What is TCFS?

TCFS is a sub-programme under the Innovation and Technology Support Programme of the ITF. It aims to enhance the level of collaboration on R&D between organizations in Hong Kong and Guangdong Province. Projects funded by the TCFS will have to demonstrate an element of Guangdong/Hong Kong cooperation (e.g. collaboration between research institutes and enterprises in Guangdong and Hong Kong).

Local universities, R&D Centres ¹, research institutes, industry support organizations, trade and industry associations, professional bodies and local companies (either locally incorporated or established under the statute of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region) are eligible to apply. The principal applicant organization should be a company incorporated in Hong Kong under Companies Ordinance (Cap. 32) and have substantial connection to Hong Kong OR a body corporate incorporated in Hong Kong under other ordinances of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

An application can also be submitted with a private company engaging in commercial activities as the applicant and a local publicly-funded research institute as the partner. The company applicant has to be a company incorporated in Hong Kong under the Companies Ordinance and have substantial connection to Hong Kong, or a locally incorporated company with industry operations in the Guangdong Province.

There are three categories of projects under TCFS:

1. Category A are projects which are solicited, vetted and funded solely by Hong Kong. It is sub-divided into:-
   
   
   1. Category A(1) ¡ª projects solicited, vetted and monitored by the R&D Centres; and
      
      
   2. Category A(2) ¡ª projects solicited, vetted and monitored by ITC².
      
      
2. Category B are projects which are solicited, vetted and funded solely by Guangdong.
   
   
3. Category C are projects which are jointly solicited, vetted and funded by Guangdong and Hong Kong. It is sub-divided into:-
   
   
   1. Category C(1) ¡ª projects jointly funded by Guangdong and Hong Kong; and
      
      
   2. Category C(2) ¡ª projects jointly funded by Shenzhen and Hong Kong.
      
      

Which scheme can my organization apply for?

There are three schemes applicable under both Category A(2) and Category C of the TCFS:-

1. Platform Research Scheme - covers platform projects whose applicants are local non-profit-distributing organisations including local public research institutes (including universities, Hong Kong Productivity Council, etc.), industry support organizations, trade and industry associations and professional bodies.

2. Collaborating Research Scheme - covers proprietary projects whose applicants are private companies with local public research institutes as partners. Substantial contribution to a project is expected from the research institute, and the research institute's researchers should be the core project team members and should conduct a major part of the R&D work of the project.

3. Company Research Scheme - covers proprietary projects whose applicants are private companies without local public research institutes as partners.

The ITC and the Guangdong Provincial Department of Science and Technology will jointly announce themes for inviting applications under the TCFS. You are advised to download the solicitation document for the relevant details. Applications which do not fall under the announced themes will not be considered. Whilst all projects will go through a vetting mechanism, funding priority under the TCFS of the ITF will be given to those projects that have considerable innovation and technology contents and can contribute substantially to innovation and technology upgrading in industry; and those which involve substantial contribution in particular in the form of cash sponsorship from industries.

Who owns the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) of the project results?

• Projects under Category A(2)
  
  
  • Platform Research Scheme

    The recipient organization will normally own all IPR arising from the project and is required to disseminate/transfer the project results to industries. Exclusive use of the project results is not allowed unless otherwise approved by the Commissioner for Innovation and Technology (CIT). The recipient organization should refer to those parts relevant to the Innovation and Technology Support Programme in the Interim Guidelines on Commercialization of ITF Projects (PDF Format) governing the commercialization of the results of ITF projects should it intend to exclusively dispose of a project in part or in whole.

    To encourage more contributions from the industries, the recipient organization may nevertheless negotiate with interested companies, in particular the sponsors, regarding the sharing of IPR, licensing arrangement etc. The sponsors can have priority use of the project results. The arrangement on the sharing of research results including IPR should be clearly set out in the project proposal and is subject to the approval of CIT. The arrangement specified in the paragraph above will not apply if the IPR is to be owned by sponsoring organizations or collaborating organizations as specified in the project proposal and approved by CIT.

  • Collaborating Research Scheme and Company Research Scheme

    The applicant company will hold all the intellectual property rights arising from the project under these two schemes.

• Projects under Category C
  
  
  • For projects under Category C, regardless of whether they are under Platform Research Scheme, Collaborating Research Scheme or Company Research Scheme, the IPR arrangements should be negotiated between the applicant and the other participating organisations on a case by case basis. The arrangement on the sharing of research results including IPR should be clearly set out in the project proposal and is subject to the approval of CIT.

What is the form of funding support?

Funding support is normally given as a grant. All ITF grants will be disbursed by half-yearly instalments to the approved projects. ITF grants may be used for meeting the manpower costs, equipment and other direct costs specifically required for the conduct of the project. For projects involving recurrent expenditures, the applicant organization has to demonstrate that such expenses will be of a specified finite duration or that the project will become self-financing after the completion of the project.

All projects under the Platform Research Scheme would require sponsorship (which can be in cash and/or in kind) from more than one private firm in the Greater Pearl River Delta region and not related to the applicant organization in terms of ownership or management. Such sponsorship should cover at least 10% of the total project costs. For projects under the Collaborating Research Scheme, the applicant company is expected to contribute (in cash and/or in kind) no less than 50% of the cost of the project. The applicant company under the Company Research Scheme is expected to contribute no less than 75% of the cost of the project in cash, and the maximum funding from ITF is $2 million.

Approved projects under Category C that fall under the specific technology areas of the R&D Centres may be monitored by the respective R&D Centre.

As the R&D Centres play an important role in coordinating related research activities of projects falling under their specific technology areas, applicants are recommended to discuss with the respective Centres when formulating the commercialization plan for the project results.

How can my organization apply for funding?

Your organization can complete and submit the web-based application form for the TCFS through the Innovation and Technology Commission Funding Administrative System (ITCFAS). Under this arrangement, you will be required to register your organization and then its relevant personnel for access to the relevant application form. The registered personnel will be responsible for submitting the application proposal through this system.

Is there any application deadline?

Application for the scheme has been closed on 3 July 2009.

^Notes:

¹   Five R&D Centres have been set up under ITF since mid-2006 to drive and coordinate applied research in various technology areas including: automotive parts and accessory systems; information and communications technologies; logistics and supply chain management enabling technologies; nanotechnology and advanced materials; and textiles and clothing.

²   Projects with the R&D Centres as applicants would be processed, vetted and monitored by the Centres themselves in the same manner as under Category A(1).

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2002 Important Notices	Last revision date: 1 March 2010