Digital Transformation Support Pilot Programme (DTSPP), funded by the HKSAR Government with HK$500 million and administrated by Cyberport, is now accepting applications from local food and beverage (F&B) and retail small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) for "Digital Payment Solutions and Shopfront Sales", "Online Promotion", and "Customer Management and Loyalty Solutions" packages.
Funding support will be provided to each eligible and approved SME, covering up to 50% of the total project cost or a maximum of HKD 50,000, whichever is lower. Cyberport hosted the DTSPP Solution Day in early July, where 20 approved solution providers were brought together to showcase their solutions, allowing F&B and retail SMEs to engage with them to boost their digital transformation efforts. The DTSPP aims to address three main pain points of digital transformation for SMEs: difficulty in identifying suitable digital solutions and providers, lack of professional personnel and technical knowledge, and limited funding. It provides funding support for SMEs on a 1:1 matching basis to adopt ready-to-use digital solutions, enabling them to leverage technology to lower operating costs, increase efficiency and enhance their competitiveness.
Over 280 solution packages from 60 solution providers are available for selection by SMEs in the F&B and retail industries. Cyberport will continue to expand the number and categories of digital solutions, providing SMEs with a diverse range of options. Additionally, Cyberport will be hosting information sessions to help match suitable solutions with the specific needs of SMEs.
Mille HK, a crepe cake shop, was one of the first F&B SMEs to apply for the DTSPP and successfully matched with the digital solution provider Wee Creation. Demon Cheung, Director of Mille HK, said: "Our company currently relies mainly on social media platforms like WhatsApp and Instagram to handle customer inquiries, orders, and payments. Manual recording with customer purchasing practice is time-consuming and inefficient. Therefore, we hope to enhance the efficiency of handling customer inquiries and orders through digital solutions, allowing our staff to concentrate on product quality and external promotion. Additionally, by establishing our own mobile membership system, we can regularly provide customers with promotions and new product information. This will not only help strengthen our existing customer base, but also enable us to expand our promotional channels."
Keith Lee, Founder of Wee Creation, said: "Wee Creation provides SMEs with unique branded membership systems, customer ordering devices, cloud-based management systems, and other support, covering e-payment, sales, customer management, and online promotion. The funding support provided by the DTSPP can encourage SMEs to adopt digital solutions. The application process for the Programme is simple and efficient, with the approval completed in a short period, allowing SMEs to quickly start benefiting from the implemented technologies. Moreover, the pre-assessment of the digital solutions by Cyberport gives SMEs an added sense of confidence.”
SMEs can conveniently access the one-stop website dtspp.cyberport.hk for application.
