EMF provides funding support to enterprises for their participation in the following promotion activities to promote their own products and/or services.  Such promotion activities/platforms must be organised/operated by organisations with good track record1:

  1. Trade exhibitions held outside Hong Kong targeting markets outside Hong Kong.

  2. Trade exhibitions held in Hong Kong targeting markets outside Hong Kong (please click here and see part (i) for detailed requirements).

  3. Trade exhibitions held in Hong Kong targeting the local market (please click here and see part (ii) for detailed requirements).

  4. Online trade exhibitions (please click here and see part (iii) for detailed requirements).

  5. Business missions outside Hong Kong (please click here and see part (i) for detailed requirements).

  6. Online business missions (please click here and see part (ii) for detailed requirements).

  7. Advertisements on trade publications which mainly target markets outside Hong Kong.

  8. Export promotion activities (such as placing advertisements, keyword search, listing product information, setting up or enhancing online shop, etc.) which are conducted through electronic platforms/media and which mainly target markets outside Hong Kong (please click here for detailed requirements).

  9. Setting up or enhancement of a corporate website/mobile application owned by the applicant enterprise for export promotion, which mainly targets markets outside Hong Kong (please click here for detailed requirements).

An enterprise may seek preliminary advice from the Trade and Industry Department (TID) on the eligibility of a specific promotion activity for funding support under EMF.  The promotion activities that TID accepts preliminary advice to be sought include exhibitions, business missions, advertisements on trade publications and export promotion activities conducted through electronic platforms/media with completion date on or before 30 June 2026.  The enterprise should provide TID with necessary information of the activity in question in writing (email: emf_enquiry@tid.gov.hk).  TID will, based on the information provided, make a preliminary assessment on the eligibility of the activity in question and provide a written response.  However, the preliminary assessment of an eligible activity is not an approval for funding support under EMF in relation to the activity.  Any subsequent change in the nature, scope or other arrangements of the activity may affect its eligibility for EMF.  Previous approval for funding support in relation to a particular activity2 does not guarantee that the same activity will be eligible for funding support in future.  TID will evaluate each activity and application having regard to the prevailing circumstances and the prevailing arrangements of the EMF3 in its absolute discretion.  Please click here for details and the necessary information to be provided in seeking preliminary advice.

Notes:

1. In considering whether an organiser/operator/service provider has good track record, TID will make reference to various factors, including its business nature, size of business (such as number of employees), years of establishment, number of years of experience in organising/operating/providing relevant activities/platforms/services, the nature/type, number and scale of similar activities/platforms/services previously organised/operated/provided, organiser’s/operator’s/service provider’s credibility, feedback of the trade on relevant activities/platforms/services organised/operated/provided, enterprises which have participated in the relevant activities/platforms or used the relevant services before, and past records of promotion activities in which participants have sought funding support with the EMF, including the integrity of information provided therein, etc.

2. Applicant enterprises may obtain information on activities and platforms/media funded by EMF in the past 12 months from the “List of Previously Approved Activities/Trade Publications/Electronic Platforms or Media” function on the “SME Export Marketing Fund” webpage.

3. TID will review the outcome of preliminary assessment advised long time ago on the eligibility of trade publications issued at regular intervals and electronic platforms/media conducting export promotion activities from time to time, etc., according to standards such as the updated market conditions and the main target markets/audience, the geographical distribution as well as the effectiveness of expansion to markets outside Hong Kong, etc.  The concerned operators and/or applicants must provide information upon request from the TID.

 
Last Revision Date : 30 April 2025