HSBC and HKTDC join forces to help SMEs power growth in Greater Bay Area

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HSBC and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) have inked a strategic partnership to help small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) across all sectors unlock growth potential in the Greater Bay Area (GBA), and connect the wider business community to new opportunities in this dynamic urban cluster.

The partnership will combine the network and connections, market expertise as well as digital capabilities of both HSBC and HKTDC to offer multi-faceted support to Hong Kong SMEs. HSBC will become HKTDC’s GBA strategic partner in four main aspects: co-hosting GBA knowledge and insights on respective digital platforms; organising networking events in mainland GBA cities; conducting proprietary research and providing dedicated services and solutions in their respective fields.

With around 70% companies indicating strong interest to hear economic trends, forecasts and GBA news from experts across related industries in an HSBC survey, the Bank will feed HKTDC’s recently launched GoGBA WeChat Mini Programme with articles and market insights related to doing business in the GBA.

HSBC’s business-to-business community platform – HSBC VisionGo – will also be integrated into the GoGBA app, to aid SMEs with value-added resources from the wider business ecosystems that are beneficial for their cross-border business journey.

Daniel Chan (pictured right), head of greater bay area, HSBC, explained that the GBA is becoming an economic powerhouse comparable to other city clusters globally, presenting new opportunities for businesses across a wide range of sectors.

“We are pleased to forge a new partnership with HKTDC, which enables us to capitalise on our extensive network in the GBA and further scale up our comprehensive support for SMEs. As a key connector in the business community, HSBC is well-positioned to be the go-to bank bridging businesses to the GBA and spanning the globe,” Chan said.

Patrick Lau (pictured left), deputy executive director, HKTDC, said: “Earlier last week, we launched our GoGBA one-stop platform to provide support for SMEs and enterprises both Hong Kong as well as international business community to tap the potential of the GBA. Our T-box programme, launched in April 2020, has already helped more than 1,400 Hong Kong SMEs to enhance their business competitiveness and reach transformation goals in the areas of branding, e-commerce, manufacturing and supply chain solutions, and new market.”

Lau added that to enhance these resources, HKTDC will work with industry leaders who share its goal of creating business opportunities. “We are delighted to work together with HSBC to offer multi-faceted business support for companies to capture more GBA opportunities,” he added.

On top of the GBA knowledge hub, both parties will co-host a series of GBA-themed sharing and free consultation workshops designed for SMEs. Business missions for Hong Kong SMEs to visit mainland GBA cities are also planned when borders re-open, enabling them to experience the opportunities on-the-ground.

HKTDC’s SME support programme Transformation Sandbox (“T-box”) will be extended to HSBC VisionGo members, providing them with a variety of training, consultation and support measures; while HSBC will provide incentive offers on banking products and services for HKTDC T-box and GoGBA users. Research will be jointly developed to give businesses tailored insights into the GBA.

As a leading international bank in the GBA, HSBC has already created sector-specific client coverage teams in order to meet specific business needs in the GBA, in addition to rolling out initiatives such as the first-of-its-kind mobile platform for SMEs with cross-border business needs – HSBC GBA WeChat Mini Programme, and the GBA+ Technology Fund to provide financial liquidity for the region’s high-growth technology sector.

Earlier this month, HKTDC launched the GoGBA one-stop platform, a business support programme that helps companies access the GBA through information and business tools, advisory services and training as well as promotional and networking activities. Its GoGBA WeChat Mini Programme is a practical digital tool offering business information and utilities for cross-border business people.

HSBC's recent initiatives include rolling out a financial education programme campaign for Hong Kong youths in collaboration with Junior Achievement Worldwide, consisting of a competition and a series of activities to equip them with financial knowledge earlier this month. On a similar note, it also launched a new payment solution for schools in Hong Kong in partnership with education management platform eClass earlier this April. The new solution integrates its omni-collect payment solution, HSBC Business Collect, into the eClass Parent app to enable a direct Faster Payment System mobile payment function.

HKTDC had also partnered Tencent Cloud in December last year to provide digital marketing solutions for SMEs. The partnership aimed to provide Hong Kong SMEs with a suitable mobile e-marketing platform to explore more business opportunities in both Hong Kong and China,

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