TECHNOLOGY VOUCHER PROGRAMME (TVP)
The Technology Voucher Programme (TVP) subsidizes companies in using technological solutions to raise productivity, and upgrade or transform existing business processes. The maximum grant ceiling of each applicant is $600,000. An initial funding payment will release in advance upon request after signing the funding agreement. The final payment will disburse to the applicant after project completion and submission of related reports.
Key Takeaway
- Enterprise may receive a cumulative subsidy up to $600,000 for a maximum of 6 projects, with a fund ceiling of $100,000 for each project
- Subsidy ratio provided by Government 75%
Latest News
2020-08-14 TVP: Relax restriction
With effect from 14 August 2020, the Innovation and Technology Commission (ITC) has relaxed the restriction pertaining to related entities for the Technology Voucher Programme (TVP). Related entities, defined as enterprises/ organisations set up as different legal entities but having the same individual(s) holding 30% or more ownership in each of the enterprises/organisations, are no longer treated as one single entity for the purpose of calculating the cumulative funding amount under the TVP.
Scheme Introduction List of solutions
- Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) – for further information => Eastop ERP System
- Online Shop / e-Shop – for further information => Eastop e-Shop
- Point of Sales System (POS) – for further information => Eastop POS System
- Warehouse / Inventory Management System (WMS) – for further information => EWMS System
- Human Resources System (EHR) – for further information => EHR System
- Manufacturing Automation System (EMA) – for further information => EMA System
Server (Equipment / Hardware) Cumulative fund ceiling $600,000 Maximum no. of projects 6 Funding ratio by TVP (%) 75% Contribution ratio by applicant (%) 25%
Eligibility - Registered in Hong Kong under the Business Registration Ordinance or Companies Ordinance with substantive business operation in Hong Kong
- Not a listed company in Hong Kong, and not a government subvented organization or subsidiary of any government subvented organization
Documents required
1. Copy of Form 1(a)/1(c) of the Business Registration Office or the latest Annual Return of the Companies Registry (Form NAR1) of the applicant
2. Copy of the documentary evidence proving that the applicant has substantive business operations in Hong Kong
3. Copy of the valid Hong Kong Identity Card or passport of the applicant
4. Copies of all the signed probity and non-collusive quotations / tendering certificates
5. Copies of the quotations
Case Demonstration
Ms. Emily Chen, an owner of a fashion boutique, runs a retail business of trendy clothing and accessories. With success in operating two physical stores in Hong Kong, she is now planning to expand her business by establishing an online shop. Under the condition that her company is registered and operates in Hong Kong, Ms. Chen is fully eligible to apply for funding under TVP.
Challenges:
A ready-to-use POS system, which was designed for simple store operations with limited functions, was implemented when Ms. Chen first started her business. Owing to the online shop and physical stores not being fully integrated into one platform, Ms. Chen and her team complete daily job tasks manually on two separate backends. For example, inputting new product information, managing promotions, and calculating inventory control are all done separately. As her boutique business grows, she is now looking for an advanced POS system with a centralized management platform to minimize errors in orders and shipping resulting from those manual workflows.
Solution:
Eastop POS System is a total solution that integrates Point of Sales (POS) system, Warehouse Management System (WMS), and an e-Shop (e-Shop) feature. Products, prices, promotions, and customer data are managed on one single backend platform. All input data from the backend will synchronize with both the online shop and two retail chain stores. Meanwhile, sales and pre-orders from all shops will be merged and automatically updated in the POS system, optimizing inventory, shipping, order fulfillment, and payments. By eliminating redundant data entry, Eastop POS System helps Ms. Chen’s boutique to unify all data and transactions from different sales channels, reducing workload and operational costs. This one-stop POS solution costs $280,000 before Ms. Chen gets the funding from the TVP program.
