Latest News of Oct 2026

The Fourteenth Tranche of the Innovation and Technology Fund for Application in Elderly and Rehabilitation Care (I&T Fund) is open for application from 9 October 2026 to 8 January 2027.  For details, please click here and refer to the invitation letter issued by the Social Welfare Department on 7 October 2026 to all eligible organisations.

The legislative procedures for the Residential Care Homes (Elderly Persons) (Amendment) Regulation 2026 and the Residential Care Homes (Persons with Disabilities) (Amendment) Regulation 2026 (the Amendment Regulations) have been completed and will come into operation on 14 October 2026 to establish the new professional rank of “health and care practitioners”.
For information on health and care practitioner registration, please click here.

The Social Welfare Department (SWD) has earlier invited eligible non-government organisations to submit proposals for operating a new Integrated Family Service Centre (IFSC) in Kwu Chun Estate, Kwu Tung, Sheung Shui, New Territories. A Vetting Committee (VC) was set up to conduct assessment on the proposals received. Upon recommendation of the VC, SWD has selected Hong Kong Young Women’s Christian Association to operate the IFSC.

The Residential Care Service Voucher Scheme for the Elderly (the Scheme) temporarily suspend accepting applications for joining the Scheme as a Recognised Service Provider since 1 October 2026 (Thursday). The arrangement of receiving applications would be updated. The related details will be announced at appropriate time in the “What’s New” of SWD website.

For enquiries, please contact the following responsible officers of Residential Care Service Voucher Office:
 

The Social Welfare Department rolls out the three-year “Pilot Programme on Community Living Room” – Kwai Chung Community Living Room Project, which is subsidised by the Community Care Fund. For details, please click here.

"The IT Scheme for People with Visual Impairment" (12th round) and "Central Fund for Personal Computers" (54th round) now accept applications.  The deadline for both is on 13 October 2026.

The IT Scheme for People with Visual Impairment supports non-profit-making organisations providing services or schooling for PVI and tertiary institutions to acquire advanced Chinese screen readers, Braille displays and accessories/portable devices to facilitate PVI's browsing the Internet, and to subsidise individual PVI with financial difficulties to purchase these assistive devices for meeting their needs on studying or employment.

The Central Fund for Personal Computers aims to assist persons with disabilities in acquiring the necessary computer facilities for self-employment or receiving supported employment service at home.

Invitations have been issued to the relevant organisations for making nominations and applications.

Details and application forms of the two schemes are available on the SWD’s website and CyberAble.net. 

Enquiries can be made to Rehabilitation and Medical Social Services Branch, Social Welfare Department:

Telephone: 3586 3594 or Email Address: mcorenq@swd.gov.hk

The Social Welfare Department (SWD) has earlier invited bona fide non-profit-making organisation currently operating service(s) of Home Care Services for Persons with Severe Disabilities, Integrated Support Service for Persons with Severe Physical Disabilities, Community Rehabilitation Day Centre and/or regularised ICRC subvented by the SWD to submit proposal for operating 14 ICRC(s).  A Vetting Committee (VC) was set up to conduct assessment of all the proposals received.  Upon the VC’s recommendations, SWD has selected the following NGOs to operate the Service.

The Social Welfare Department is now inviting eligible local non-governmental organisations (NGOs), social enterprises (SEs), non-profit-making organisations, private organisations, and licensed private hospitals to submit applications for joining the CCSV Scheme as Recognised Service Providers (RSPs) to provide community care services to eligible elderly persons.  The eligible NGOs, non-profit-making organisations and SEs can also apply for a one-off set-up cost for purchase of vehicle as well as furniture and equipment to meet the needs of service operation. For details of the CCSV Scheme, please click here. 

The application must meet the requirements and the prescribed format as stipulated in the document of ‘Invitation for Applications - Community Care Service Voucher Scheme for the Elderly (Recognised Service Providers)’ and its Annexes (SWD/EB/RCSV/IOP/11).

"Invitation for Application" can be downloaded here.
“RSP Application Form” can be downloaded here.
“Application Form for Set-up cost” can be downloaded here.
 

An Applicant must submit two (2) hard copies of its Application Form and one soft copy (saved in a USB in Microsoft Word format) together with the supporting documents as required by post (the postmark date on the envelop will be regarded as the date of submission of application) or by hand before 5:00 p.m. on 9 November 2026 in a sealed envelope marked “CONFIDENTIAL -Application for Joining the Community Care Service Voucher Scheme for the Elderly as Recognised Service Provider” to the following address:

Community Care Service Voucher Office
Elderly Branch 
Social Welfare Department
[Attention: Senior Social Work Officer (Community Care Service Voucher)]
Room 2601-05A, 26/F
Two Chinachem Exchange Square
338 King’s Road, North Point, Hong Kong

Late submission will not be accepted.  In case the black rainstorm signal is issued or tropical cyclone warning signal No. 8 or above is hoisted or extreme condition is announced by the Government between 2:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. on 9 November 2026 (the closing date of the submission of applications), the closing time for submitting applications will be extended to 5:00 p.m. on the first ensuing working day without further announcement.

Briefing Session for Invitation for Applications for Joining the CCSV Scheme as RSP

Each organisation would have a maximum of two quotas.  Applicants who are interested in attending the briefing session should make online enrolment via the following link or before 23 September 2026 (Wednesday).

For further enquiries, please contact the following persons of the Community Care Service Voucher Office:

The Social Welfare Department rolls out the three-year “Pilot Programme on Community Living Room” – Jordan Community Living Room Project, which is subsidised by the Community Care Fund. For details, please click here.

Application for the “Professional Diploma Subsidy Scheme for Health and Care Practitioner (2026 - 29)” is now open. For details, please click here.

