The 2026/27 cross-border research call opens on 12 October and closes on 11 December. Eligible institutional leads must coordinate submissions on both sides.
At a glance
- Applications for the Guangdong-Hong Kong and Shenzhen-Hong Kong 2026/27 calls run from 12 October to 11 December 2026; they are not open on the announcement date, 7 October.
- A Hong Kong R&D Centre or designated local public research institute must lead the application. This is not an individual youth grant.
- Partners must submit simultaneously to the Hong Kong and relevant Mainland authorities. A unilateral submission is not accepted.
- The separate Mainland-Hong Kong category involving the Ministry of Science and Technology will have application details announced later.
What has been announced
Hong Kong's Innovation and Technology Commission announced the next application window on 7 October for projects jointly funded with Guangdong and Shenzhen under the Mainland-Hong Kong Technology Cooperation Funding Scheme, or MHKTCFS. The window starts on 12 October and ends on 11 December 2026. Proposals must address the specific themes or topics in the applicable call. The announcement gives research teams time to prepare; it does not mean an application can be lodged immediately or that funding has been awarded.
Who can lead a Hong Kong application
The scheme's published rules identify R&D Centres and designated local public research institutes as eligible lead applicants. Collaborative projects can involve an industry co-applicant: a company incorporated in Hong Kong under the Companies Ordinance, or an industry support organisation, trade or industry association, or professional body with legal capacity to enter into contracts. A student, researcher or start-up founder should therefore establish whether an eligible institutional lead and the appropriate industry partner are in place, rather than treating the call as a grant available directly to any individual.
Two submissions, one coordinated proposal
Research and development must take place in both the Mainland and Hong Kong. The partners must make simultaneous submissions to the Innovation and Technology Commission and the corresponding Mainland authority; unilateral submissions will not be accepted. Funding requires support from both sides. Mainland partner eligibility is determined by the relevant Mainland authority, so Hong Kong eligibility alone cannot settle the whole consortium's position. Teams should check the applicable Guangdong or Shenzhen topics and forms together, and agree which institution owns each submission and its deadline.
Budget, duration and intellectual property
The scheme rules set a maximum project duration of 24 months. Platform projects require industry sponsorship of at least 10 per cent of project cost, while collaborative projects require at least 50 per cent. Intellectual property arrangements also differ: the lead applicant owns IP for platform projects, while an industry co-applicant contributing at least 50 per cent owns IP for collaborative projects. These are scheme conditions, not a promise of a particular award amount. Applicants should read the current guidance and resolve contributions, deliverables and ownership before submitting.
A practical preparation checklist
For a research team working across Hong Kong, Shenzhen or the wider Guangdong network, the immediate task is to match its proposed R&D to the call's actual themes. Confirm the eligible lead, Mainland partner and industry contribution, then align the research plan, timetable and budget across both applications. The scheme states that applications should be in Chinese. Preparation should include enough time for institutional review and the corresponding Mainland process. Keep the official guidance that applies to the selected category, rather than borrowing dates or requirements from another funding programme.
What remains separate
The commission says details for the Mainland-Hong Kong category involving the Ministry of Science and Technology will be announced later. The 12 October to 11 December window should not be applied to that category without its own notice. Nor does today's announcement establish a successful award, payment or entitlement for any institution. For readers exploring Greater Bay Area research collaboration, the useful opportunity is a defined route for a jointly prepared project, with eligibility and assessment still to be satisfied on both sides.
Sources and image disclosure
2026/27 Mainland-Hong Kong Technology Cooperation Funding Scheme announcement
MHKTCFS eligibility and scheme rules
Reporting is based on the linked official sources published or reviewed on 7 October 2026. The cover and contextual image are AI-generated editorial illustrations, not documentary photographs.