TSSSU helps teams connected with six designated universities commercialise R&D through a Hong Kong technology startup. For 2026–27, each funded startup may receive up to HK$1.5 million a year for up to three years under TSSSU-O or TSSSU+; TSSSU+ also requires qualifying private investment of at least the funding requested.
Choose the route before building the budget
TSSSU-O is the early-company route; TSSSU+ is for a startup that has demonstrated growth potential and secured qualifying private capital. Company age is measured at the university's application deadline, so check incorporation dates before spending time on a route the company has outgrown.
For TSSSU+, the investor, investment instrument, payment date and recognised matching period all matter. A term sheet, promised investment or founder loan should not be assumed to qualify without confirmation from the university team administering the round.
Make the university connection substantive
Explain which research result is being commercialised, who created it and what the university relationship contributes now. If intellectual property is licensed or shared, set out the licence status, field of use and any approvals still outstanding. A professor's name on an advisory slide does not resolve ownership.
Selection panels also need a company story: the customer, route to market, regulatory or technical milestones and why this team can deliver them. The budget can cover necessary startup operations, R&D and promotion, but it should follow that plan rather than become the plan.
Budget for timing as well as eligibility
The government provides funds to universities mainly by reimbursement after the financial year, although a university may request limited advance payment. Ask the relevant office when the startup is actually paid, what proof it must submit and whether it needs to finance expenditure in the meantime.
Primary sources
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Reviewed by the HK Grant Resource editorial desk on 19 September 2026 against the primary sources above.
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