ITC STEM Internship Scheme (for Employers ONLY)

Introduction

The Innovation and Technology Commission (“ITC”) has set up the STEM Internship Scheme (the “Scheme”) to subsidise students taking STEM programmes in local universities to enrol in short-term internships, with a view to encouraging STEM students to gain innovation and technology (“I&T”)- related work experience during their studies and to foster their interest in pursuing a career in I&T after graduation, so as to enlarge the local I&T talent pool.

For Interested Employers

Please register with Career and Leadership Centre (CLC) by completing the online form. To allow sufficient processing time, employers are encouraged to submit all necessary documents at least 2 weeks before the commencement of internship.

Application Method

Please refer to the flow chart to gain an understanding of Employer Registration and Student Eligibility Check process. Please also carefully read through the Important Notes on Allowance and Financial Arrangements.

Guideline & Online Seminar for Employers

For details, please click here for the quick notes

The online seminars have successfully concluded. To facilitate the ongoing application process, the presentation slides are now available for your future reference: Employer Session

Major Timeline for AY2025-2026

	Employer Registration & Student Eligibility Check Period	Internship Period	Disbursement schedule^
Semester A	Late August - Mid October	Early September - Mid December	March to May
Winter Break	Mid November - Early December	Early December - Early January	March to May
Semester B	Early January - Mid March	Mid January - Late April	July to September
Summer Break	MidApril - Late July	Early May - Late August	October to December

^ Disbursement will be handled by batches and the actual disbursement schedule will depend on the receipt of ALL required documents

Student’s Eligibility

Local or non-local students currently enrolled as full-time students of City University of Hong Kong.
Undergraduates or postgraduates from any year of studies enrolling on one of the full-time eligible STEM programmes funded by the University Grants Committee (“UGC”).
Legally employable in Hong Kong.
Students cannot concurrently receive other internship subsidies provided by the Hong Kong SAR Government.
The internship funded by the Scheme should not be arranged to meet the compulsory requirement for graduation of a degree programme. However, if the internship period is longer than that duration of the compulsory requirement, the portion of period in excess could be covered by the Scheme, if the other requirements stipulated in the Guidelines are met.
Student, or any of his/her relatives, is not the proprietor, director, partner, shareholder, person-in-charge or team member of the host company for which the internship is attached.
Student is required to fill out the declaration form for each internship.

Internship Requirements

Full-time (no less than 35 hours per week) placements with a duration of no less than 4 consecutive weeks (28 calendar days) and no more than 90 calendar days per student intern in one academic year (i.e. 1 September to 31 August of the following year). The start and end days of the internship should be on working days. If the start/end day falls on a Saturday, Sunday or Public Holiday, it will be regarded as unpaid leave.
Students who are taking 14 days of unpaid leave or more in the whole internship period will not be accepted.
The placements must be Innovation and Technology-related with its actual work containing innovation and technology elements (e.g. technology-related intellectual property work, engineering, digital marketing, data analysis, etc.).
The students should not be previously hired by the same employer in the same academic year for the internships under the Scheme.

Student Allowance

The allowance for the internship of each student intern is HK$11,790 per month* (i.e. for the purpose of calculating allowance under the Scheme, one month has 30 days) with effect from 1 April 2026, capped at three months (i.e. 90 days, maximum at HK$35,370) in one academic year (i.e. 1 September to 31 August of the following year). The allowance will be disbursed to student interns via CityUHK directly. The amount of allowance is subject to review and adjustment by the funding body.

Unless student applicants obtain the necessary documents and statutory declarations as "Student Intern" or "Work Experience Student" for minimum wage exemptions before their internship begins, the Minimum Wage Ordinance applies. Employers must pay at least the Statutory Minimum Wage for the entire employment period, regardless of any allowances from CityUHK under the Scheme. Statutory Minimum Wage exemptions apply to "Student Interns" and "Work Experience Students."

• Student Interns
For “Student Interns”, student applicants should complete the Confirmation of Student Status for “Student Intern”, seek endorsement from their home College/School and provide the document to the employers.

• Work Experience Students
For “Work Experience Students”, student applicants should complete the Confirmation of Student Status for “Work Experience Student”, seek endorsement from the student applicants’ home College/School, obtain the statutory declaration through Home Affairs Enquiry Centre, and provide these documents to the employers. In this case, from the 60th day onwards, the Employer will need to fulfil the minimum wage requirement under the prevailing legislation, and pay the “Work Experience Students” no less than the minimum wage for the period of employment beyond the continuous period of the 59-day employment, regardless of the allowance to be disbursed to students via CityUHK under the Scheme.

In other words, neither the “Student Interns” nor the “Work Experience Students” statuses should be presumed without the corresponding declaration documents and employers should ensure the Minimum Wage Ordinance is observed as legally required in the employment contract formed under this Scheme. For details, please refer to Labour Department’s website and Notes from Labour Department.

More Information

Please refer to the website: https://www.itf.gov.hk/en/support-measures/stem-internship-scheme/index.html

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the eligible internship period under the Scheme?

