The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) has established the Catering Business Subsidy Scheme under the Fourth Round of the Anti-epidemic Fund and is now accepting applications.  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 according to the approved floor area of the licensed premises, as set out in the table below.

Each eligible catering outlet conducting nightclub business and whole of its licensed premises has been closed pursuant to the directions issued under the Prevention and Control of Diseases (Requirements and Directions) (Business and Premises) Regulation (Cap. 599F) (the Directions) when the directions are in effect is eligible for a further one-off subsidy of $50,000.

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 or before 8 December 2020 a valid food business licence (full or provisional licence) of any one of the four categories (i.e. general restaurants, light refreshment restaurants, marine restaurants and factory canteens) 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 applicant holds the related valid licence in (a) above on the date of approval of the application (if the application for subsidy is submitted in respect of a provisional licence and the validity period of the provisional licence is less than one month on the date of submission of application, the related full licence has to be obtained either before the expiry of the provisional licence or close of application for the subsidy); AND
   5. the applicant is not subject to any bankruptcy or winding up procedure/proceedings/order at the time of the application and thereafter up to the grant of subsidy.
2. As an exceptional arrangement, an applicant not holding a valid food business licence on 8 December 2020 may apply for the subsidy, provided that:
   1. in the case of a transfer of licence of one of the four targeted categories (i.e. general restaurants, light refreshment restaurants, marine restaurants and factory canteens) was made on or before 8 December 2020 –
      1. the application was approved after 8 December 2020, and the applicant is the approved transferee ; 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 items (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.28 January 2021); AND
      2. the applicant meets the eligibility criteria in items (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.

    If the licensee of the food business licence is not the operator the food business conducted at the above licensed premises, the applicant shall submit a declaration signed by the operator or one of the operators of the food business at the licensed premises declaring his/her support for the licensee to apply for the subsidy and a copy of Business Registration Certificate in respect of the catering business at that licensed premises should be attached.

• 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 28 January 2021. 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.

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 one-off subsidy in accordance with the approved floor area of the licensed premises, the subsidy is to be disbursed in two equal tranche, provided that the applicant is not subject to any bankruptcy or winding up procedure/proceedings/order when the subsidy is to be granted.
• The subsidy released will be sent to the licensee by a crossed cheque by post to the address of the licensed premises according to the record of the FEHD.  The target is that upon approval, the subsidy would be released within about two weeks from the date of receiving the application.
• The target is that upon approval, the Additional subsidy of $50,000 for an eligible licensed premises conducting nightclub business which had closed the whole of the premises under the Directions would be released within about two weeks from the date of receiving the application.

Other Points to Note

• Applicant is required to indicate on application form whether the catering business at the licensed premises is operated by the licensee and provide the required document as appropriate.
• Besides automatic acknowledgement of receipt of application and notification of application number through the system for online application, the FEHD will in general issue an acknowledgement of application to the applicant on receipt of application.  No matter the application is submitted by post, in person or through online, the FEHD will make use of the local mobile phone number entered or input in the application form to issue acknowledgment of receipt of application and the relevant application number through SMS.  No acknowledgement and notification of application number through SMS will be made if local mobile phone number is not provided.
• 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 directions issued thereunder or the licensing conditions of the relevant food business licence.
• The FEHD may publish for public notification the addresses and food business licence numbers of those licensed food premises in which application under this Subsidy Scheme have been received or approved.
• 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.
• For enquiry, please visit FEHD website (www.fehd.gov.hk) or contact respective District Environmental Hygiene Offices.
• The FEHD has not entrusted any organisations/persons to receive/process applications or assist in the submission of applications.