Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
The Government announced today (August 24) a new round of enhancement measures of the “M” Mark System and its implementation arrangements.
The Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau (CSTB) and the Major Sports Events Committee (MSEC) have reviewed and concluded the experiences and outcome of the enhancement measures implemented in April 2023, and announced measures to further enhance “M” Mark System. By refining the vetting criteria and funding mechanism, the new round of refined measures aims to optimise the use of resources and maximise the benefits of government funding. At the same time, it ensures the quality and attractiveness of “M” Mark events, strengthens events’ appeal to spectators and visitors as well as enhances economic benefits.
The details of the new round of enhancement measures of the “M” Mark System are as follows:
(1) Adjusting the vetting criteria to provide funding support in accordance with the vetting result of individual events
- The vetting criteria will be refined to better reflect the importance of sports development contribution for “major sports events”; and the importance of tourism promotion and local economy impact for “exhibition matches/tournaments”;
- Under the refined vetting criteria, “major sports events” that have significant benefits on tourism promotion and the local economy, depending on the circumstances, may also apply as “exhibition matches/tournaments”;
- The total funding ceiling for each event (i.e. direct grant and matching fund) will range from $6 million to $15 million based on the vetting result as assessed against the refined vetting criteria for more effective resources allocation. In other words, not every approved application will receive the maximum funding of $15 million (including direct grant and matching fund);
- To encourage organisers to gradually increase the amount of private sponsorship sought, the direct grants for new “major sports events” will be provided on a sliding scale from the maximum amounts of $6 million (first year), $5 million (second year) to $4 million (third year) so as to promote the development of sports as an industry; and
- The ceiling of the venue hiring grant for “M” Mark events will be increased from $1 million to $3 million for non-Leisure and Cultural Services Department venues or Hong Kong Stadium on a pilot basis so as to support the need to stage mega sports events at different venues.
(2) Adjusting selection criteria
- To adopt a strategic approach and explore long-term partnership (i.e. more than one year) with sports events which are able to bring significant economic benefits to Hong Kong.
(a) “Major sports events”
- The “M” Mark System will focus on supporting world-class “major sports events” (i.e. open competitions rather than age group-specific events) to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of government funding; and
- Funding support will only be provided to one event of higher-level per year for a series of championships/tournaments organised to ensure the diversity of the “M” Mark event calendar.
(b) “Exhibition matches/tournaments”
- The MSEC will adopt a fixed application cycle for accepting and processing applications for “exhibition matches/tournaments”. Applications received within the same application cycle (i.e. six months) will be processed and considered together based on their merits (such as the attractiveness of participating athletes/teams and economic benefits). Under normal circumstances, the MSEC will select a maximum of three “exhibition matches/tournaments” in the same cycle to avoid multiple events organised in the same period and thereby reducing their economic viability and benefits. The MSEC requires organisers to submit applications within the same cycle, encouraging them to plan thoroughly in advance. This approach also allows the MSEC to consider all applications received in the same cycle in one go so as to select the most worthwhile events and decide the corresponding level of funding support; and
- The application cycles and deadlines for “exhibition matches/tournaments” are as follows:
| Date of exhibition match | Application deadline |
|---|---|
| First half of every year (January 1 to June 30) |
On or before June 30 of the last year |
| Second half of every year (July 1 to December 31) |
On or before December 31 of the last year |
Note: For “exhibition matches/tournaments” held in the first half of 2026 (i.e. January 1 to June 30, 2026), the application deadline will be extended to September 30, 2025 as a special transitional arrangement.
(3) Enhancing vetting procedures and application requirements
- Applicants must submit their applications at least six months prior to the hosting or announcement of the “M” Mark event (e.g. holding a press conference). This encourages organisers to plan thoroughly and ensure better promotional effectiveness for “M” Mark events.
(4) Strengthening monitoring and reporting mechanisms
- After signing of the Terms and Conditions for funding support and providing documents/proof demonstrating the amount of cash sponsorship secured, organisers may receive a maximum of 50 per cent of the eligible matching fund before the events are held;
- CSTB will continue the current practice to conduct checks (including on-site inspection) with respect to the content of the Terms and Conditions for funding support and items in the evaluation report to monitor and evaluate the events. Should organisers fail to hold the events in accordance with their proposals (including player(s) line up, number of spectators, sports development plans, marketing and promotion plans) or fail to meet the key performance indicators (including tourism promotion and economic impact), the MSEC will assess the actual outcomes of the events and may adjust the final amount of funding support; and
- Organisers are required to appoint an independent professional agent to conduct exit survey with participants (including visitors) and submit reports so as to evaluate the effectiveness of the events (including attendance and economic benefits) more effectively.
The above enhancement measures will apply to all applications received after September 15, 2025. For details of the “M” Mark events and the latest application guidelines, please visit www.mevents.org.hk/en/application.php.
The “M” Mark System was established in 2004, which aims to encourage and help local National Sports Associations and private or non-government organisations to organise more major international sports events and nurture them into sustainable undertakings. Sports events meeting the assessment criteria will be considered for “M” Mark status by the MSEC. Funding support will also be provided to some events. The “M” Mark System is to promote the development of major sports events, instill a sustainable sporting culture, enhance Hong Kong’s image as a centre for major international sports events and bring tangible economic benefits to our community.