Become an incubatee

• 01

  Are you a designer?

• 02

  Do you have a registered start-up company
  in Hong Kong or plan to form one soon?

• 03

  Do you have at least another partner/
  full-time staff to work with you in your start-up?

• 04

  Do you have sufficient funds, or have plans to sustain
  your business in the coming 2 years and beyond?

• 05

  Do you have the passion and ambition to develop
  a new project/product in design sectors?

If your answers to these questions are “Yes”, congratulations! You are probably eligible for the Design Incubation Programme.

• 01

  The applicant must have his/her application-company as a start-up Hong Kong-registered company (i.e. incorporated in Hong Kong for not more than three years as at the date of application), and still in its early stage of development in which financial and professional support is much needed.

• 02

  For local application, the applicant must be a Hong Kong permanent resident. For overseas applications, the applicant must have an overseas registered company that has registered for not more than three years as at the date of application. The applicant must set up a Hong Kong registered company immediately to qualify for programme commencement after the application approval is granted.

• 03

  The applicant is expected to require less than 350 square foot net of office space at the time of admission in general.

• 04

  A shareholder or partner of the applicant must not be a shareholder or partner of a current Incubatee or graduated company in the DIP or Fashion Incubation Programme (FIP), or other incubation programmes funded by the Government.

• 05

  The applicant-company must have as at the date of application at least two full-time staff (the applicant included) based in Hong Kong, and
  i. at least one of them must be the major shareholder and must be a designer in a recognised design discipline;
  ii. the aggregate shareholding percentage or interest of the full-time designer(s) must be in majority; and
  iii. all staff must be able to work in Hong Kong legally.

• 01

  Submit the completed application document by email, or submit on-line.

• 02

  Assessment and interview by Design Incubation Programme Secretariat

• 03

  Due Diligence meeting with Design Incubation Programme Secretariat in which all relevant ORIGINAL documents on company registration, education background and work experience of the shareholders and full-time staff will be checked.

• 04

  Presentation at Admission Panel Meeting

• 05

  Admission Result
  - All applications will be processed in strict confidence.
  - An application must meet the mandatory criteria stipulated by HKDC from time to time before further assessments.

• 01

  Innovation and creativity;

• 02

  Business model and commercial viability;

• 03

  Revenue model and financial viability;

• 04

  Background of the applicant and relevant strength;

• 05

  Management team;

• 06

  Presentation at Design Admission Panel;

• 07

  Social / community impact;

• 08

  Commitment of the applicant and the team to become resourceful design-preneurs running successful design business; and

• 09

  Need of financial and professional support.