“Well Being · Start-Up” programme | Hong Kong Housing Authority and Housing Department

To encourage and support young people in pursuing their entrepreneurial dreams, the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) has launched the Well Being · Start-Up programme, which offers shop premises in shopping centres under the HA for them to trial their business plans rent-free.

The programme targets individuals aged 35 or below and will run for seven months, from October 2024 to April 2025. Participants will not need to pay rent and will receive assistance with basic shop renovation and marketing. The HA will regularly review the business performance of the participants. If participants make a profit, the HA will charge 20 percent of their net profits to fund the programme to support its ongoing development.

The application period for the programme closed on 31 August 2024, with about 180 applications received. The HA ultimately selected 17 teams to operate in its seven shopping centres.

“Well Being · Start-Up 2.0” Programme

To support the stable growth of entrepreneurial teams from the programme's initial phase, the HA will provide a three-year staged rental at discounted market rents after the first phase of the programme ends. This enables the entrepreneurs to allocate funds flexibly for their investment in business development and gradually adapt to market rental levels in their business operations. The HA will conduct annual reviews to ensure the programme effectively fosters the sustainable development of these teams. In addition, the HA has also expanded the total number of shops to 12, creating more entrepreneurial opportunities for young people.

Selected Shopping Centres and Public Housing Estates

Under the programme, the HA provides a total of 12 shops for young people to start their businesses. The HA will regularly review the participating shops in the programme. The participating shopping centres and estates are as follows:

For details on the “Well Being · Start-Up 2.0” Programme participants and their assigned locations, please visit the following link:

Programme participants and their assigned locations

Commercial Sector’s Participation

To extend the coverage and impact of the programme, the HA also encourages private shopping centres and landlords in the commercial sector to join the programme. So far, the HA has garnered support from more than 10 organizations to provide some 40 shops and pop-up stores. The commercial sector will develop tailored programmes based on the uniqueness of the shops to address the diverse needs of youth entrepreneurship.