The EMF aims to encourage small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to expand their markets outside Hong Kong by providing financial assistance to SMEs for participation in export promotion activities.
With effect from 20 January 2020, the cumulative funding ceiling per enterprise under EMF has been increased from $400,000 to $800,000 and enterprises may apply for initial payment for their planned export promotion activities.
Companies and institutions (except listed companies) that meet the following conditions can apply:
Source: Trade and Industry Department, The SME Export Marketing Fund https://www.smefund.tid.gov.hk/english/emf/emf_objective.html
EMF provides funding support to enterprises for their participation in the following promotion activities to promote their own products and/or services:
Electronic platforms
Electronic platforms/media include trade portals, search engines, social media and electronic publications. In considering whether an electronic platform/media is proper for conducting the export promotion activity and mainly targets markets outside Hong Kong, Trade and Industry Department will make reference to various factors, including how the electronic platform/media can facilitate the applicant enterprise in export promotion, the domain name of the platform/media, type of language used, content, function, type of target visitors and geographical distribution of visitors/downloads, etc. In general, for a platform/media to be considered as mainly targeting markets outside Hong Kong, the number of local visitors/downloads of the platform/media should not exceed 30% of its total number of visitors/downloads. The operator of the platform/media concerned should provide statistics on the geographical distribution of visitors/downloads on the relevant electronic platform/media to prove the credibility of the platform/media concerned and that it is mainly targeting markets outside Hong Kong.
Corporate website/mobile application
In considering whether a corporate website/mobile application mainly targets markets outside Hong Kong, TID will make reference to various factors, including how the corporate website/mobile application can facilitate the applicant enterprise’s export promotion, type of language used, content, function and proof of the applicant enterprise’s export business, etc.
For the development or optimisation of a website owned by the applicant company, the domain name must be registered or owned by the applicant company. The expenses eligible for the fund include the non-recurrent expenses of uploading product information for sale, setting up/optimising the online shop, and promoting the online shop.
For the development or optimisation of the applicant company's mobile application, the mobile application must be published on the mobile application distribution platform (app store(s)) by the applicant company and can be downloaded in overseas markets. The expense eligible for the fund includes the non-recurrent cost of development or optimisation.
The applicant company's website/mobile application must include information of the applicant company, the products or services, the full name and contact information in Hong Kong.
Service providers who develop or optimise the applicant company's website/mobile application must be IT companies with a proven track record.
Each application can only cover the expenses related to the participation of one export promotion activity. The maximum value of funding is 50% of the total approved expenditure or $100,000, whichever is lower. There is no limit to the number of times for an enterprise to apply for the fund, but the cumulative funding limit for each enterprise is $800,000. The maximum value of funding for activities involving the development or optimisation of the applicant company's website/mobile application is 50% of the cumulative funding limit for each enterprise.
For the first and final instalment of the funding scheme, applications must be submitted within 45 to 120 calendar days before the starting date of the project of developing / optimising the applicant company's website / mobile application.