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 home visit activities, e.g. conferences, roadshows, promotional seminars and visits;
2. Exchange programmes for professionals;
3. Capacity-building programmes, e.g. workshops and training courses and expert briefings;
4. Researches and studies, e.g. researches on the development potential of external markets, development of guidebooks and manuals on new international standards or standards of external markets; and
5. Others, e.g. establishment of professional networks.

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 support organisations, trade and industrial organisations, professional bodies or research institutes, which shall 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. Such sponsorship shall not be less than 5% of the amount of total project cost.

Project Duration
Within 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 through self-financing, third party sponsorship, income derived from the project or other means. The grantee’s contribution to the project cost may be in cash or in kind.

New Enhancement Measures
To enhance the operation and user-friendliness of PASS, a number of improvement measures have been implemented since December 2019. They include disbursing PASS grants upfront on a lump sum basis to all smaller-scale projects of shorter duration, and funding travel and accommodation costs incurred in relation to PASS events outside Hong Kong either by participants with active roles (such as speakers and panellists) or participants taking part in relatively longer PASS-funded professional internship or attachment programmes. 

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 and this Pamphlet. 

Internal Deadline
14 November 2020 (for batch in Q4 2020)

Enquiries
Mickey Pat (Email: romickey@ust.hk, Tel: 3469 2822)

Thank you for your attention.

Research Office