DBS Foundation reaches out to Hong Kong Social Innovators with a HKD 2 million matching Grant | 繁體

Focuses on incubation and model validation to ensure success of new businesses for good

The Grant aims at grooming and validating new ideas and empowering social entrepreneurs in developing sustainable businesses that help tackle social issues. It will provide funding and incubation support to budding social entrepreneurs, to turn their dreams into business reality and to ensure their success before launch via a vigorous business validation process.

Ms Glendy Chu, Executive Director and Head of Group Strategic Marketing and Communications, DBS Bank (Hong Kong) Limited, said: “DBS Foundation contributes towards building a more inclusive society across Asia. It is another endeavor from DBS Bank to make an even greater impact in addressing Asia’s evolving social needs. It also underscores DBS’ commitment in creating impact beyond banking and igniting possibilities, sparking joy in the community.”

The initiative echoes HKSAR Government’s poverty alleviation measures, and in line with the objective of SIE Fund: to address problems of poverty and social exclusion in Hong Kong with experiment new approaches, in particular through social innovation and cross-sector collaboration.

A Briefing Session is organised today to brief on the Grant’s objectives, eligibility, judging criteria etc. More than 100 social innovators, representatives of NGOs and social entrepreneurs attended. Mr Anthony Wong, Business Director (Policy Research and Advocacy) of HKCSS mentioned in his remarks at the event, “With increasing civil awareness and engagement, “Social Innovation” opens up new opportunities. We have seen more and more social enterprises or innovative projects initiated and operated by entrepreneurs or commercial enterprises.  HKCSS will continue to bridge social capital and encourage collaboration among different sectors for more social innovation projects.”

Mr Cheung Leong, Co-founder and Chairman of Run Our City delivered a keynote speech to the sector, to share on the experiences on validating business idea in market testing.

The Grant is currently open for application until Friday, 10 July 2015, inviting social enterprises and social innovators from both public and private sectors to apply. For application details, please browse the website of the Grant at https://dbsse.hkcss.org.hk.

Photo Captions

Photo 1: Mr Sebastian Paredes (Left), CEO of DBS Bank (Hong Kong) Limited and Mr Chua Hoi-wai (Right) support social innovation.

Photo 2: Over 100 social entrepreneurs and social innovators attended the Briefing Session.

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About DBS Foundation and DBS Social Enterprise Advancement Grant
As a corporate foundation in Asia solely dedicated to championing social entrepreneurship, DBS Foundation contributes towards building a more inclusive society so that those at society’s margins can enjoy productive and rewarding lives. DBS Foundation works with Social Enterprises and Social Entrepreneurs in Singapore, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, India and Indonesia with programmes ranging from venture challenges, learning forums, intensive incubation, project grant support, financing and skilled volunteer mentoring. The Foundation is an endeavor from DBS Bank to make an even greater impact in addressing Asia’s evolving social needs.

Visit us at: www.dbs.com/dbsfoundation.

Launched in Hong Kong in 2013, DBS Social Enterprise Advancement Grant is the first-in-town funding scheme that aims to enhance the commercial viability and social impact of operating social enterprises. In the past two years, 24 social enterprises were benefited by gaining extra resources to implement their advancement solutions, range from up-cycling, food waste management to job creation for the unemployed, the disabled, ex-offenders, ex-mentally ill, etc. The 24 grantees developed over 100 new products/services and provided over 7,000 training hours and 250 job opportunities for those in need. Visit us at: https://dbsse.hkcss.org.hk.