With the help of Technology Voucher Program (TVP):
System Total Cost: $280,000
Eligible Funding Amount: $280,000 * 75% = $210,000
Initial Funding Payment: $210,000 * 25% = $52,500
Final Funding Payment: $210,000 * 75% = $157,500
Final Customer Cost: $280,000 – $210,000 = $70,000 Only
Ms. Chen could apply for TVP funding again for system upgrades or to increase the number of users in the future, making good use of the remaining fund amount $390,000 in total ($600,000 – 210,000 = $390,000).
Source of information: Innovation and Technology Fund – Innovation and Technology Commission, The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Website: https://www.itf.gov.hk/l-eng/TVP.asp
Hotline: (852) 3523 1170
E-mail: tvp-enquiry@itc.gov.hk
FAQ
Local entities (except listed enterprises) fulfilling the following requirements are eligible to apply for funding under the TVP:
- (i) Registered in Hong Kong under the Business Registration Ordinance (Cap. 310); or
- (ii) Incorporated and registered in Hong Kong under the Companies Ordinance (Cap. 622); or
- (iii) Established in Hong Kong by relevant ordinances as statutory bodies;
AND - Not a government subvented organisation* or subsidiary of any government subvented organisation*;
AND - With substantive business operation in Hong Kong which is related to the project under application at the time of application.
*Government subvented organisation means organisation that receives subvention from the Government on a recurrent basis. The subvention contributes towards the organisation’s operational expenses, in exchange for its service to the public. The recurrent subvention may account for the bulk of the organisation’s income or may just be a token contribution/sponsorship forming a small percentage of the organisation’s total income.
TVP supports projects in the form of technological services and solutions which could improve productivity, or upgrade or transform the business processes of the applicant. A list of typical technological services and/or solutions covered by TVP is at Annex B of the Guidance Notes for Applications. Applicants are welcome to propose other technological services and solutions which could achieve the objectives of TVP. We shall consider the merits of such applications on a case-by-case basis. The project deliverables should be used in a way that would have direct impact on the applicant’s business operation in Hong Kong.
The approved funding from TVP can be used to cover the following:
- Technology Consultancy– the applicant may engage a technology consultant to provide external consultancy for conducting the project under application. The consultant must be a local university or research institution, or a company registered in Hong Kong under the BRO.
- Purchase, rental or subscription of customisedequipment/hardware, software and technological services or solutions that form an essential part of the project.
- Purchase, rental or subscription of off-the-shelf/readily availableequipment/hardware, software and technological services or solutions that form an essential part of the project. In general, the costs of such equipment/ hardware/ software/ services or solutions should constitute no more than 50% of the project cost.
- Project auditing for projects with approved funding exceeding $50,000. The maximum audit fee to be counted towards the total project cost is $3,000.
Normal business operating costs will not be funded under TVP.
Funding up to $600,000 for each eligible applicant will be provided on a 3 (Government):1 (enterprise/organisation) matching basis. The applicant must contribute no less than one quarter of the total approved project cost in cash. In other words, funding of no more than three-quarters of the actual project cost will be provided to an applicant.
Subject to the cumulative funding ceiling of $600,000, up to six projects from an applicant may be approved. To ensure proper focus on project implementation, an applicant is not allowed to undertake more than one TVP project at the same time. Expenditure items under an approved TVP project shall not receive funding support from other local public funding sources.
Each project should normally be completed within 12 months.
An entity should register as a user and submit its application through the Technology Voucher Programme Funding Administrative System (https://tvp.itf.gov.hk). Applicants may approach the TVP Secretariat for assistance if they encounter difficulties in submitting applications through the TVP website.
# The above information of TVP is quoted from the official TVP website (https://www.itf.gov.hk/l-eng/TVP.asp.) and summarized by CAOA. Since the official TVP webpage is a third-party webpage, CAOA cannot guarantee that its information or content will not be updated, removed, or deleted.
If you are interested in applying for TVP, please contact us at +91 7041910068 or by email: support@caofficeautomation.com