funding applications from eligible organisations (deadline: noon, 5 January 2026)
The Standing Committee on Language Education and Research (SCOLAR) invited eligible local organisations to submit applications for Language Promotion Schemes funded by the Language Fund for the 2026/27 to 2027/28 school years on 25 November 2025. The application deadline is noon on 5 January 2026 (Monday).
Details of the Schemes, including application guidelines and information of the briefing sessions, are available on the SCOLAR website (www.scolar.gov.hk).
For relevant press release, please visit https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202511/25/P2025112500263.htm.
ACAD launches 15th-round funding exercise of Arts Capacity Development Funding Scheme (deadline: 6pm, 20 January 2026)
The 15th-round funding exercise under the Arts Capacity Development Funding Scheme (ACDFS), launched by the Advisory Committee on Arts Development (ACAD), is open for application from 25 November 2025 and will close at 6pm on 20 January 2026.
Applications can be submitted online, by post or by hand. The Guide to Application and relevant materials have been uploaded to the website of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau (www.cstb.gov.hk). The Secretariat of the ACDFS will arrange a briefing session on 17 December 2025 at the East Kowloon Cultural Centre. Representatives of the ACAD and the ACDFS grantees will attend to share experiences with potential applicants. Details can be found on the above website. The application results are expected to be released around July 2026.
For relevant press release, please visit https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202511/25/P2025112500268.htm.
Visa-free access to Algeria for HKSAR passport holders
The HKSAR Government has received notification from the Government of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria that HKSAR passport holders may visit Algeria visa-free for a stay of up to 14 days.
An Immigration Department spokesman said, "Algeria is along the Belt and Road. Under the Belt and Road Initiative, this visa-free arrangement will bring travel convenience to holders of HKSAR passports and strengthen the tourism, cultural and economic ties between the two places."
As of 25 November 2025, 174 countries and territories have granted visa-free access or visa-on-arrival to HKSAR passport holders. Please visit the following website for details:
www.immd.gov.hk/eng/service/travel_document/visa_free_access.html or scan the QR code in the attachment.
For relevant press release, please visit https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202511/25/P2025112500220.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.
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 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 – Regional IP Trading Centre": https://ip.gov.hk/en/home/consultation-service/index.html.
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.
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