Under the Anti-Epidemic Fund, the Innovation and Technology Commission (ITC) has launched the Distance Business “D-Biz Programme” to support enterprises to continue their business and services during the epidemic. The Programme provides funding support through fast-track processing for enterprises to adopt IT solutions for developing distance business.

1.

Funding Scope

The Programme covers 12 categories of IT solutions relating to distance business: Online business Online order taking and delivery, and smart self-service systems Online customer services and engagement Digital customer experience enhancement Digital payment / mobile point of sale Online / cloud-based financial management systems Online / cloud-based human resources management systems Remote document management, cloud storage and remote access services Virtual meeting and conference tools Virtual team management and communications Cybersecurity solutions Other online / custom-built / cloud-based business support systems * Application projects should be commenced within one month upon the signing of funding agreement and completed within six months.

2.	Eligibility
	Applicants must meet the following conditions:
	(1)	All private enterprises (excluding publicly listed companies, statutory bodies and non-government organisations funded by the Government) with a valid Business Registration Certificate or the Notification of Commencement of Business by Corporation (IRBR200) which specifies its business commencement date.
	(2)	Ongoing business commenced before 1 January 2020
	(3)	Substantial business operation in Hong Kong, which is related to the project
	(4)	Related entities (setting up as different legal entities but having the same individual(s) [up to the ultimate level of natural person(s)] each holding 30% or more ownership in such entities) would be treated as one single entity. Applicants are required to indicate and declare in the funding application as to whether any of their related entities have applied for or received funding support under the D-Biz Programme at the time of application.

3.

Amount of Subsidy

Each enterprise could submit only one application which contains at most three IT solutions. The funding ceiling for each IT solution is HKD100,000 and the total funding ceiling of each enterprise is HKD300,000. *Related entities (setting up as different legal entities but having the same individual(s) [up to the ultimate level of natural person(s)] each holding 30% or more ownership in such entities) will be regarded as the same enterprise when calculating the cumulative funding ceiling.

4.	Materials Required for Application
	The following documents and information are required in the application of D-Biz Programme:
	(1)	A copy of Business Registration Certification or Notification of Commencement of Business by Corporation (IRBR200) which specifies its business commencement date.
	(2)	A copy of the latest Annual Return of the Companies Registry (Form NAR1).
	(3)	A copy of the Hong Kong Identity Card of the individual(s) holding 30% or more of the ownership of the applying enterprise.
	(4)	A copy of documents evidence proving that the enterprise has substantive business operations in Hong Kong (ie. Invoices/ receipts issued within three months, the latest audited account, Profits Tax Returns and Profits Tax Assessments)
	(5)	Copy of documents evidence showing the employees’ information (ie. MPF contribution records, salary payment records)
	(6)	Bank statements
	(7)	Copy of quotations (must include the details contact information of the bidders)
	(8)	Copy of signed probity and non-collusive quotation / tendering certificate(s)
	(9)	Quotation(s) for audit fees (if applicable *)
	*Projects with approved funding more than HKD30,000 could include audit fees (capped at HKD3,000) in the project expenditure.

5.	Application Period
	Application is open from 9 am on 18 May 2020 (Monday) to 6 pm 31 October 2020 (Saturday).
6.	Application Process
	The D-Biz Programme only accepts online application. Upon receipt of application, Hong Kong Productivity Council will conduct eligibility check and preliminary screening.  The process time is approximately 10 working days. Eligible applications will be considered by the “D-Biz Programme Vetting Committee”. Application will be assessed based on the relevance of the proposed project to the applicant’s business, reasonableness of the budget and implementation details, capability of the service provider(s).

7.	Disbursement of Grant
	Upon approval of an application, the applicant enterprise will receive 30% of the subsidy amount after signing the funding agreement. When the project is completed, the enterprise must submit the following documents within two months for the disbursement of the final payment. (1) A final project report indicating completion of project, a summary of project expenditures and project deliverables; (2) Evidence of deliverables (e.g. consultancy report(s), delivery receipt(s), photos, etc); (3) Copy of invoice(s) and corresponding receipt(s) in relation to the payment of expenditures; and (4) An audited statement of income and expenditure (applicable to projects with approved funding exceeds HKD30,000).
8.	Audit and Application Services
	Kaizen is a public accounting firm licenced in Hong Kong and is equipped with adequate expertise to prepare and issue the CPA certification/assurance report for the purpose of application for the funding. In addition to the audit/assurance service mentioned above, we can also handle the application for the D-Biz Programme funding for and on your behalf. Our application services include: (1) Providing advices regarding the application, and (2) Filling in and submitting the application. We also provide services assisting you in the preparation of final report of the subsidy IT solutions.

Source: Hong Kong Productivity Council

Download： Guide to Hong Kong Distance Business Programme (“D-Biz Programme”) [PDF]