Call for Proposals – Professional Services Advancement Support Scheme (PASS)

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The Professional Services Advancement Support Scheme (PASS) is inviting a new round of applications. 

 

Overview

PASS aims to fund industry-led projects for the promotion and development of Hong Kong's professional services. Funding support is provided for Hong Kong's non-profit distributing organisations to carry out non-profit-making projects for enhancing the standards of local professionals, promoting the strengths of Hong Kong's professional services, and deepening the interaction between Hong Kong professionals and their external counterparts. Other types of projects with practical benefits for local professionals may also be funded.

 

Eligible Projects

Eligible projects should be non-profit-making which may include:

  1. Outreach and promotional activities, e.g. exhibitions, promotional seminars and sectoral networking/business-matching events;
  2. Exchange activities, e.g. international conferences/ forums, visits and exchange meetings;
  3. Capacity-building programmes, e.g. post-professional training courses/ workshops, study tours and expert briefings; and
  4. Researches and studies, e.g. market researches, studies on framework/best practice guidelines for professional standards and additional accreditations for professionals.

 

Projects which are or will be funded by other government sources will NOT be considered.

 

Eligible Applicants

  1. A wide range of professional services sectors are eligible for funding (e.g. accounting, legal and dispute resolution, architecture, engineering, healthcare, information and communications technology, design and technical testing and analysis, etc.).
  2. Non-profit-distributing organisations operating as trade and industrial organisations, professional bodies, research institutes, etc., which must either be statutory organisations or organisations formed or registered under the laws of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, are eligible to apply for funding under PASS.
  3. To ensure that a project has practical benefits to a professional services sector and is supported by it, a Government-subvented organization must secure cash sponsorship from non-subvented professional, trade and industrial organisation(s), or company(ies) in the private sector. The amount of sponsorship must not be less than 5% of the project cost. 

 

Project Duration

Up to 3 years 

 

Funding Threshold
The maximum amount of funding support is 90% of the total eligible project costs, or HK$3 million, whichever is lower.

 

The grantee will have to meet the balance of the project cost by contributing at least 10% of the total eligible project cost, either in cash or in kind, through self-financing, third party sponsorship, income derived from the project or other means.

 

Application Procedure
PASS receives applications all year round and will process applications on a quarterly basis.

 

Applicants should submit the completed Application Form to the Research Office. Please refer to the Guide to Application when completing the application form. 

For details, please refer to Research Office’s website

 

Internal Deadline

16 November 2021 (for batch in Q4 2021)

 

Online Briefing Session

The PASS Secretariat will organize an online briefing session for this round of application. Details of the briefing are as follows:

  • Date: 21 September 2021 (Tuesday)
  • Time: 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
  • Platform: Webex
  • Language: Cantonese (with English presentation material, and Q&As in Cantonese and English if necessary)

 

Registration

Complete and return the Registration Form to pass@cedb.gov.hk by 15 September 2021 (Wed).

Event Format
Language
English
Recommended For
Faculty and staff
Organizer
Research Office on behalf of Commerce and Economic Development Bureau
Registration

Complete and return the Registration Form to pass@cedb.gov.hk by 15 September 2021 (Wed).

Contact

Celia LEE (Email: rocelia@ust.hk, Tel: 3469 2798)

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