Mandatory Admission Criteria for Technology-based Incubation Programme*

An applicant should meet the following conditions to be considered admitting as an incubatee:

1. An applicant must be a Hong Kong registered technology Start-up Company.
2. An applicant's requirement of office space throughout the 3-year incubation period should be less than 1600 square foot.
3. An applicant should have at least two full-time staff, one of whom is a shareholder holding not less than 10% share of the company and at the same time is an engineer/technologist in the related discipline; or the full time technical team owns at least 20% share of the company and they must be engineers/technologists in the related discipline. All staff must be able to work in Hong Kong legally.
4. An applicant must implement R&D activities at the Small Enterprise Centre, and it cannot operate as a sales & marketing office only.
5. An applicant is not allowed to conduct retail activities or massive production at the Small Enterprise Centre.
6. An applicant's office and work bench set up at the Small Enterprise Centre must be environmentally friendly (i.e. must not create smell, noise or other elements which may disturb others) and should not handle hazardous materials, and must be able to operate in an office building.
7. Normally, full time shareholders of the applicant must not be shareholders of an incubatee who has successfully graduated from the Incu-Tech programme of the same field.

*HKSTP reserves the right to revise the mandatory admission criteria without prior notice.

Qualitative Assessment Criteria

HKSTP will consider and assess applications on the following qualitative assessment criteria, but not limited to:

1. Quality and competence of the management team
2. Business viability
3. Innovativeness
4. R&D content
5. Milestones set for 6 months and 18 months after admission

Technology Focus Areas

An applicant should engage in a technology intensive business. Acceptable technology areas include:

1. Information Technology & Telecommunication (e.g. Software & System, Multimedia & Networking)
2. Electronics (e.g. Microelectronics & Components, Photonics & IC Design)
3. Biotechnology
4. Precision Engineering (e.g. Nanotechnology)

Assessment Procedure

• All applications will be processed in strict confidence.
• An application must meet the mandatory criteria stipulated by HKSTP from time to time before further assessment will be made. In general, the processing time is around 11 weeks upon received completed application.
• The application will be vetted by our Admission Panel which includes HKSTP management and one of external assessors. The CEO of HKSTP is the final authority on appeals against the decision of Admission Panel.