What You'll Need to Apply for HKPC's D-Biz Programme

In 2018 Google found that only 50% of Hong Kong's small- and medium-sized firms agreed that digital was a fundamental of business. Now with COVID-19 ravaging their businesses, many find themselves suffering from that outdated mindset.

To accelerate change, as part of the government's Anti-Epidemic Fund, the Hong Kong Productivity Council is providing up to HK$100,000 in funding per project, up to three projects, "for enterprises to adopt IT solutions for developing distance business." The services Cogney provides - namely SEO, SEM, Facebook Ads, and analytics - allow you to reach potential customers from a distance and are all covered. We applied as a vendor on their reference list and were accepted (SP-883-468).

IMPORTANT UPDATE:

Now that we have end-to-end experience applying for D-Biz, I would not recommend applying. D-Biz changed the application criteria so that they no longer fund digital advertising if your site is not developed at the same time with D-Biz funding. And even if you apply to develop a new website, we've heard multiple stories of companies only receiving 10-15% of the amount they applied for, which is not enough to build a website. Click here to read more.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. When do I get the money?

You get 30% upfront after signing the funding agreement. You get the rest when the project is done and your final project report is accepted.

2. Is my company eligible?

If it's not publicly traded or an NGO funded by the government, you have a Business Registration certificate that shows you've commenced before January 1, 2020, and haven't accepted money from other government programs, you're eligible.

3. My business doesn't have any customers yet. Can I still get funding?

Yes, as long as you registered the company before January 1, 2020. You'll need to submit your Business Registration Certificate to prove that. You'll also need to prove you have a "substantive business operation" in Hong Kong. They look at various factors such as nature of the business operations and number of employees in Hong Kong.

4. I like what you do and want to work with you. Do I still need to get multiple quotations to apply?

Not if you work with a subscription based service provider like Cogney. Section 15 says "There is no minimum number of quotations for purchase required."

4. I also want to re-develop my website. Can you build me a new website?

While we know web development and often get involved as it pertains to SEO, we're laser focused on digital marketing and do not build full sites from scratch. You should work with a web development company. Here's a few we recommend (in alphabetical order):

1. Beamstyle
2. Onedotsix
3. Onion Creative
4. Rush Hour Media
5. Wave Commerce

5. Have you heard of anyone getting funding already?

Yes and it doesn't look pretty. I've seen people receive only 10-15% of what they applied for and others to be rejected after HKPC narrowed the scope of the programe on July 10th to not include digital advertising on its own. I assume HKPC received way too many applications. Unless you apply to build a website and promote it with digital advertising at the same time, I wouldn't recommend applying. Even if you do apply, expect to get less than what you expected. Despite that, you should contact us anyway though since digital marketing is still massively important even if you can't get as much free money as you hoped.