The Hong Kong SAR Government offers different types of loans and funding schemes to support and promote the development of small businesses (SMEs) in Hong Kong. The details are summarized as follows for your reference. If you would like to share your views or post topics about SME financing, you may go to HKTDC Forum.

Applied Research Fund
The Applied Research Fund (ARF) is a government owned venture capital fund of $750 million set up in 1993 to provide funding support to technology ventures and research and development projects that have commercial potential. The longer term aim is to increase the technology capability and to enhance the competitiveness of local industry, thereby promoting high value added economic development in Hong Kong.

Design-Business Collaboration Scheme
The Design-Business Collaboration Scheme (DBCS) aims to promote the interest and investment of small-and-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in relation to utilizing design and transforming design activity into tradable deliverables that manifest exploitation and deployment of intellectual property, which may comprise patent, copyright, trademark or industrial design.

Design Research Scheme
The Design Research Scheme (DRS) supports research-based activities in design or branding-related areas with a view to providing a platform for attaining greater awareness and knowledge critical to the effective utilization and deployment of design in mainstream industrial or business processes.

Film Development Fund
The Film Development Fund (FDF) aims to fund projects and activities which contribute towards the development of the Hong Kong film industry. Applicants should be film production companies, film industry organizations or related bodies which have been registered in Hong Kong.

Film Guarantee Fund Scheme
The Film Guarantee Fund Scheme (FGF) aims to assist local film production companies to obtain loans from local participating lending institutions (PLIs) for producing films. It also helps create an environment conducive to the development of the film financing infrastructure in Hong Kong.

General Support Programme - Internship Programme
This is a programme for organisations undertaking research and development (R&D) projects funded by Innovation and Technology Fund (ITF), including local universities, R&D Centres established under the ITF, Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC) and private sector companies to recruit interns to assist in the R&D projects.

General Support Programme - Patent Application Grant
This is a funding scheme to assist local companies and individuals to apply for patents of their own inventions. It aims to encourage local companies and inventors to capitalise their intellectual work through patent registration.

General Support Scheme
The General Support Scheme (GSS) caters for projects that contribute to fostering the culture, greater appreciation and adoption of design, and honouring excellence in design in Hong Kong, including conferences, seminars, exhibitions, competition, awards, etc. Local academic institutes, industry support organisations, trade and industry associations, professional bodies, research institutes and companies are eligible to apply.

Guangdong-Hong Kong Technology Cooperation Funding Scheme
Guangdong-Hong Kong Technology Cooperation Funding Scheme (TCFS) aims to enhance the level of collaboration on R&D between organizations in Hong Kong and Guangdong Province. Projects funded by the TCFS will have to demonstrate an element of Guangdong/Hong Kong cooperation.

Innovation and Technology Support Programme
Innovation and Technology Support Programme (ITSP) supports midstream/downstream research and development (R&D) projects undertaken mainly by universities, R&D Centres, industry support organisations, professional bodies and trade and industry associations. Universities, R&D Centres, industry support organisations, trade and industry associations, professional bodies, research institutes and local companies are eligible to apply.

New Technology Training Scheme
The New Technology Training Scheme (NTTS) aims to provide assistance to companies that wish to have their staff trained in a new technology that would be useful to their business. New technologies include those which are not widely applied in Hong Kong and the absorption and application of which will significantly benefit Hong Kong.

Small Entrepreneur Research Assistance Programme
Small Entrepreneur Research Assistance Programme (SERAP) is a technology entrepreneurship programme which provides pre-venture capital stage financing to support technology entrepreneurs and small enterprises to carry out research and development work for starting new businesses and conducting market validation. In general, locally incorporated companies with less than 100 employees are eligible to apply.

SME Development Fund
The SME Development Fund (SDF) aims at providing financial support to projects carried out by non-profit-distributing organisations operating as support organisations, trade and industrial organisations, professional bodies or research institutes to enhance the competitiveness of Hong Kong's SMEs in general or SMEs in specific sectors.

SME Export Marketing Fund
The SME Export Marketing Fund (EMF) offered by the Government of Hong Kong Special Administration Region aims at helping small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Hong Kong to expand their businesses through active participation in export promotion activities.

SME Loan Guarantee Scheme
The SME Loan Guarantee Scheme (SGS) aims to help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) secure loans from participating lending institutions (PLIs) for acquiring business installations and equipment; and meeting working capital needs of general business uses.

Special Loan Guarantee Scheme
The Special Loan Guarantee Scheme (SpGS) aims to help enterprises secure loans from participating lending institutions (PLIs) for meeting general business needs to tide over the liquidity problem during the global financial crisis with the Government acting as the guarantor.

Professional Continuing Education Scheme
The Professional Continuing Education Scheme (PCES) caters for the development of new professional continuing training courses that contribute to design capability building and nurturing of talents as well as appreciation and understanding of design by industry. Local academic institutes, industry support organisations, trade and industry associations, professional bodies, research institutes and companies are eligible to apply.

Professional Services Development Assistance Scheme
The Professional Services Development Assistance Scheme (PSDAS) is established by a Government allocation of HK$100 million to provide financial support for projects which aim at increasing the competitiveness of Hong Kong's professional service sector as a whole.

University-Industry Collaboration Programme
University-Industry Collaboration Programme (UICP) aims to stimulate private sector interest in R&D through leveraging the knowledge and resources of universities. The emphasis is on close collaboration between private companies and universities in Hong Kong. There are three schemes under this programme: (1) Teaching Company Scheme; (2) Matching Grant for Joint Research; and (3) Industrial Research Chair Scheme.