The Social Welfare Department rolls out the three-year “Pilot Programme on Community Living Room” – Tsuen Wan Community Living Room Project, which is subsidised by the Community Care Fund. For details, please click here.

The Social Welfare Department (SWD) has earlier invited non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and schools to submit applications for operating the Eleventh Batch of Child Development Fund (CDF) Projects.  Upon the recommendation of the Vetting Committee, SWD has awarded 30 projects to 17 NGOs and 9 projects (including 1 joint-school project) to 9 schools.

List of the operators of the Eleventh Batch of CDF projects can be downloaded here.

The Government launched the “School-based After School Care Service Scheme” (the Scheme) in the 2023/24 school year to provide focused support for families in need.  With funding from the Community Care Fund (CCF), non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are responsible for operating school-based after school care service at venues provided by schools, with a view to allowing primary students in need to stay after school to receive care and learning support,  thereby reducing the stress on parenting and care on parents/guardians, and at the same time enabling parents/guardians, who originally had to take care of their children after school, to choose to take up jobs and improve their livelihood.  Both single-parent and dual-income families will be benefited. As promulgated in 2025 Policy Address, the Scheme will be enhanced by lifting the cap for the number of places to expand support from primary students and parents in need.  The Scheme will be continued in the 2026/27 school year.  

The Social Welfare Department (SWD) is now inviting eligible NGOs (Paragraph 4 of the Service Specifications) to apply for joining the Scheme for the 2026/27 school year as Approved Service Providers (ASPs).  NGOs interested may liaise with the participating schools according to the location of their service units for discussing the implementation details in accordance with the content, procedures and guidelines set out in the Service Specifications and submit the application form (Annex 1 of the Service Specifications) to CCF Team of SWD as soon as possible*(Paragraph 40 of the Service Specifications).  The list of participating schools will be uploaded to SWD’s website after the briefing. [*If the Scheme is to commence in September 2026, please submit the application form on or before 31 July 2026.]

The Labour and Welfare Bureau/SWD and Education Bureau will form an interdepartmental working group to vet all application forms.  Upon approval of the applications submitted by NGOs, CCF Team of SWD will notify the results within one month after receiving the application forms so that the NGOs and participating schools can implement the after school care service.

To allow interested NGOs and schools having better understanding on the Scheme and the above-mentioned arrangement, the SWD is going to organise an online briefing session with details as follows:

Eligible and interested NGOs may download and return the completed reply slip to the Youth Section of the SWD on or before 13 July 2026 (Monday) by email (email address: sba@swd.gov.hk).

For enquiries, please contact the following responsible officers of the Youth Section:

Online Briefing Reply Slip (in Chinese)
Service Specifications (in Chinese)
Annex 1 – ASP Application Form for 2026/27 School Year (in Chinese)

Following the online briefing held by the Social Welfare Department on 16 July 2026, documents below are provided.

PowerPoint Slides (in Chinese)
Frequently Asked Questions (in Chinese)
List of Service Units Willing to Participate in the 26-27 School-based After School Care Service Scheme (as at 21.7.2026) (in Chinese)
List of Participating Schools (as at 2.10.2026) (in Chinese)

Information on additional and planned places of rehabilitation services for the period of July 2026 to September 2026 has been announced.  Please download the information here.

• Starting from 28 July 2023, the Social Welfare Department (SWD) expands the Residential Care Services Scheme in Guangdong. The expansion measures include to invite applications from operators of residential care homes for the elderly (RCHEs) with experience and satisfactory track records in providing subsidised elderly residential care services in Hong Kong and are operating RCHE(s) in Mainland cities of the Greater Bay Area (GBA) to register their RCHE(s) in GBA cities as the Recognised Service Provider (RSP) under the GDRCS Scheme. The deadline for accepting application for this year is on 30 April 2026 and results are expected to be announced by year end.
• For the details of the Residential Care Services Scheme in Guangdong, you may click here. 
• Joining the Residential Care Services Scheme in Guangdong as Recognised Service Providers, please click here to download the Invitation for Proposal and annexes. (Chinese version only)
• For enquiries, you may contact the Residential Care Services Section of Elderly Branch.

• Starting from 28 July 2023, the Social Welfare Department (SWD) expands the Residential Care Services Scheme in Guangdong. The expansion measures include to cover elderly persons waitlisting under the Central Waiting List for subsidised nursing home places.
• Currently, nursing home places are provided at The Hong Kong Jockey Club Shenzhen Society for Rehabilitation Yee Hong Heights and The Hong Kong Jockey Club Helping Hand Zhaoqing Home for the Elderly only.

Eligibility Criteria
The elderly persons who have been assessed and matched for residential care services under the Standardised Care Need Assessment Mechanism for Elderly Services and are waitlisted for subsidised care and attention places or nursing home places on the Central Waiting List (CWL) for Subsidised Long Term Care (LTC) Services.

How to Apply

1. Elderly persons who are waitlisted for subsidised residential care services in the CWL and would like to apply for the Residential Care Services Scheme in Guangdong may contact their responsible workers to file an application for GDRCS Scheme.
2. New applicants of LTC services may approach Medical Social Services Units, Integrated Family Service Centres or elderly centres to make an application and request for referral for subsidised LTC services.  Through initial screening and assessment as appropriate, they may apply for LTC service, including GDRCS Scheme, in accordance with their assessment results after their care needs have been ascertained in the Standardised Care Needs Assessment.

• For the details of the Residential Care Services Scheme in Guangdong, you may click here.
• For enquiries, you may contact the Residential Care Services Section of Elderly Branch at 2961 7234.

For details of the SPED and application eligibility, please click here.