Who Can Apply to the HKSTP Incubation Programme? Eligibility Tests: Company Under 5 Years, 51% Founder Ownership, Two Full-Time Staff
You can apply to the HKSTP Incubation Programme only if your company is a technology start-up company limited by shares incorporated under the Companies Ordinance (Cap. 622), incorporated no more than five years before you submit, your founders collectively directly hold at least 51% of the issued shares, and you already employ at least two full-time staff who can work in Hong Kong legally. These tests come from the Incubation Programme Guide Version 13 (26 March 2026), checked 2026-09-30.
The rest of this guide walks the checklist in the order founders usually ask about it, states what the programme pays, and flags what changed in 2026.
What is the programme, and how long does it run?
HKSTP describes its Incubation Programme as a three-year programme for early-stage technology start-ups, offering funding and R&D support, mentorship, investor matching and more (HKSTP Incubation Programme page; no publication date shown, checked 2026-09-30).
The funding ceiling is stated in the guide: the maximum funding support for an incubatee across the full three-year term is HK$1,290,000, and the amount is subject to change at HKSTP's sole discretion (Incubation Programme Guide Version 13, 26 March 2026; checked 2026-09-30).
The eligibility checklist in one table
| Test | Requirement | Source and date |
|---|---|---|
| Legal form | Technology start-up company limited by shares incorporated under the Companies Ordinance (Cap. 622) | Incubation Programme Guide Version 13 (26 March 2026), checked 2026-09-30 |
| Age | Date of incorporation no more than five (5) years before the submission date | Same |
| Ownership | Founders collectively must directly hold at least 51% of the issued shares | Same |
| Staffing | At least two full-time staff at the time of application, all able to work in Hong Kong legally | Same |
| R&D presence | At least 50% of full-time staff at the approved premises engaged in core R&D | Same |
| Technology area | Activities related to Electronics, Information & Communications Technology, Material and Precision Engineering, or Green Technology | Same |
| Other programmes | Must not currently be a participant of any incubation programme offered by HKSTP, Cyberport Management Company Limited, or Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park Limited | Same |
How old can the company be, and what legal form does it need?
The applicant must be a technology start-up company limited by shares incorporated under Cap. 622, and its incorporation date must be no more than five years before the submission date. The clock runs from incorporation to submission, not to the date you hear back — the guide ties the five years to "its date of submission".
If your company is still being set up, the guide's wording requires an incorporated applicant, so an unregistered team does not meet this test on its face. The Cyberport programme below is the one that explicitly accepts companies in the process of incorporation.
Who has to own the shares?
The founders of the applicant, collectively, must directly hold at least 51% of the issued shares. Two details matter in practice: ownership is measured across the founders as a group, and the guide says "directly" — shares held through a holding vehicle do not read as direct holdings on the face of this wording.
How many staff, and where do they work?
At submission you must employ at least two full-time staff, and every one of them must be able to work in Hong Kong legally. Separately, at least 50% of your full-time staff at the approved premises must be doing core R&D, which is what ties the headcount test to the programme's R&D purpose rather than to headcount alone (Incubation Programme Guide Version 13, 26 March 2026; checked 2026-09-30).
Which technologies count?
The applicant's activities must relate to one of four areas named in the guide: Electronics, Information & Communications Technology, Material and Precision Engineering, or Green Technology. A hardware, software, materials or clean-tech business will normally sit inside one of these; the guide does not publish a wider list, so anything outside these four areas is not covered by the stated criterion.
Who is excluded: other programmes and repeat applications
An applicant must not currently be a participant of any incubation programme offered by HKSTP, Cyberport Management Company Limited, or Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park Limited. For founders who have already completed one of those programmes, the guide applies a second-application rule: this application has to be the second application. The guide framed in Version 13 is the operative text, so check the version you are reading against the date above.
What money is attached, and what changed in 2026
Version 13 splits existing incubatees by the due date of their second milestone assessment:
- Legacy track — second milestone assessment due before 1 April 2026
- Revamped track — second milestone assessment due on or after 1 April 2026
The revamped track runs in two stages: year 1 is IncuHatch, years 2 and 3 are IncuBoost. Moving into IncuBoost requires passing a D-Day assessment in months 10 to 12 and entering into a Simple Agreement for Future Equity (SAFE) in favour of HKSTP (or its designated subsidiary), giving HKSTP a future equity position. Failing the assessment or declining the SAFE means the company is treated as an IncuHatch graduate and receives no further programme support.
