Social Enterprise Startup Scheme (SESS) 2025-2026: Call for Projects Submission
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Launched in 2015-16, the Social Enterprise Startup Scheme (SESS) has been encouraging CUHK students and recent graduates to establish or expand their social enterprises to achieve social objectives. This scheme is now open for team enrolment. Participating teams will receive guidance from experienced mentors from the real social and business world on formulating a business plan to compete for the CUSE Fund (a maximum of HK$100,000 per team). Details are as follows:
Eligibility
Each team must consist of 2 to 10 participants; all members must be CUHK students or alumni who graduated within the last three years.
Participants may serve as the Project Leader (PL) for one team only, and the PL should be a current CUHK student taking up a core role in the team.
PL and all of the members should attend at least 50% of the training activities.
The project has never received CUSE Fund.
Application
Please click here to register online.
Application deadline: 12 January 2026 (Monday), noon
Selection Criteria for CUSE Fund
Innovativeness
Sustainability
Implementation Capability
Social Impact
Stakeholders’ Engagement
Entrepreneurship
Potential Development
Online Briefing Section [Conducted]
Date: 30 September 2025 (Tuesday)
Time: 13:30-14:30
Format: Online meeting through Zoom
Content:
Introduction to the mentorship programme and training activities under the Scheme
Introduction to the application procedures for CUSE Fund
2nd Online Briefing Section [Conducted]
Date: 6 January 2026 (Tuesday)
Time: 3pm – 4pm
Format: Zoom (the link will be sent to successful applicants through email)
Content:
Introduction to the mentorship programme and training activities under the Scheme
Introduction to the application procedures for CUSE Fund
Please click here to register for the Online Briefing Session.
Training Session (Stage 1)
1st Session
Topic: Happy Hour Talk on “From Campus to Community: Building a Sustainable Fashion Movement”
Speaker: Ms. Tiffany Wong (Founder of Retrovert, a local second-hand clothing platform)
Moderator: Miss Rainie Leung (Founder of WriteRight; 2024-25 SESS Awardee)
Date: 24 October 2025 (Friday)
Time: 16:00-17:00
Target: All CUHK Students
Venue: The Infinity Room, Room LG05, John Fulton Centre
Language: Cantonese
Registration: Please click here
Application Deadline: 23 October 2025 (Thursday), noon.
2nd Session
Topic: Five Things a Social Entrepreneur Must Not Overlook
Speaker: Prof. Howard Ling MH (Chief Consultant of the Impact Incubator and the Hong Kong Council of Social Service (HKCSS))
Date: 28 October 2025 (Tuesday)
Time: 12:00-13:30
Target: All CUHK Students and Alumni
Venue: Room 502, Wong Foo Yuan Building
Language: English
Registration: Please click here
Application Deadline: 27 October 2025 (Monday), noon.
3rd Session
Topic: Workshop on “Design Thinking”
Speaker: Prof. Dominic Chan (Associate Professor of Practice in Entrepreneurship, Department of Decision Sciences and Managerial Economics, CUHK)
Date: 4 November 2025 (Tuesday)
Time: 18:30-20:00
Target: All CUHK Students and Alumni
Venue: Lecture Theatre 2, G/F, Esther Lee Building
Language: Bilingual (English and Cantonese)
Registration: Please click here
Application Deadline: 3 November 2025 (Monday), noon.
4th Session
Topic: Communicating Social Change: Impact Storytelling for Startup Success
Speaker: Prof. Chan Chee Hon (Assistant Professor - School of Governance and Policy Science; Co-founder of SROI HK)
Date: 18 November 2025 (Tuesday)
Time: 18:30 – 20:00
Target: All CUHK Students and Alumni
Format: Hybrid
Online Session: ZOOM
Face-to-face Session: Room 104, Y C Liang Hall
Language: English
Registration: Please click here
Registration Deadline: 17 November 2025 (Monday), noon.
Training Session (Stage 2)
5th Session
Topic: Launch Your Social Enterprise with AI-Powered Social and Market Research
Speaker: Mr. James Leung (CEO of CUHK Alumni Charity Foundation and Part-time Lecturer, Master of Arts in Social Services Management at CUHK)
Date: 27 February 2026 (Friday)
Time: 14:30 - 17:00
Target: All CUHK Students and Alumni
Format: Face-to-face Session at Room 502, 5/F, Wong Foo Yuan Building
Language: Cantonese and/or PTH, supplemented with English
Registration: Please click here
Registration Deadline: 26 February 2026 (Thursday), noon
6th Session
Topic: Designing a Sustainable Business and Revenue Model for Social Enterprises
Speaker: Mr. Alan To, CEO, Climate Finance Asia cum Cofounder of Aromafunapy
Date: 20 March 2026 (Friday)
Time: 14:30 – 16:30
Target: All CUHK Students and Alumni
Format: Face-to-face Session at Sino Building, UG06
Language: English
Registration: Please click here
Registration Deadline: 19 March 2026 (Thursday), noon
7th Session
Topic: Business Planning and Basic Financial Knowledge for Social Enterprises
Speaker: Mr. Ivan Chak, Former Director & Current Consultant of Charterwood Assets Limited
Date: 17 April 2026 (Friday)
Time: 14:30 – 16:00
Target: All CUHK Students and Alumni
Format: Zoom
Language: English
Registration: Please click here
Registration Deadline: 16 April 2026 (Thursday), noon
Schedule of SESS 2025-2026
Date | Activity |
Sep 2025 – Jan 2026 | Application for CUSE Fund 2025-26 |
Oct - Nov 2025 | Training Activities at Stage 1 * |
Feb 2026 | Screening Interview |
Feb – May 2026 | Training Activities at Stage 2 * |
Jun – Aug 2026 | Mentorship Programme |
Sep 2026 | Submission of Business Plan for CUSE Fund 2025-26 Competition |
Early Oct 2026 | Final Presentation Day |
Mid-Oct 2026 | Announcement of Results |
End Nov 2026 | Award Presentation Ceremony |
* Including multiple training sessions and workshops on different topics to support your startup.
For enquiries, please feel free to contact Miss Jamie Leung at 3943 4702 (tel)/ jamieleung@cuhk.edu.hk (email).