What Changed
- The Public Sector Trial Scheme provided over HK$270 million across more than 110 public sector trial projects over three years.
- Non-works government procurement rules prohibit setting prior bidder experience as an essential prerequisite and reserve at least 15% of technical marks for pro-innovation proposals in line with WTO GPA commitments.
- The Smart Lab and E&M InnoPortal successfully matched over 170 technological needs and solutions across government departments and start-ups over three years.
### Background
In Hong Kong SAR, innovation and technology (I&T) start-ups face distinct operational hurdles when commercialising newly developed products. A central challenge is establishing avenues for "early adoption"—enabling newly launched, unproven technological solutions to be tested and deployed by public and private organisations. On October 28, 2026, Dr the Hon Johnny Ng raised a question in the Legislative Council (LCQ3) inquiring whether the Hong Kong SAR Government would expand funding support, grant priority procurement status or "green lanes" for local start-ups, and align policies across the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) to enable cross-boundary adoption.
Replying on behalf of the SAR Government, the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, detailed the existing framework and policy directions designed to support early adoption. Guided by the First Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (2026–2030) ("Hong Kong's First Five-Year Plan"), the Government aims to build a new system and paradigm for the integrated development of technological and industrial innovation after 2030, positioning enterprises as the primary innovation entities to link research and development (R&D), testing, application, and industrialised production.
### Existing Funding and Matching Initiatives
To lead by example in adopting local I&T offerings, the Hong Kong SAR Government and statutory entities maintain several key programs:
1. **Public Sector Trial Scheme (PSTS):** Administered by the Innovation and Technology Commission under the Innovation and Technology Fund, this scheme provides funding support to eligible local companies and organisations to produce prototypes or samples and conduct trials of R&D outcomes in the public sector. Over the past three years, PSTS has funded more than 110 trial projects, with total funding exceeding HK$270 million.
2. **Smart Government Innovation Lab (Smart Lab):** Operated by the Digital Policy Office, the Smart Lab matches government departments' operational needs with market solutions. Over the past three years, it matched approximately 60 business needs across more than 30 government departments and conducted proof-of-concept trials for over 30 technology solutions.
3. **E&M InnoPortal:** Managed by the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD), this platform collects technology needs from government bodies and industry, matching them with start-ups and academic institutions. Over the past three years, the portal gathered over 110 I&T wishes and 760 solutions, successfully matching over 110 projects in fields including artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), drones, robotics, and renewable energy.
In parallel, Hong Kong's three major I&T parks—the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation, the Hong Kong Park of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone, and Cyberport—leverage incubation networks to introduce corporate clients to park companies and facilitate early adoption.
### Procurement Framework and WTO Rules
Addressing proposals to grant exclusive priority or "green lanes" to local start-ups, the reply referenced guidelines from the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau. As a signatory to the World Trade Organization Agreement on Government Procurement (WTO GPA), Hong Kong SAR is committed to fair, open, and competitive procurement procedures for local and non-local suppliers alike, regardless of enterprise scale.
However, non-works procurement procedures incorporate specific rules to facilitate start-up participation:
- **Prerequisites Excluded:** Procuring departments generally do not establish bidder experience as an essential requirement, removing entry barriers for early-stage enterprises.
- **Pro-Innovation Marking Criteria:** Where marking schemes are applied, technical criteria account for 50 percent to 70 percent of the total score. Within this technical component, at least 15 percent of the marks are specifically reserved for evaluating pro-innovation proposals that adopt technologies to enhance efficiency, productivity, and effectiveness.
### Cross-Boundary Market Expansion and GBA Alignment
To assist local start-ups in scaling outside Hong Kong SAR, the Government maintains coordination with municipal authorities in the GBA. Major annual events such as InnoEx (held during the Business of Innovation and Technology Week) invite global and GBA industry representatives to inspect local I&T outcomes and engage in business matching. Moving forward, the SAR Government will continue to align with the National 15th Five-Year Plan and Hong Kong's First Five-Year Plan to support the commercialisation of local R&D outcomes.
### Frequently Asked Questions
**Q1: What funding support is available under the Public Sector Trial Scheme?**
*Answer:* The scheme, funded via the Innovation and Technology Fund, provides grants to eligible local companies and organisations to create prototypes or samples and conduct trials of R&D outcomes within public sector entities. Over $270 million has been granted for over 110 trial projects in the past three years.
**Q2: Why does the Hong Kong SAR Government not provide dedicated procurement "green lanes" exclusively for local start-ups?**
*Answer:* Under the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau's guidelines, Hong Kong SAR is bound as a signatory to the WTO Agreement on Government Procurement (WTO GPA) to maintain open, fair, and non-discriminatory competitive procurement for both local and non-local suppliers.
**Q3: How do government procurement rules evaluate innovative technological proposals?**
*Answer:* For non-works procurement utilizing marking schemes, technical weighting ranges from 50 to 70 percent, with at least 15 percent of technical marks dedicated to evaluating pro-innovation proposals that apply technology to improve service outcomes.
**Q4: How does the Government facilitate start-up expansion into the Greater Bay Area?**
*Answer:* The Government maintains contact with GBA municipal authorities and hosts flagship trade matching events like InnoEx to showcase local technology outcomes to GBA and international enterprises.
Who May Be Affected
Innovation and technology start-ups, government procuring departments, public sector bodies, research entities, and technology firms operating in Hong Kong SAR and the Greater Bay Area.
Cross-Border Context
Hong Kong SAR aligns its I&T commercialisation policy with Mainland China's National 15th Five-Year Plan and Greater Bay Area development while maintaining international public procurement compliance under the WTO Agreement on Government Procurement.
What to check next
- Review official procurement circulars from the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau regarding pro-innovation technical scoring.
- Monitor policy implementation details published under Hong Kong's First Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development (2026-2030).
This article provides general information and does not constitute legal advice. Consult the official text and obtain advice appropriate to your circumstances where needed.