The minimum eligible internship period is four consecutive weeks (i.e. 28 consecutive calendar days) and the maximum amount of allowance received by a student intern under the Scheme is capped at three months (i.e. 90 days) in one academic year. The actual internship period is subject to mutual agreement between the employer and student intern.

2. Are students undertaking internship to fulfil a compulsory graduation requirement eligible to receive allowance under the Scheme?

In general, the Scheme does not cover an internship arranged to meet the compulsory requirement for graduation of a degree programme. However, if the subject internship period is longer than the duration of the compulsory requirement, the portion of period in excess could be covered by the Scheme, if the other requirements as stipulated in this Guidelines are met.

For the purpose of the Scheme, an internship is not considered compulsory requirement if it is an optional requirement of a course. Yet for courses with a mandatory internship component which is listed as an option for fulfilling a compulsory graduation requirement but not as an elective, such internship is considered compulsory.

3. Should Minimum Wage Ordinance be observed under the STEM Internship Scheme?

Yes – according to ITC Guidelines, employers in Hong Kong should observe the relevant requirements under the Minimum Wage Ordinance (Cap. 608) unless the student intern is approved exemption upon obtaining corresponding declaration and/or endorsement by relevant authorities as stipulated below:

While STEM internship should not be arranged to meet the compulsory requirement for graduation of a degree programme, it can be used for fulfilling elective component of a full-time degree programme. In the latter case, the student should complete the Confirmation of Student Status for “Student Intern”, seek endorsement from their home College/School to confirm their status of “Student Intern” under the Minimum Wage Ordinance for exemption of minimum wage requirement, and provide the document to the employers. Statutory Minimum Wage (SMW) would not be applied to endorsed “Student Interns”.

If the STEM Internship is NOT an elective component of the full-time degree programme, the student may apply for the status of “Work Experience Student” under the Minimum Wage Ordinance for the exemption of minimum wage requirementof a period up to the 59^th day of internship work. Student should complete the Confirmation of Student Status for “Work Experience Student”, seek endorsement from the student applicant’s home College/School ,obtain the statutory declaration through Home Affairs Enquiry Centre, and provide these documents to the employers before the commencement of internship. In this case, from the 60th day onwards, the Employer will need to fulfil the minimum wage requirement under the prevailing legislation, and pay the “Work Experience Students” no less than the minimum wage for the period of employment beyond the continuous period of the 59-day employment, regardless of the allowance to be disbursed to students via CityUHK under the Scheme. For details, please refer to here.

If the student applicant is NOT eligible to work as/ has NOT successfully declared as “Student Intern / Work Experience Student” before the commencement of internship, Minimum Wage Ordinance applies and the Employers should pay the students with salary no less than the Statutory Minimum Wage rates as specified in the Ordinance since the commencement of internship, regardless of the allowance provided under the Scheme. We therefore strongly encouraged ALL participating employers to check with the student interns appointed regarding their relevant status before the internships begin.

4. How will the allowance under the Scheme be calculated?

The allowance is calculated based on the daily allowance of HK$393 multiplied by the actual number of calendar days served in that particular month, including Saturdays, Sundays and/or public holidays, net any unpaid leave or sick days taken that are not covered by the Scheme. The formula for allowance disbursement is as follows:

Allowance = (Internship period – Unpaid leave) in days × HK$393/day*

* HK$393/day = HK$11,790 ÷ 30 days

The allowance for the internship of each student intern is currently HK$11,790 per month (for the purpose of calculating allowance under the Scheme, one month has 30 days) and is subject to review and adjustment by the funding body.

5. If a student intern fails to complete an internship, is the student intern still eligible to receive allowance under the Scheme?

In general, a student intern should complete the internship satisfactorily to receive the allowance under the Scheme. If an internship is terminated prematurely due to unforeseeable circumstances, the student may receive allowance under the Scheme if the service period is 28 consecutive days or more and other conditions as stipulated in the Guidelines are met. On the other hand, any honorarium owed to the student intern by the employer will be bound by the employment contract between the employer and student intern, and the requirements of the relevant laws and regulations. ITC will not reimburse the participating institution any allowance which does not meet the requirements of the Scheme.

6. Can a student have more than one internship under the Scheme in the same academic year?

In general, a student may receive the allowance under the Scheme for more than one internship place in the same academic year (1 September to 31 August of the following year), provided that the participating employers are not the same, the maximum reimbursable amount is capped at HK$35,370 (90 calendar days) in the academic year, and the internship periods do not overlap. Please note that only one period of internship in the same calendar year can be exempted from the minimum wage requirement as “exempt student employment” under the Minimum Wage Ordinance. For details, please click here.

7. Is internship placement with remote working allowed under the Scheme?

In general, remote working where the participating Employer and the internship are in different territories are not allowed under the Scheme. Student interns are encouraged to work in offices to have direct interaction with supervisors/ colleagues for at least part of their internship time, so as to gain diversified work experience and develop better communication skills.