Support for SMEs

To encourage wider adoption of innovative construction methods and new technologies in the construction industry with a view to promoting productivity, uplifting built quality, improving site safety and enhancing environmental performance.

Construction Innovation and Technology Fund (CITF) comprises two streams, namely “Technology Adoption” and “Manpower Development”.

Technology Adoption
CITF supports technologies (including machinery, equipment and software) with proven effectiveness in boosting productivity, uplifting built quality, improving site safety or enhancing environmental performance, through leveraging automation, industrialisation and digitisation rather than sheer innovative management practices.

Areas of Technology Adoption include:

• Advanced Construction Technologies (ACT)
• Building Information Modelling (BIM)
• Modular Integrated Construction (MiC)
• Prefabricated Steel Rebar (STB)

Manpower Development
To enhance the capability of practitioners to harness technology for the continuous improvement of construction industry, CITF supports existing practitioners and prospective built professionals to take part in courses and events on advanced construction technologies.

Supportable programmes can be broadly cateogrised into four types:

• Local Collaborative Courses
• International Conferences in Hong Kong
• Non-local Enrichment Courses/Study Tours for Students
• Non-local Training/Visits for Practitioners

Technology Adoption
Applicants for applications on Technology Adoption must be:

• Levy-paying contractors which have paid levy for construction works under the Construction Industry Council Ordinance (Cap. 587) to the Construction Industry Council (CIC) in the 24 months preceding the time of application;
• Specialist trade contractors and subcontractors which are registered with the CIC and hold a valid registration at the time of application;
• Consultants on the lists maintained by Government and professional bodies; or
• Other players, including material suppliers, in the construction process may be considered on a case-by-case basis. 

Applicants for Technology Adoption are required to have one or more awarded or on-going construction contract(s) to implement the adoption of the technology except for applications in relation to experiential use of BIM technology, BIM Training – Classroom-bound mode and BIM Viewer Collaborative Training.

Manpower Development
Applicants for applications on Manpower Development must be:

• Local Hong Kong higher education institutions;
• Professional institutions (such as the Hong Kong Institute of Architects, the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers and the Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors);
• Trade associations;
• Unions; or
• Quasi-governmental or statutory organisations (for organising local collaborative courses only).

Applications on Manpower Development must be targeted at one or more of the following groups of beneficiaries:

• Full-time undergraduates, post-graduates, students of sub-degree programmes and academic staff in construction-related disciplines of local Hong Kong higher education institutions;
• Construction professionals holding membership of professional class or above of construction-related professional bodies;
• Technicians and site supervisory personnel; or
• Registered Skilled Workers holding a valid construction workers registration card issued under the Construction Workers Registration Ordinance (Cap. 583).

Where the activity under an application on Manpower Development is to be held outside Hong Kong, the participants must be Hong Kong permanent residents. This requirement is not applicable to the project to be held in Hong Kong and therefore expatriates may join.

Applications shall be submitted through the CITF Application Portal.