HKPC joins with the Government and Business for "SME ReachOut: Fund Fair Everywhere 2020" - Massive Online Exhibition on Funding and Instant Advisory to Capture New Business Opps

(Hong Kong, 24 August 2020) Organised by the Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC) and co-organised by the Trade and Industry Department (TID), "SME ReachOut: Fund Fair Everywhere 2020" (https://fundfair.hkpc.org/) is a massive free three-day online event that provides SMEs and industry sector with 50+ virtual info booths, close to 40 live thematic webinars and practical application form explanatory workshops of popular funding schemes; aiming to allow participants to obtain knowledge, consultation, and interaction instantly through the one-stop platform. The event includes funding schemes and support programmes offered by the governments from Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area (GBA), pledges to help SMEs and the industries to combat the bad times, sustain business, and gear up for the new normal in the post-adversity economy. 

The opening thematic webinar titled "How to sustain and reach out your business under COVID-19“ was held this morning (24 August) with Mr Edward Yau, Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development of the HKSAR Government; Dr Daniel Yip, Chairman of the Federation of Hong Kong Industries; and Mr Daniel Chan, Head of Business Banking, Commercial Banking, HSBC; joining Mr Willy Lin, Chairman of HKPC, in sharing the latest direction of government policy, industry and business views and insights on passing the economic downturn and discussing potential new opportunities for them under the challenges arising from COVID-19.    

Mr Yau said, "In the face of the immense challenge of Coronavirus Disease 2019 to the livelihood and economy of Hong Kong, the Government has strived to strengthen the measures supporting enterprises, and launched various new funding schemes under the two rounds of Anti-epidemic Fund and the 2020-21 Budget in the past months with a view to helping enterprises better equip themselves and explore market opportunities to get their businesses back on track. The ‘Fund Fair Everywhere 2020’ organised by HKPC introduces various government funding schemes to help enterprises expand their markets, upgrade and transform themselves or develop online businesses.  We look forward to your active participation, and hope you could make the best use of the government funding schemes." 

Mr Lin said, "HKPC is committed to supporting Hong Kong SMEs and start-ups, whether the shape of Hong Kong's economy is good or bad. Over the past six months, given the volatility of the COVID-19 epidemic in Hong Kong, coupled with a weakening global economy and China-US trade tensions, Hong Kong enterprises are facing unprecedented challenges. Fully aware of the difficulties being faced by businesses and to support the government’s continuous efforts during the year to enhance the application procedures of funding schemes in solving the pressing needs of SMEs, HKPC is organising the Fund Fair this year again for SMEs to find suitable government funding schemes, enabling them to adapt to the new normal of the epidemic and develop new markets to get over the downturn."

In another webinar to be held on 26 August, Mr Alfred Sit, Secretary for Innovation and Technology, and Dr Dennis Ng, President of the Chinese Manufacturers’ Association of Hong Kong, will join Mr Lin to discuss re-industrialisation and retrieval of traditional industries in Hong Kong, offering the views of the government, R&D organisation and industry on the topic and exploring how Hong Kong can go on the path of re-industrialisation.

Featuring three themes: "Fight against downturn", "Reach new markets; and sustain business transformation, "SME ReachOut: Fund Fair Everywhere 2020" is jointly participated by over 20 governments and public organs of Hong Kong and the GBA; co-organised by Trade and Industry Department; sponsored by of strategic banking partner HSBC, diamond sponsor SAP Hong Kong Co., Ltd and gold sponsor PwC; and supported by over 70 industry association and public organs.

The public can visit the Fund Fair website (https://fundfair.hkpc.org/) to register and join all the activities free-of-charge. For enquiry, please contact SME ReachOut which has been set up specifically to promote government funding schemes at tel.: 2788 6262, email: sme_reachout@hkpc.org; or HKPC's WhatsApp: 5283 4131.

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Mr Edward Yau, Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development of the HKSAR Government (second from left); Dr Daniel Yip, Chairman of the Federation of Hong Kong Industries (second from right); Mr Willy Lin, Chairman of HKPC (first from left), and Mr Mohamed Butt, Executive Director of HKPC, pose for a photo at the opening webinar of the "SME ReachOut: Fund Fair Everywhere 2020"

Mr Edward Yau, Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development of the HKSAR Government shares the latest direction of government policy and discuss potential new opportunities for industry under the challenges arising from COVID-19 at the opening thematic webinar titled "How to sustain and reach out your business under COVID-19" of the "SME ReachOut: Fund Fair Everywhere 2020".

At the opening thematic webinar titled "How to sustain and reach out your business under COVID-19" of the "SME ReachOut: Fund Fair Everywhere 2020", Mr Willy Lin, Chairman of HKPC, says HKPC is organising the Fund Fair this year again for SMEs to find suitable government funding schemes, enabling them to adapt to the new normal of the epidemic and develop new markets to get over the downturn.

Dr Daniel Yip, Chairman of the Federation of Hong Kong Industries, as guest speaker of the opening thematic webinar titled "How to sustain and reach out your business under COVID-19" of the "SME ReachOut: Fund Fair Everywhere 2020", shares industry and business views and insights on passing the economic downturn.