PSTS Public Sector Trial Scheme (trial your R&D outcome in the public sector for proof)
Low bar, year-round: any tech company doing R&D in Hong Kong can apply directly to run its own R&D outcome on a real trial in the public sector, gaining a genuine use-case endorsement and data. Each trial project is funded up to HK$1M and runs at most 12 months. The R&D outcome must be owned by your company and mainly developed in Hong Kong. It solves the "the thing is built, but I lack an institution willing to try it first and evidence it works in the field" step.
You have an R&D outcome (product / technology / solution) you own and mainly developed in Hong Kong, and you want a real public-sector trial to gain a use-case endorsement and field data to open the market.
You don't yet have a trial-ready outcome and just want R&D or product money (see ESS R&D matching); or the outcome isn't owned by you / not mainly developed in Hong Kong; or you want market-expansion funding rather than a trial endorsement (see BUD).
- Deadline / window
- Year-round rolling, no fixed deadline — submitted via ITC's Fund Management System (ITCFAS)
- Duration
- Each trial project runs up to 12 months
- For whom
- Tech companies registered in Hong Kong under the Companies Ordinance or Business Registration Ordinance; must conduct R&D in Hong Kong and not be a government-funded institution or its subsidiary; the R&D outcome to be trialled must be owned by the applicant, mainly developed in Hong Kong and consistent with its business plan
- Submit online via ITCFAS with a trial plan; describe the R&D outcome, the intended public-sector partner and the trial arrangement, and prepare evidence that the outcome is company-owned and mainly developed in Hong Kong
Which step does it solve?
Many tech companies get stuck at "it's built, but no one will be the first to use it and there's no real-world evidence." PSTS fills exactly that step: it funds you to run your R&D outcome on a real trial in the public sector, producing genuine data and a use-case endorsement from the public sector — a weighty reference for winning market and orders later.
What can it cover?
It funds a public-sector trial project, capped at HK$1M per project over up to 12 months. The core is putting your self-owned, mainly-Hong-Kong-developed R&D outcome into a real public-sector setting to obtain an endorsement and data. The outcome must be owned by the applicant, mainly developed in Hong Kong and consistent with its business plan. Note PSTS funds the "trial" step, not the R&D itself (for R&D, see ESS).
- 1
Confirm both the outcome and the company qualify
The company is Hong Kong-registered and does R&D, not a government-funded body; the outcome is owned by you, mainly developed in Hong Kong and consistent with your business plan.
Pitfall: Applying with an outcome owned by others or mainly developed offshore — fails the ownership / development-location requirement.
- 2
Line up a willing public-sector partner
The trial must land in a real public-sector setting, so first secure a public-sector partner and scenario willing to host it.
Pitfall: Filing first and finding a host later often stalls for lack of a landing scenario.
- 3
Write the trial plan + submit via ITCFAS
Set out the outcome, the intended public-sector partner, the trial arrangement, success metrics and budget; year-round rolling with no fixed deadline, filed through ITC's Fund Management System.
Pitfall: A plan with no measurable success metrics weakens the value of the endorsement.
- 4
Approved → trial (≤12 months) → gather endorsement and data
Complete the trial in the public-sector setting, collect usage data and feedback for later commercialisation.
Pitfall: Running the trial but not systematically capturing data / testimonials wastes the most valuable output — the endorsement.
How hard is it in practice to find a public-sector body willing to be the first to trial?· First-hand insight in the works
Pending a first-hand interview with companies that used PSTS: how they secured a public-sector body, how long it took, and whether there were broker / referral channels.
Does the trial endorsement actually help win orders / raise funding afterwards?· First-hand insight in the works
Pending a first-hand interview: the real weight of trial data and a public-sector endorsement in later sales / investor conversations.
Is HK$1M over 12 months enough to cover a proper public-sector trial?· First-hand insight in the works
Pending a first-hand interview: the real cost structure of a public-sector trial, whether the cap suffices, and how much the company pays itself.
- 01Have a trial-ready self-owned outcome → line up a willing public-sector partner first, then file the trial plan on ITCFAS.
- 02Read the official PSTS guide first to clarify the eligible trial scope and the matching ratio.
- 03No outcome yet → look at ESS (R&D matching) for R&D money first; want market expansion → see BUD.
This page covers the tech-company class PSTS-TC; there are also PSTS-ITF (derived from ITF projects) and PSTS-SPC (HKSTP / Cyberport tenants) classes. Amounts, duration and matching follow the latest official guidelines.