2019 Mainland-Hong Kong Joint Funding Scheme opens for application

     The Innovation and Technology Commission (ITC) today (April 24) launched the Mainland-Hong Kong Joint Funding Scheme (the Scheme) to further enhance research and development (R&D) collaboration between Hong Kong and the Mainland. The Scheme is now inviting proposals for applied R&D projects jointly conducted by both sides under two specific themes, namely biotechnology and artificial intelligence. Applications for the Scheme will close on June 12.

     Since 2004 and 2005, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government has collaborated with Guangdong and Shenzhen to fund R&D projects with an element of Hong Kong/Guangdong or Hong Kong/Shenzhen cooperation respectively through the Guangdong-Hong Kong Technology Co-operation Funding Scheme under the Innovation and Technology Fund (ITF). To encourage further R&D collaboration between Hong Kong and various provinces on the Mainland, the Innovation and Technology Bureau of the HKSAR Government signed the "Agreement on Commencing Jointly Funded Projects between the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) and the Innovation and Technology Bureau of the HKSAR Government" with MOST in September 2018 which agreed on the launch of a new joint funding scheme and set out its framework and modus operandi.

     Applications for the Scheme must be submitted simultaneously by the Hong Kong and the Mainland institutions to the ITC and MOST respectively, and the R&D work must be conducted in both places. The ITC and MOST will provide funding to the Hong Kong and the Mainland applicant organisations respectively, and will monitor project progress according to their own requirements.

     Further information on the Scheme is available on the ITF website (www.itf.gov.hk). For enquiries, please contact the ITF Secretariat (Tel: 3655 5678; email: enquiry@itf.gov.hk).