HKCSS-HSBC Social Enterprise Business Centre supports social enterprises with funding and know-how

Advising people on how to take an entrepreneurial approach in helping both themselves and the environment is increasingly seen as one of the most effective corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategies that businesses can engage in.

“The sector is definitely growing rapidly,” says Howard Ling, chief consultant of the HKCSS-HSBC Social Enterprise Business Centre. “There are currently over 400 social enterprises active in Hong Kong.”

Commercial opportunities have been spotted across a broad spectrum of the economy, with these local enterprises engaged in everything from car cleaning to recycling and from babysitting to caring for the elderly.

HSBC and the Hong Kong Council of Social Service (HKCSS), a federation of non-government social service agencies, set up the business centre in 2009 to incubate and offer consultancy services to social enterprises. 

“We have consulted over 100 social enterprises in Hong Kong in the past five years,” Ling says. “These social businesses include Happy Veggies, My Concept, New Life 330, ibakery, I+O event management, Add Oil Music, and Good Points.”

“HKCSS is responsible for the management of the centre and HSBC is the major and founding funder. The Li & Fung Foundation is another funder and McKinsey, KPMG, the Law Society of Hong Kong, DBS, Microsoft, Hong Kong Broadband Network and the Peninsula Group provide either grants or business support to many social enterprises. The MBA Alumni Association of the Chinese University of Hong Kong and Hong Kong Polytechnic University also support the centre.”