The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) is operating Enhanced Catering Business (Social Distancing) Subsidy Scheme under the Anti-epidemic Fund.  The Scheme is now open to applications from eligible food licence holders for a grant of one-off subsidy.  A one-off subsidy will be provided to eligible licence holders of the premises in operation including general restaurants, light refreshment restaurants, marine restaurants and factory canteens in support of payment of employees' salaries from September to November 2020 following approval of the application according to the approved floor area of the licensed premises, as set out in the table below

The enhanced scheme is open for application by those eligible licensees of related food business licences who have satisfied the criteria to apply for Catering Business (Social Distancing) Subsidy Scheme but have not been granted with the subsidy before while their eligibility are still valid, including those licensees with first tranche of subsidies granted under the Employment Support Scheme (ESS) but intend to give up application for the second tranche of subsidies under the ESS.

Applicants who have submitted their applications for CSS and have received the first tranche of subsidy only need to submit all the necessary documents properly in accordance with the requirements of their original applications.  The FEHD will, upon completing the vetting procedures, disburse the second tranche of subsidy under the scheme.

The application period and procedures are set out below:

Eligibility

1. An applicant is required to fulfil the following criteria :

   1. the applicant holds on 29 February 2020 a valid food business licence (full or provisional licence) of any one of the four categories listed in item (3) of Part II of the Application Form for Anti-epidemic Fund – Enhanced Catering Business (Social Distancing) Subsidy Scheme (the Application Form) issued by the FEHD; AND

   2. the related food business licence is valid and the food business is in operation on the date of submission of the application and on the date of approval of the application ; AND

   3. no application for transfer, voluntary surrender or cancellation of food business licence in respect of the licensed food premises is under processing in the period from the date of submission of the application to the date of approval of the application; AND

   4. the food business licence (full or provisional licence) must be valid throughout the whole period from the date of approval of this application till the end of November 2020.  If the licence expires before the end of November 2020, FEHD may consider to recover from the applicant any approved subsidy released and all related expenses incurred; AND

   5. previous subsidy had not been granted to the applicant under Catering Business (Social Distancing) Subsidy Scheme.
2. As an exceptional arrangement, an applicant not holding a valid food business licence on 29 February 2020 may apply for the subsidy, provided that:
   1. in the case of a transfer of licence of one of the four targeted categories listed in item (3) of Part II of the Application Form was made on or before 29 February 2020 –
      
      1. the application was approved after 29 February 2020, and the applicant is the approved transferee after 29 February 2020 ; AND
      2. no subsidy has been granted by FEHD under this Subsidy Scheme to the original licence holder in respect of the licence transferred ; AND
      3. the applicant meets the eligibility criteria in item 1(b), 1(c), 1(d) and 1(e) above.
   2. in the case of a provisional licence held by the applicant in respect of the same premises which has, irrespective of the expiry date, expired –
      
      1. the applicant is successful in obtaining a full licence before close of application for the subsidy (i.e. 14 September 2020); AND
      2. the applicant meets the eligibility criteria in item 1(b), 1(c), 1(d) and 1(e) above.

Means of Application

• Obtaining Application Forms

  During the application period, eligible applicants may download the application form from the FEHD website (www.fehd.gov.hk) or apply online.  Alternatively, they may obtain the form in person at District Environmental Hygiene Offices (DEHOs) during office hours.

  • Notes on filling in and submission of application forms

    Before completing the application form, please read carefully the form, the application criteria and the notes therein.

• Submission of Application Forms
  • Completed application forms should be submitted within the application period by the following means:
    1. Open the electronic form below, fill in all necessary information and submit the application online:
    2. Return the application form by post to the DEHO in the district where the licensed premises are located; or
    3. Submit the application form in person to the DEHO in the district where the licensed premises are located.

       The opening hours of District Environmental Hygiene Offices are as follow : Monday to Friday： 8:45 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Closed on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays Addresses and Telephone Numbers of District Environmental Hygiene Offices

  • An applicant may submit only one application form for each licensed premises.  The provision of personal data in the application form is voluntary.  Multiple applications will not be processed.  An application will not be accepted if the prescribed form is not used or applicants tender late submission or provide insufficient or incorrect information.
  • The application form shall be submitted before 5:00 p.m. on 14 September 2020.  For applications by post, the date of application will be determined according to the postmark date.  Late submissions will not be accepted.

