Cyberport Incubation Programme Graduation Rule: Show HK$400,000 of Eligible Spending Before You Leave
Cyberport incubatees must submit audited financial statements or an agreed-upon-procedures report showing at least HK$400,000 spent on Eligible Items during the incubation period before they can graduate.
Graduation from the Cyberport Incubation Programme (CIP) requires proof of spending. On graduation, incubatees must submit Audited Financial Statements or an Agreed-Upon Procedures Report showing minimum expenses of HK$400,000 on Eligible Items during the incubation period (Source: Cyberport Incubation Programme page, no publication or update date shown on the page, checked 2026-10-01). Two practical points follow: the programme runs for 24 months, and Cyberport's own page does not define what counts as an Eligible Item.
What exactly has to be shown at graduation?
The graduation condition is a document plus a threshold, both stated on the Cyberport Incubation Programme page (publication date not shown, checked 2026-10-01):
| Requirement | What the programme states |
|---|---|
| Evidence | Audited Financial Statements or an Agreed-Upon Procedures Report |
| Threshold | Minimum expenses of HK$400,000 on Eligible Items |
| Period covered | The incubation period |
| Timing | Upon graduation |
Nothing in the reviewed Cyberport materials specifies the audit threshold, the reporting format template, or what happens if the figure falls short.
What counts as an Eligible Item?
The sources reviewed does not define it. The Cyberport Incubation Programme page uses the capitalised term "Eligible Items" in the graduation requirement but publishes no list, no exclusion list, and no caps for it (checked 2026-10-01). Treat the definition as something to obtain directly from Cyberport in writing before you plan your spending, rather than assuming it covers payroll, marketing, or equipment.
What must stay true while you are incubating?
Presence in Hong Kong is a continuing obligation, not a graduation checkbox. All incubatees must maintain local presence with at least one local authorised representative physically working in Hong Kong; that representative can be a founder or a local full-time employee (Cyberport Incubation Programme page, checked 2026-10-01).
The same page also states that on-site incubatees at Cyberport get rent-free working space, plus free access to shared facilities such as shared meeting rooms, conference halls and shared working spaces (checked 2026-10-01). So rent-free space applies to the on-site cohort; whether a given company is placed on-site is a placement fact the page does not set out.
What funding does CIP actually provide?
Headline figures from the Cyberport Incubation Programme page (publication date not shown, checked 2026-10-01): up to HK$500,000 in financial assistance and HK$200,000 on-site rental subsidy across a 24-month journey. The staged amounts below come from the funding-details graphic embedded on that same page (funding-details_en.png, no date shown, checked 2026-10-01):
| Component | Amount | Trigger per the graphic |
|---|---|---|
| Initial working capital grant | HK$100,000 | On admission |
| Six-month progress review grants | Month 6: HK$50,000; Month 12: HK$50,000; Month 24: HK$100,000 | Completion of all six-month Progress Reviews; up to HK$200,000 in total |
| Performance-driven assessment grant | Up to HK$200,000 | 2-Tiered assessment |
| On-site rental subsidy | HK$200,000 | Per the programme page |
Because the eligibility of spending drives graduation, the useful habit is to reconcile every grant tranche against the Eligible Items definition you obtained from Cyberport, while the expenditure is still being incurred.
Who can apply, and when are the deadlines?
Eligibility and timing, both from the Cyberport Incubation Programme page (checked 2026-10-01):
- A digital tech company limited by shares, incorporated in Hong Kong for less than 7 years, or in the process of incorporation, at the application deadline.
- A viable business plan with a product that can be brought to market within 12 to 18 months.
- Founders collectively holding at least 51% of the company shares, or having absolute control.
- Deadlines listed on the page: the June 2026 intake closed 1 April 2026; the October 2026 intake closes 3 August 2026; the February 2027 intake closes 1 December 2026, with review in December 2026 to January 2027 and announcement in February 2027. The page's current status note says applications for the next intake will open soon.
Teams not yet incorporated are pointed to the Cyberport Creative Micro Fund (CCMF) as a starting point before entering CIP (same page, checked 2026-10-01).
Does the programme change soon?
The Cyberport Incubation Programme page carries a programme update notice stating that CIP will undergo enhancements to better support startup growth and development, with details of the updated programme to be announced soon (checked 2026-10-01). Whether the February 2027 intake will run on the current funding amounts and eligibility criteria is not stated on the page.
FAQ
Can I graduate without an audit?
The requirement allows either audited financial statements or an agreed-upon-procedures report, so a full audit is not the only route (Cyberport Incubation Programme page, checked 2026-10-01). Which one suits your company depends on your auditor and the reporting basis, which the page does not specify.
Does the founder have to be the one physically in Hong Kong?
No. The requirement is at least one local authorised representative physically working in Hong Kong, and Cyberport's page states this can be a founder or a local full-time employee (checked 2026-10-01).
Is the workspace really free?
For on-site incubatees at Cyberport, the page lists rent-free working space and free use of shared meeting rooms, conference halls and shared working spaces (checked 2026-10-01). The on-site rental subsidy figure of HK$200,000 is stated separately on the same page.
Where do I find the list of Eligible Items?
It is not published in the material reviewed here. The graduation wording uses the term "Eligible Items" without defining it (Cyberport Incubation Programme page, checked 2026-10-01), so ask the programme office directly and keep the answer in writing.
Our company is not incorporated yet — can we still apply?
Yes, applications are accepted from companies in the process of incorporation, up to the application deadline (Cyberport Incubation Programme page, checked 2026-10-01). Cyberport's page also suggests CCMF as a starting point for teams not yet incorporated.
