Government Funds

What is the "Patent Application Grant"?

The Patent Application Grant (the Grant) is a funding scheme to assist local companies and individuals to apply for patents of their own inventions. The Grant is administered by the Innovation and Technology Commission with Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC) as the implementation agent.


Who are eligible to apply?

All locally incorporated companies, Hong Kong permanent residents or Hong Kong residents permitted to remain in Hong Kong for not less than 7 years who have never owned any patents in any countries or territories before will be eligible. For individual applicant, the applicant must be the sole inventor or one of the joint inventors of the invention. For applicant company, the inventor(s) of the invention shall be a directly related party/parties to the applicant company, e.g. owner, shareholder, director or staff.


What is the form of funding support?

For an approved application, a grant of not more than HK$250,000 or 90% of the total cost of the patent application (including the cost for patent search-cumtechnical assessment and the administration fee charged by HKPC which is approximately equal to 20% of the total cost involved in patent application), whichever is the lower, will be provided. Funds are only released to the implementation agent through which the patent application

is processed. The grant is for covering the cost for patent search-cum-technical assessment and the administration fee mentioned above, as well as other direct costs involved in the patent application process. Examples are attorney fees, consultant fees and filing of patent applications. Other expenses, including any costs incurred before the date of approval of the application and the renewal fee of granted patents, are not fundable. The grant is nontransferrable and will be valid for 3 years from the date of approval of the application. The grant may not be sufficient to cover the patent application expenses, and individual applicant/applicant company has to bear the remaining balance.

Note: The above information is from Hong Kong Productivity Council.