FTRSS — Frontier Technology Research Support Scheme
ITC's large, hundreds-of-millions funding for frontier basic research at universities: about HK$100M–300M per project, where the main applicant must be a UGC-funded university and must lead. **Round two is open, running 28 July to 30 September 2026** (round one closed on 25 November 2025). Start-ups cannot apply directly — its significance is that Hong Kong is betting heavily on frontier research, and the source of future deep-tech transfer and RAISe+ projects sits here. Non-university teams should look at ESS / TSSSU / RAISe+.
You are a research team at a UGC-funded university leading a piece of frontier basic research that needs hundreds-of-millions, multi-year support — or you are a research institution / company willing to join as a co-applicant behind a UGC-university lead.
Non-university teams (start-ups / ordinary companies) cannot apply directly and should not force a fit — look instead at ITC's ESS enterprise R&D, the university-linked TSSSU, and RAISe+ for university / RTTP-led commercialisation.
- Deadline / window
- Round two is open: 28 July 2026 to 30 September 2026 (round one closed on 25 November 2025)
- For whom
- The main applicant must be a UGC-funded university; joint applications by UGC universities, research institutions and other bodies are allowed, but must be led by a UGC university. The 'leading talent' recruited must be a researcher who has worked 3 years or more in the past 10 at an overseas institution, public or private research body, or a company's research arm, and whose immediately preceding post must generally not have been full-time employment at such a body in Hong Kong or on the mainland
- Led by a UGC university: research proposal, team and partner list, budget (separating salary / non-salary expenditure) and proof of matching funds
Whose money this is
FTRSS bets on frontier basic research: the main applicant must be a UGC-funded university and the university must lead; research institutions and companies may join as co-applicants but cannot be the main applicant themselves. This is not a productisation grant for start-ups or ordinary companies — it targets the deep-tech source in university labs that may only reach technology transfer in 5–10 years.
Where it stands now
The first round closed on 25 November 2025 and it is now in an assessment / awaiting-next-round phase. ITC has said it may open further rounds depending on response and available funding, but the second-round window is not yet announced. University teams that want in should engage their university's research office now and prepare materials for the next round.
- 1
Confirm a UGC university will lead
The main applicant must be a UGC-funded university; companies / research institutions can only be co-applicants.
Pitfall: A start-up trying to be the main applicant — ineligible, and a non-starter from the outset.
- 2
Engage the university research office
Organise the application through your UGC university's research / technology-transfer office, and plan the team and partners.
Pitfall: Bypassing university administration to approach ITC directly — large research grants must go through the institutional channel.
- 3
Prepare the proposal and matching funds
Write the research proposal, split the budget into salary (1:1) and non-salary (4:1), and secure the institution's share of the matching funds.
Pitfall: Failing to secure the 1:1 salary matching — an unconfirmed university funding commitment sinks the application.
- 4
Meet the round-two deadline of 30 Sep 2026
Round two opened on 28 July 2026 and closes on 30 September. The internal approval cycle for a large research grant is long, so push the proposal and the matching-fund commitment into the university's process now.
Pitfall: Assuming you're still waiting for the next round to be announced — the window is already open, and there is less time left than it looks.
Will there be a third round after this one, and how much funding is left?· First-hand insight in the works
Pending official announcement; no first-hand information yet.
As a co-applicant company, can you really share in the research output and downstream technology-transfer rights?· First-hand insight in the works
Pending first-hand interviews with participating companies and universities.
Of the first-round funded projects, which are most likely to grow partnerable / commercialisable technology in a few years?· First-hand insight in the works
Pending a first-hand interview.
- 01UGC university team → round two closes 30 Sep 2026; contact your university's research office now to start internal approval.
- 02Company / research institution → you can only be a co-applicant behind a UGC-university lead; find a partner university lab first.
- 03Non-university team → look instead at ITC's ESS enterprise R&D, the university-linked TSSSU, and RAISe+ commercialisation.
Company age / turnover / employees are not scheme dimensions (it targets universities, so they are not listed). The amount range, matching ratios and round arrangements follow ITC's latest official figures. Re-checked 2026-08-08: round two is open (28 Jul to 30 Sep 2026), so this page's status has moved from closing back to active.