Processing of Application

• FEHD will in general issue an acknowledgement of receipt of application to the applicants upon receipt of applications.  No matter the application is submitted by post, in person or online, FEHD will make use of the local mobile phone number entered or inputted in the application form to issue acknowledgment of receipt of application and provide the relevant application number through SMS.  No acknowledgement and notification of application number through SMS will be made if a local mobile phone number is not provided.
• Applications will be processed and approved by the FEHD in the order they are received.

Conditions for Release of Subsidy

• There was no redundancy of staff and not less than 80% of the subsidies released is used to pay salaries of staff working at the licensed premises stated at item (5) at Part II of the Application Form in each month in the period from September to November 2020.
• The applicant must submit on or before the 22nd day of the month that follows each month in the period from September to November 2020 a certificate issued by a CPA certifying the total staff salaries paid and total number of salaried staff working at the licensed premises for each of the month in the period from September to November 2020 and submit the said certificate in FEHD's prescribed pdf format online to designated account provided by the FEHD in respect of the licensed premises.
• The applicant must withdraw this application if an application is to be made for the second tranche of subsidies under the Employment Support Scheme (ESS) in respect of the licensed premises.

Release of Subsidy

• On approval of the application, each eligible food licence holder for the premises operating a general restaurant, marine restaurant, light refreshment restaurant or factory canteen will receive a grant of subsidy in accordance with the approved floor area of premises as specified on the licence, primarily in support of payment of employees' salaries during the three-month period from September to November 2020.
• The subsidy will be sent to the licensee by a crossed cheque by post to the address of the licensed premises according to the record of FEHD.  The target is that upon approval, the subsidy would be released within about two to three weeks from the date of receiving the application.

Other Points to Note

• The FEHD will only issue one-off subsidy in respect of each licence (if a full licence is subsequently issued to replace the provisional licence held by the applicant, both licences shall be considered as the same licence).
• The Government reserves the right to take appropriate action, including but not limited to refusing an application for subsidy or revoking any approval given and recovering any subsidy granted and all related expenses incurred if false information is given, false declaration is made, or there is a breach of Cap.599F or the direction issued thereunder.
• Upon receipt of subsidy by the licensee of food business, if the related food business licence becomes invalid, is being transferred or voluntarily surrendered or cancelled before this Subsidy Scheme comes to an end on 30 November 2020, the FEHD may consider recovering from the applicant the approved subsidy released and all related expenses incurred.
• The FEHD may publish for public notification the addresses, business registration certificate numbers and food business licence numbers of those licensed food premises in which application under this Subsidy Scheme have been received or approved, and may pass on such information to the ESS processing agency for checking and enforcing against the applicant applying for the second tranche of subsidies under the ESS and this Subsidy Scheme concurrently in respect of all or some of their staff.
• The Government reserves the right to take appropriate action, including but not limited to revoking any approval given and recovering any subsidy granted and all related expenses incurred if there was redundancy of staff or less than 80% of the subsidies released is used to pay salaries of staff working at the licensed premises stated at item (5) at Part II of the Application Form in each month in the period from September to November 2020 or the applicant applies the second tranche of subsidies under the ESS and this Subsidy Scheme concurrently in respect of all or some of their staff.
• It is an offence under the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance (Cap. 201) to offer advantages to government officers in relation to their official duties.
• Applicants may be required to attend an interview and provide documentary proof for the continuing operation of the food business.
• No fee is payable for obtaining or submitting an Application Form.
• The FEHD has not entrusted any organizations/persons to receive/process applications or assist in the submission of applications.
• All matters and information contained in certificates issued by a CPA are subject to further examination, auditing and verification by officers of the FEHD or other authorised officers.

Enquiries

For enquiries, please contact Enhanced Catering Business (Social Distancing) Subsidy Scheme Hotline at 2867 5153 or 2958 0694.