SME Export Marketing Fund

Key Takeaways: 

• The SME Export Marketing Fund supported non-listed Hong Kong enterprises with substantive local operations that undertook export-promotion activities.
• Eligible activities had to be completed on or before 30 June 2026.
• From 1 July 2026 the EMF was consolidated into the Dedicated Fund on Branding, Upgrading and Domestic Sales (BUD Fund).
• Final EMF matching ratio: 1 (government) : 3 (applicant) = government covers 25% of approved expenditure (maximum HK$100,000 per application). Cumulative ceiling was HK$1,000,000.
• Foreigners and non-residents could (and still can under successor schemes) apply through a properly incorporated Hong Kong company that demonstrates real substance.
• Core evidence repeatedly requested: genuine business-related invoices, contracts and receipts + MPF records.
• Get Started HK itself previously received a total of HK$2 million under the EMF (mainly used for Google Ads).

What Was the SME Export Marketing Fund?

The EMF, run by the Trade and Industry Department, provided matching funding to help non-listed Hong Kong companies promote their products or services to markets outside Hong Kong.

Funding parameters (final period)

Item	Detail
Matching ratio	1 (government) : 3 (applicant) → 25%
Maximum per application	HK$100,000
Cumulative ceiling	HK$1,000,000 (max 50% for website/app)
One activity per application	Yes
Final activity deadline	Completed on or before 30 June 2026

In earlier years the ratio was closer to 1:1 (government paid 50%). Example: spend HK$40,000 → government reimbursed approximately HK$20,000.

Eligibility Criteria for the SME Export Marketing Fund

An enterprise had to meet all of the following:

1. Remaining cumulative funding balance available.
2. Non-listed company registered in Hong Kong under the Business Registration Ordinance (Cap. 310).
3. Substantive business operations in Hong Kong at the time of application.
4. Not the organiser, co-organiser or service provider (or related company) of the promotion activity.

Foreign founders / non-residents

Fully eligible provided the Hong Kong company could demonstrate real local operations. No Hong Kong Identity Card was required.

How Government Assessed “Substantive Business Operations”

Trade & Industry Department looked at the nature and scale of Hong Kong operations, number of local employees, investment, customers, length of establishment, and whether profits were assessable in Hong Kong.

Most commonly requested supporting documents

Category	Typical Documents
Business operations	Supplier invoices, commercial contracts, freight documents, bank records, tenancy agreements, utility bills
Financial	Audited accounts, bank statements, Profits Tax Returns
Employees	MPF contribution records, employment contracts, salary payment records

Practical Reference Points from Experience

Receipts and invoices

This initiative provides financial backing to SMEs that aim to expand their markets outside Hong Kong by participating in export promotion activities.

Officers expected invoices and payment records that related directly to the core business activity, not routine office purchases (pens, water dispensers, etc.).

• Restaurant / F&B → supplier invoices for ingredients, meat, oil, packaging.
• Trading business → logistics, shipping, warehouse or Mainland China sourcing invoices.
• Service or technology business → contracts and invoices linked to the promotion activity plus normal operating evidence.

A rental contract helped establish presence but was rarely enough on its own.

MPF records

MPF contribution statements served as independent third-party evidence of payroll. Many founders overlooked proper enrolment. Even a sole director/employee who wanted stronger evidence of substance needed to put themselves on a formal salary and contribute to MPF. The Trade & Industry Department regularly used these records both for substance checks and to confirm that participants in promotion activities were genuine Hong Kong-based proprietors or salaried staff.

Get Started HK’s Own Experience (Reference Only)

Get Started HK previously applied under the Export Marketing Fund (EMF) and received a total of HK$2 million in funding support. Most of the amount was spent on Google Ads.

Process observations useful for reference

• Each new application was treated essentially as a first-time submission, even after multiple previous approvals and dealing with the same officers.
• The same Business Registration certificate, Annual Return (NAR1), identity documents and MPF records were requested repeatedly.
• Frustration is common, but arguing usually delayed processing. The practical approach was to treat the process as free capital with its own administrative culture and to respond calmly and exactly as instructed.
• Maintaining a ready folder of the latest standard documents made re-submission faster.

These observations are shared purely so founders understand the operational reality; they do not constitute advice on how to apply.

What Replaced the EMF After 30 June 2026?

The EMF was consolidated into the Dedicated Fund on Branding, Upgrading and Domestic Sales (BUD Fund) with effect from 1 July 2026.

• Only EMF claims for activities completed on or before 30 June 2026 continue to be processed.
• Enterprises seeking support for exhibitions and export-marketing activities are directed to the “Easy BUD” track under the BUD Fund.
• BUD Fund cumulative ceiling: HK$7 million per enterprise.
• Easy BUD per-application ceiling (from 15 June 2026): HK$150,000.
• Matching ratio remains 1 (government) : 3 (enterprise).
• Core eligibility (non-listed Hong Kong company with substantive operations) and the importance of MPF + genuine business invoices remain the same.

Official sources for the latest rules

• BUD Fund website: https://www.bud.hkpc.org/en
• TID BUD overview page
• Contact for BUD Fund: Hong Kong Productivity Council (implementer) – 2788 6088 / bud_sec@hkpc.org

Get Started HK does not offer services to prepare or submit applications for the SME Export Marketing Fund, the BUD Fund, or any other government funding scheme. The information above is provided purely for educational and reference purposes, based on publicly available official rules and our own experience as a past applicant. Always verify the latest requirements directly with the Trade and Industry Department or the BUD Fund implementer.

Frequently Asked Questions about SME Export Marketing Fund