Official facts
Amounts, durations and eligibility come from the cited primary source and carry a verification date. Intake status and terms can still change, so recheck the current guide before applying.
Talent and internships
Map who receives the money before designing the hire
Talent support is not one generic wage subsidy. RTH, STEM Internship and university programmes use different recipients, reimbursements and exclusions.
50verified programmes
2026-08-25Last verified
Primary sourcesGovernment, official bodies, universities and programme sites
Editorial analysis
Suggested combinations are this site's analysis, not a government promise. Select by stage, cash flow, milestones and administrative cost.
Research Talent Hub
RTH-TC supports technology companies conducting Hong Kong R&D and hiring full-time STEM talent.
- Up to four research talents at one time, generally 36 months each.
- Monthly caps are HK$20k bachelor, HK$23k master and HK$35k doctorate.
- Doctoral talent can receive an additional up to HK$10k living allowance.
- A founder, proprietor, partner, shareholder, manager or relative cannot be the subsidised talent.
STEM Internship
Participating universities administer the scheme.
- Allowance is HK$11,790 per month from 1 April 2026.
- Generally up to 90 days per academic year, subject to the institution.
- ITC reimburses the institution; student payment follows university arrangements.
- The employer must provide substantive supervised STEM work.
Stacking principle
A team may include founders, research hires and interns, but every cost source must remain separate.
- Never claim the same salary twice for the same period.
- Hire for the product plan, not to fill subsidy slots.
- Visa, employment contract, minimum wage, MPF and programme eligibility are separate compliance layers.
Official facts
Programme matrix
Compare instrument, stage, published support, equity and matching. N/A means no universal rule was published, not that there is no restriction.
High-risk amount and eligibility fields retain their verified canonical English wording so translation does not alter the rule; names, summaries and fit guidance are localized.
| Programme | Type / Stage | Published support | Equity / Matching | Best for | Official source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cyberport Incubation Programme (CIP)Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited A two-year digital-tech incubation programme. Cyberport currently warns that the programme is being enhanced and terms may change. Eligibility, payment and double-funding details
| IncubatorMVP / Pre-seed / SeedNeeds review | Up to HK$500,000 financial assistance plus up to HK$200,000 on-site rental subsidy under the currently published terms | Equity: NoMatching: No | Hong Kong startups targeting a market-ready digital product within 12–18 months. | Official sourceLast verified: 2026-08-25 |
| HYAB Youth Start-up Internship Programme 2026Home and Youth Affairs Bureau / Cyberport / HKSTP HYAB funds 200 three-to-six-month placements administered with Cyberport and HKSTP. The support funds placements, not unrestricted company cash. Eligibility, payment and double-funding details
| InternshipMVP / Pre-seed / Seed / Early growthActive | 200 funded internship placements across the 2026 programme; no universal per-company cash amount is published | Equity: NoMatching: No | Local startups admitted as participating employers and able to provide substantive internship work. | Official sourceLast verified: 2026-08-25 |
| Research Talent Hub for Technology Companies (RTH-TC)Innovation and Technology Commission Reimburses eligible full-time R&D talent remuneration. Founders, shareholders and management cannot be the subsidised talent. Eligibility, payment and double-funding details
| TalentMVP / Pre-seed / Seed / Early growthActive | Monthly salary allowance up to HK$20,000 (bachelor), HK$23,000 (master) or HK$35,000 (doctorate), plus up to HK$10,000 doctoral living allowance | Equity: NoMatching: No | Technology companies conducting substantive Hong Kong R&D and hiring STEM graduates. | Official sourceLast verified: 2026-08-25 |
| STEM Internship SchemeInnovation and Technology Commission A university-administered allowance for eligible STEM student internships; it is not unrestricted cash paid to the startup. Eligibility, payment and double-funding details
| InternshipMVP / Pre-seed / Seed / Early growthActive | HK$11,790 per month from 1 April 2026, for up to 90 days per academic year subject to institution arrangements | Equity: NoMatching: No | Employers able to provide substantive, supervised STEM internships. | Official sourceLast verified: 2026-08-25 |
Editorial analysis
Strategy combinations by company type
Solve the company's most real constraint first; the number of applications is not the goal.
AI / Software / SaaS
Validate demand cheaply and use cloud credits before choosing HKSTP, Cyberport or institutional capital.
- Illustrative route
- Founder capital → MVP plus cloud credits → one primary incubator → RTH or ESS after real R&D and hiring needs → equity after traction.
- Key caution
- Do not build a heavy team to chase subsidies; the same cloud bill, payroll or R&D cost cannot be claimed twice.
Deep tech / Hardware / Robotics
Separate university or laboratory R&D, prototyping, trials and production-line work into distinct funding stages.
- Illustrative route
- Technology and IP → university/TSSSU or HKSTP → prototype and patent → ESS/RTH → public trial → smart production line → specialist VC.
- Key caution
- R&D, trial and production-line awards have different scopes; budget for hardware cash flow and reimbursement timing.
Biotech / HealthTech
Build the stack around university IP, laboratory access, regulation and a long R&D cycle.
- Illustrative route
- University IP or licence → Incu-Bio or TSSSU → RTH/ESS → validation and trials → specialist biotech capital.
- Key caution
- Laboratory, clinical and regulatory costs are not automatically eligible; a headline incubator amount does not replace a detailed plan.
FinTech
Cyberport and InvestHK can provide incubation, institutional connections and financing access; a regulatory sandbox is a test route, not funding.
- Illustrative route
- Define compliance → Cyberport prototype/incubation → institutional pilot or regulatory test → acceleration and matching → equity.
- Key caution
- Resolve licensing, data and financial-regulation questions early; never present sandbox admission as a grant.
Visa and long-term status planning
Entrepreneurship does not automatically create immigration status
Forming or operating a Hong Kong company does not automatically qualify anyone for a visa, extension or permanent residence. Entrepreneurship may form part of an individual case, but the Immigration Department decides on the actual facts.
Quality Migrant Admission SchemeAn admission route for highly skilled or talented applicants.Top Talent Pass SchemeA talent route for high-income applicants and eligible university graduates.Immigration Arrangements for Non-local GraduatesA work and stay route for non-local graduates of Hong Kong institutions.General Employment PolicyAn employment route generally based on a genuine professional role with a Hong Kong employer.Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and ProfessionalsAn employment route for Mainland residents with skills or experience needed in Hong Kong.Hong Kong permanent residence and right of abodeUnderstand ordinary residence, the seven-year requirement and long-term status planning.