U*Star Award

<This award was closed and no longer available for application>

1. Objectives

Administered by the HKUST Entrepreneurship Center (EC), the HKUST Dream Builder Funds includes the Alumni Endowment Fund Student Start-up Grants (AEF), Entrepreneurship Acceleration Fund (EAF), U*STAR Award and Yeung Wing Yee Entrepreneurs Fund (YWYEF), which are all aimed at supporting startup ideas, projects and business initiated and/or owned by HKUST members (students, alumni, faculty):

1.1 To support, in the form of funding/ award/ resources/ services, etc., for startups of different entrepreneurial stages in order to facilitate their ideation, development and acceleration;

1.2 To promote and engage HKUST members in cross-disciplinary collaboration to transform innovative ideas into concrete and value-added solutions for society; and

1.3 To foster an entrepreneurial culture among the HKUST community, cultivating and enhancing HKUST members’ entrepreneurial spirit, mindset, skills and potentials for the pursuit of entrepreneurial dreams.

2. U*STAR Award Amount and Scope of Activities Covered

2.1 Maximum Award Amount Per Project: Up to HK $50,000

2.2 Scope of Activities Covered:

• Business Registration
• Product/ Service Development
• Prototyping, including justifiable equipment/ materials
• Marketing, promotional materials
• Cloud rental for trials
• Further development of existing projects

3. Eligibility

3.1 Applicants can apply for the Award on an individual or team basis. Each application should name one Principal Applicant (Person-in-Charge) who must be a current student of HKUST. In accordance with the spirit of the U*STAR Award to encourage entrepreneurial technology transfer with new business creation based on the University technologies and research outputs, priority will be given to teams with a mixed background of different majors / departments / schools of HKUST and teams using HKUST-owned technologies or inventions.

3.4 Proposed projects and business plans must be based on University technologies and/or research output; the business model should demonstrate potential for industrial or commercial applications and leads to commercialization opportunities. Projects that solely focus on research are not eligible.

4. Startup Support for Award Recipients and Project Duration

All award recipients are entitled to the following startup support:

• Accelerator Space and Facilities: access to hot desk in co-working space, meeting rooms, mail box, storage locker, etc. at theBASE
• Mentoring by entrepreneurs and experts in MentorHUB@HKUST
• Advising by staff from Entrepreneurship Center and the Technology Transfer Center
• Referrals and/or nominations to internal and external opportunities (e.g. competitions, activities, funding sources, etc.
• Nomination to other sources of funds such as the Technology tart-up Support Scheme for Universities ("TSSSU") program at HKUST.

Project typically lasts for 6 months after the project commencement date.

5. Application, Terms and Conditions, Selection and Disbursement Details

5.1 Online Application [Closed]

5.2 Before application, please read the Application Notes for all the terms and conditions, selection criteria, vetting procedures and disbursement conditions.

5.3 Checklist of supporting documents to be uploaded to online application:

• Budget Estimation (please download the template here)
• Proof of External Achievements/ Funds/ Awards Received, if applicable
• Other Supporting Documents, if any

5.4 Application deadline: 28 Feb 2021 for 2020-21 Spring round exercise 

6. Enquiries

The Secretariat of HKUST Dream Builder Funds
HKUST Entrepreneurship Center
Tel: (852) 2358 6021
Email: ecfund@ust.hk

Personal Data (Privacy) Collection Statement:

- The personal data provided by you will be used by staff in HKUST Entrepreneurship Center (EC) for purposes related to the processing of administrative, research and statistical purposes.

- The personal data (including name, address, email and contact number) provided by you will be used by HKUST EC staff for delivering information including any events and functions to be held, and other affairs and activities related to EC. This personal data will not be transferred to other external parties for purposes as stated above, except commissioned research consultants and agencies for marketing activities as stated above.

- Under the provision of the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance, you have rights to request access to, and to request the correction of, your personal data. For such requests, please submit written requests to ecenter@ust.hk.