Funding Scheme to Support the Use of Vacant Government Sites by Non-government Organisations

Funder Type: Government Bureau (Development Bureau). Eligible Applicants: NGOs exempt from tax under Section 88 of the Inland Revenue Ordinance. Social Enterprises (must be listed in the Social Enterprise Directory or have received government SE funding). Pre-requisite: You must have already secured in-principle approval for a Short-Term Tenancy (STT) of a vacant site from the Lands Department.

1. The applicant should be an NGO which has already secured in-principle approval from LandsD or other relevant authorities under the existing mechanism1 for renting a vacant government site or school premises on a short-term basis. 2. The applicant should meet the following requirement – (a) it should be a charitable institution or trust of a public character exempt from tax under section 88 of the Inland Revenue Ordinance (Cap. 112); or a company incorporated under the Companies Ordinance (Cap. 622) or the former Companies Ordinance (Cap. 32) as limited by guarantee whose objects and powers do not include distribution of profits to members; or a non-profit-making society registered or body established under any legislation in Hong Kong; or (b) it should take the form of a social enterprise, which should be – (i) an institution listed under the “Social Enterprise Directory” compiled by the Social Enterprise Business Centre (https://socialenterprise.org.hk/en/sedb); or (ii) a social enterprise accredited by the Hong Kong General Chamber of Social Enterprises (http://seemark.hk/en_gb/). 3. For the avoidance of doubt, the Funding Scheme is open to application from NGOs which have secured approval or at least in-principle approval for the grant of STT on or after the announcement of this initiative in the 2018-19 Budget on 28 February 2018 for the use of vacant government sites (including vacant school premises on government land) and where works have yet to commence. 4. When there is any doubt about the eligibility of an NGO-applicant, the decision of the inter-departmental Assessment Committee (“the Assessment Committee”) is final.