Vetting Criteria

What are the vetting criteria of the Innovation and Technology Support Programme (ITSP)?

In considering proposals, due consideration will be given to, inter alia, the following wherever applicable:

  1. the potential of the project to facilitate general upgrading and future development of one or more sectors in industry; contribute to innovation and technology upgrading of the economy, and broaden the scientific and technical knowledge base of the economy;

  2. whether there is substantial contribution from the relevant industries in particular in the form of cash sponsorship (except for Tier 3);

  3. whether there is a demonstrated need for the proposed project, for example, support from relevant bureaux/government departments, if applicable;

  4. whether similar products, technologies or services are already available in the market, and whether the project is duplicating or likely to duplicate the work carried out by other institutions;

  5. the overall planning and organizational structure of the project and the technical and project management capability of the project team i.e. the project team members' experience, qualifications, track record, and the resources available for the project;

  6. whether the proposed budget is reasonable and realistic and whether the project should be funded by other sources, such as the Research Grants Council, the Health and Health Services Research Fund and the Research Fund for the Control of Infectious Diseases;

  7. for proposals involving the collaboration between a private company and a local research institute, whether the R&D content merits the participation of the local research institute and the commitment of the company and the research institute to the project in terms of financial contribution and manpower involvement; and whether the project should be delivered by the company as part of its normal business activities and development or service engagement; and

  8. (for Tier 3) whether the proposal is exploratory, forward-looking and innovative in nature; the project has exceptional merits (e.g. with major technology breakthrough); the project has considerable innovation and technology contents; and the potential market needs and interest of the project (e.g. amount of industry contribution secured, albeit not a mandatory requirement).