RTH Research Talent Hub (for tech companies — R&D talent salary subsidy)
This isn't project / product funding — it's a hiring-salary subsidy: a tech company doing R&D in Hong Kong hires STEM research talent and the government subsidises the monthly salary by degree — up to HK$20,000 (bachelor's) / HK$23,000 (master's) / HK$35,000 (PhD), with a further HK$10,000/month living allowance for PhD talent (bringing the PhD tier to HK$45,000/month). Each talent is funded for up to 36 months, and a company can have at most 4 funded talents at once. It's year-round with no fixed deadline and no company-age / revenue threshold — a practical tool for hiring R&D staff in Hong Kong, but aimed at companies genuinely doing R&D, not purely sales-driven overseas teams.
You're conducting or planning R&D in Hong Kong with real operations, and want to hire STEM bachelor's / master's / PhD research talent with a subsidised salary. Note: this is a hiring-salary subsidy, not project or product funding.
You want project / product money (see ESS R&D matching, BUD market expansion), not a hiring subsidy; or your team is purely sales-driven overseas and doesn't actually do R&D — RTH is for companies genuinely doing R&D, and the hires must be STEM research talent.
- Deadline / window
- Year-round rolling, no fixed deadline — submitted via ITC's Fund Management System (ITCFAS)
- Duration
- Up to 36 months of funding per talent
- Employees
- At most 4 funded research talents per company at any one time
- For whom
- Tech companies conducting or planning R&D in Hong Kong, with substantial operations there at the time of application, registered under the Companies Ordinance or Business Registration Ordinance; not a government-funded institution or its subsidiary. The research talent hired must hold a STEM-related bachelor's / master's / PhD from a local university, a joint local-overseas programme, or a recognised non-local institution
- Submit online via ITCFAS; also prepare recruitment adverts showing an open, fair hiring process, the research talent's STEM degree evidence, and proof of the company's R&D activity in Hong Kong
Read this first: it's a hiring-salary subsidy, not project funding
RTH subsidises "the monthly salary of the research talent you hire", not a lump of project / product money. So it suits tech companies already doing R&D that want to add research staff; if you want money to launch an R&D project, see ESS (enterprise R&D matching). And this page covers the "tech-company class" (RTH-TC), aimed at firms genuinely doing R&D, not purely sales-driven overseas teams.
What can it cover?
It covers the research talent's monthly salary allowance, capped by degree — bachelor's HK$20,000 / master's HK$23,000 / PhD HK$35,000; PhD adds a HK$10,000/month living allowance, so the PhD tier reaches HK$45,000/month. Each talent is funded for up to 36 months, and a company can have at most 4 funded talents at once. Talent must hold a STEM-related degree from a local university, a joint local-overseas programme, or a recognised non-local institution; hiring must be open and fair.
- 1
Confirm both the company and the role qualify
The company must do R&D in Hong Kong with real operations and not be a government-funded body; the role is an R&D one and the hire must be STEM bachelor's / master's / PhD research talent.
Pitfall: Using it to subsidise a sales / ops role's salary — ineligible; RTH only funds STEM research talent.
- 2
Recruit openly and fairly, and keep evidence
Recruit through an open, fair process and keep the job adverts; prepare the talent's STEM degree evidence.
Pitfall: No open-recruitment record, or a non-STEM degree / unrecognised institution, gets your eligibility questioned.
- 3
Submit online via ITCFAS
Year-round rolling intake, no fixed deadline; file through ITC's Fund Management System.
Pitfall: The cap is 4 funded talents at a time; over-hiring while expecting full subsidy will fall short.
- 4
Approved → draw the monthly salary allowance (up to 36 months)
Once approved, draw the monthly salary allowance up to the degree cap, with the PhD tier including the living allowance; up to 36 months per talent.
Pitfall: Assuming the cap means full pay — any salary above the monthly cap is still borne by the company.
Salary caps vs actual Hong Kong R&D talent rates — how much of the gap must the company top up?· First-hand insight in the works
Pending a first-hand interview with companies using RTH: the gap between actual PhD / master's salaries and the allowance cap, and how much the company covers.
Is the "conducting R&D in Hong Kong" evidence bar easy for a small early-stage team to clear?· First-hand insight in the works
Pending a first-hand interview: how R&D activity and substantial operations were evidenced at application, and whether supplements were requested.
How hard is it in practice to hire and retain eligible STEM research talent?· First-hand insight in the works
Pending a first-hand interview: how long open recruitment took, the supply of eligible candidates, and retention after the allowance ends.
- 01Doing R&D in Hong Kong and hiring STEM research talent → start an application on ITCFAS, with open job adverts and degree evidence ready.
- 02Hiring a PhD → remember the PhD tier includes the HK$10,000/month living allowance, reaching HK$45,000/month.
- 03Want project / product money → look at ESS (R&D matching); purely sales-driven overseas with no R&D → RTH doesn't apply.
This is a salary subsidy for hiring R&D talent, not project / product funding; it's aimed at companies genuinely doing R&D and the hires must be STEM research talent. Amounts, quotas and duration follow the latest official guidelines.