Hong Kong SME Export Marketing Fund: Support for Export Promotion Activities

SME Export Marketing Fund Hong Kong Overview

The SME Export Marketing Fund is a government grant scheme administered by the Trade and Industry Department. It encourages Hong Kong’s small and medium-sized enterprises to undertake export promotion activities and expand their business reach overseas. The fund operates on a matching basis, reimbursing a portion of eligible expenses for approved activities. The matching ratio and funding ceiling change with each programme round. Verify the current figures on the Trade and Industry Department website before preparing your submission.

Any enterprise meeting Hong Kong’s legal definition of an SME may apply. You must hold a valid Business Registration Certificate under the Business Registration Ordinance (Cap. 310). Listed companies and branches of overseas companies are ineligible. The fund is for Hong Kong SMEs actively engaged in or planning to engage in export trade.

SME Export Marketing Fund Application

Submit your project proposal to the Trade and Industry Department before the export promotion activity begins. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, but each project must fall within an open application window. Your application form and supporting documents must include the business registration certificate, a detailed description of the proposed activity, a budget breakdown of estimated costs, and evidence of your SME status. The Trade and Industry Department reviews applications against the fund’s eligibility criteria and notifies you of the outcome within the stated processing period.

Retrospective applications are not accepted. Secure approval before the activity starts. Once approved, you may proceed with the activity and later submit a project completion report with receipts and proof of expenditure to claim the matching grant.

Hong Kong Export Promotion Grant

This grant from the SME Export Marketing Fund covers a defined range of activities to help SMEs promote products or services to overseas buyers. It is not a general business subsidy; it is specifically tied to export promotion. It reimburses costs for trade fair participation, overseas business missions, and digital marketing campaigns targeted at export markets.

Purely domestic activities are excluded. Local trade shows and advertising aimed solely at the Hong Kong market fall outside its scope. You must demonstrate a clear export promotion objective. The Trade and Industry Department publishes a list of eligible activities and ineligible expenses on its official website. Review this list carefully before submitting a proposal.

SME Export Marketing Fund Eligible Activities

Eligible activities fall into several categories. Trade fair participation covers costs for exhibiting at an international trade fair outside Hong Kong. This includes booth rental, travel and accommodation for staff, and shipping promotional materials. Overseas business missions are another category, where you send representatives to meet potential buyers, distributors, or partners in a target market. The fund covers their travel and accommodation.

Digital marketing is also eligible. This includes creating and running online advertising campaigns on platforms like Google, Facebook, LinkedIn, or industry-specific trade portals, provided the campaign targets overseas markets. You must provide evidence the activity is designed to generate export leads or sales. Other eligible activities include producing promotional materials, brochures, catalogues, videos for export promotion, and hiring a local agent or consultant for market entry in a foreign country.

The fund does not cover general operating expenses, permanent staff salaries, or costs not directly attributable to the export promotion activity. Describe each eligible activity clearly in your application. Itemise the budget to show how the grant funds will be used.

EMF Hong Kong Funding

EMF Hong Kong funding operates on a matching basis. The government reimburses a percentage of eligible costs you incur. You must spend your own money first, then submit a claim for reimbursement. The matching ratio and maximum grant amount per project are set by the Trade and Industry Department for each programme round and are subject to change. Check the current funding ceiling and matching ratio on the department’s website before applying.

You may submit multiple applications, subject to an overall funding ceiling per enterprise. This ceiling is calculated cumulatively across all approved projects. Once you reach the ceiling, you cannot apply for further funding in the same programme round. The fund also imposes a minimum project cost threshold. The Trade and Industry Department publishes these thresholds and ceilings on its website and updates them periodically.

Trade and Industry Department Role

The Trade and Industry Department administers the SME Export Marketing Fund. It sets eligibility criteria, processes applications, approves projects, and disburses grant payments. The department also publishes guidelines, application forms, and FAQs on its website. Its role extends beyond this fund to administering the BUD Fund and the SME Financing Guarantee Scheme, each with its own application process and requirements.

The department conducts audits of approved projects to ensure grant funds are used as intended. Retain all receipts, invoices, and supporting documents for at least seven years after project completion. The department may request these documents during an audit. Failure to provide them may result in recovery of the grant amount plus interest.