Funding under the revamped track, per the guide:
| Item | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Financial subsidy (revamped) | HK$140,000 | HK$420,000 | HK$280,000 | HK$840,000 |
| Rental subsidy | HK$150,000 | HK$150,000 | HK$150,000 | HK$450,000 |
Under the legacy track, the financial subsidy is HK$280,000 per year. The rental subsidy for the full three-year duration is HK$12,500 per month, and any unspent balance from years 1 and 2 can be carried forward to year 3.
One restriction runs across the programme: incubatees are prohibited from seeking financial subsidy or funding from other Hong Kong Government funding programmes or grants for the same R&D project — no double-dipping of public funding — unless HKSTP gives written approval. All figures above: Incubation Programme Guide Version 13 (26 March 2026), checked 2026-09-30.
If HKSTP's technology scope does not fit: Cyberport CIP at a glance
The Cyberport Incubation Programme (CIP) is the adjacent option for digital tech companies. Its stated terms:
- Duration and support: 24 months, up to HK$500,000 in financial assistance and HK$200,000 on-site rental subsidy (Cyberport Incubation Programme page; no publication date shown, checked 2026-09-30).
- Grant structure: HK$100,000 initial working capital grant; up to HK$200,000 released on completion of the six-month progress reviews (HK$50,000 at month 6, HK$50,000 at month 12, HK$100,000 at month 24); up to HK$200,000 from a performance-driven two-tiered assessment. These staged amounts come from the funding-details image on the programme page (no publication date shown, checked 2026-09-30).
- Eligibility: a digital tech company limited by shares registered and incorporated in Hong Kong for less than 7 years, or in the process of incorporation, at the application deadline; a viable business plan with a product that can reach the market within 12 to 18 months; founders collectively holding at least 51% of shares or having absolute control.
- Local presence: at least one local authorised representative — a founder or a local full-time employee — physically working in Hong Kong.
- Premises: rent-free working space for on-site incubatees, plus shared meeting rooms, function rooms and co-working space.
- Graduation: audited financial statements or an Agreed-Upon Procedures Report showing minimum expenses of HK$400,000 on eligible items during incubation.
- Intake deadlines listed: June 2026 intake closed 1 April 2026; October 2026 intake closed 3 August 2026; February 2027 intake deadline 1 December 2026, with review in December 2026–January 2027 and announcement in February 2027.
Two caveats before you plan around CIP. The page carries a programme update notice saying CIP "will be undergoing enhancements" and that details of the updated programme will be announced soon, and the page shows no publication or update date. Teams not yet incorporated are directed to the Cyberport Creative Micro Fund (CCMF) as a starting point.
FAQ
Does HKSTP cap my company's valuation, for example at USD 5 million?
A USD 5 million valuation ceiling appears in web search summaries, but neither the HKSTP Incubation Programme page nor the Incubation Programme Guide Version 13 states it, so we do not treat it as a requirement. The tests in this guide are the ones the official materials actually list.
Can I hold another Hong Kong government grant for the same project while incubating?
No, unless HKSTP approves it in writing. Incubatees are prohibited from seeking subsidy or funding from other Hong Kong Government funding programmes or grants for the same R&D project (Incubation Programme Guide Version 13, 26 March 2026; checked 2026-09-30).
What happens if I miss the D-Day assessment or refuse the SAFE?
On the revamped track, you do not continue into IncuBoost. You are treated as an IncuHatch graduate and receive no further support under the programme.
I finished a Cyberport or HKSTP incubation earlier. Can I apply again?
You must not currently be a participant of an incubation programme offered by HKSTP, Cyberport or Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park. For graduates of those programmes, Version 13 applies a second-application rule, so check that condition against the guide before submitting.
Are HKSTP and Cyberport's age tests the same?
No. HKSTP requires incorporation no more than five years before submission; Cyberport requires a company incorporated in Hong Kong for less than seven years at the application deadline, or in the process of incorporation.