Project Completion Report and Disbursement

After completing an approved activity, submit a project completion report to the Trade and Industry Department. The report must include a summary of the activity, evidence of participation such as photographs, copies of advertisements or booth layouts, and a final budget showing actual expenditure. Submit original receipts and invoices for all claimed costs.

The department reviews the completion report. If satisfied the activity was carried out as approved and all costs are eligible, it processes the disbursement of the matching grant. The grant is paid directly into your enterprise’s bank account. The disbursement timeline depends on the department’s workload and the completeness of your submission. Incomplete reports are returned for correction, which delays payment.

Eligible Enterprise Requirements

To qualify, your enterprise must meet Hong Kong’s legal definition of an SME. It must have fewer than 100 employees in manufacturing or fewer than 50 in non-manufacturing. It must hold a valid Business Registration Certificate. It cannot be a listed company or a branch of an overseas company. The enterprise must also have a physical business address in Hong Kong and be actively engaged in or planning to engage in export trade.

Audited accounts are not required. The Trade and Industry Department may request financial statements or other evidence to verify your SME status. You must also declare you are not receiving other government funding for the same activity. Double funding is not permitted.

Application Window and Timing

The fund operates on a continuous application window. You can submit applications at any time during a programme round. Each round has a defined start and end date. Applications must be submitted before the round closes. The Trade and Industry Department announces new programme rounds on its website and in the Government Gazette. Monitor these announcements to ensure you apply within the open window.

The fund does not have a fixed number of application slots per round. Total funding is capped. Once the funding ceiling for a round is reached, no further applications are accepted until the next round opens. The department processes applications in the order they are received. Submit early.

Digital Marketing and Advertising

Digital marketing and advertising are eligible activities, provided they target overseas markets. The fund covers creating and running online advertising campaigns on platforms like Google Ads, Facebook Ads, LinkedIn Ads, and industry-specific trade portals. Provide a detailed campaign plan showing the target market, platform, budget, and expected outcomes.

The fund also covers search engine optimisation (SEO) activities to improve your website’s ranking in overseas search results. It covers producing digital content like videos, infographics, and product catalogues for export promotion. You must demonstrate the digital marketing activity is directly linked to export sales or lead generation. General brand awareness campaigns not targeting specific overseas markets are not eligible.

Trade Fair Participation

Trade fair participation is a common eligible activity. The fund covers renting a booth at an international trade fair held outside Hong Kong. It also covers shipping promotional materials, travel and accommodation for staff, and producing booth displays and promotional items. Provide evidence of participation: a booth booking confirmation, photographs of the booth, and a list of contacts made.

The fund does not cover attending trade fairs as a visitor. You must be an exhibitor. It also does not cover trade fairs held in Hong Kong, as these are considered domestic activities.

Overseas Mission

Overseas missions are eligible activities. An overseas mission involves sending representatives to a foreign country to meet potential buyers, distributors, agents, or partners. The fund covers their travel and accommodation costs and the cost of preparing promotional materials for the mission. Provide a mission plan showing the target market, scheduled meetings, and expected outcomes.

The fund does not cover attending general business conferences or seminars not focused on export promotion. You must demonstrate the mission is designed to generate export sales or establish distribution channels in the target market. The Trade and Industry Department may request a post-mission report showing the results achieved.

Matching Basis and Funding Ceiling

The SME Export Marketing Fund operates on a matching basis. The government reimburses a percentage of eligible costs you incur. The matching ratio and funding ceiling per project are set by the Trade and Industry Department for each programme round and are subject to change. Check the current figures on the department’s website before preparing your submission.

This matching basis shares the financial risk of export promotion between the government and your enterprise. You must spend your own money first, then claim reimbursement. The fund does not provide upfront payment. You must also meet a minimum project cost threshold before any grant is payable. The department publishes these thresholds on its website.

Business Registration and Audited Accounts

To apply, your enterprise must hold a valid Business Registration Certificate under the Business Registration Ordinance (Cap. 310). The certificate must be in the name of the enterprise applying for the grant. Audited accounts are not required, but the Trade and Industry Department may request financial statements or other evidence to verify your SME status.

You must also declare you are not receiving other government funding for the same activity. If you have audited accounts, you may submit them to demonstrate financial standing, but this is not mandatory. The fund is designed to be accessible to SMEs that may not have audited accounts, provided they can provide other evidence of their business activities.