FAQ for Redevelopment of NGO Site Facilitation Scheme

• Question 1:

  How long will it take to complete the Scheme after acceptance of the EOI of the NGO?

  It will take around 6 months to give recommendation on redevelopment option(s) (Stage One of the Scheme) after obtaining all the necessary information from the applicant. Duration of Stage Two of the Scheme will depend on which redevelopment option to take and the scale of the redevelopment proposal involved.

• Question 2:

  Does the Scheme apply to site(s) in urban areas only?

  The Scheme applies to NGO sites with a general Plot Ratio of 5 or above, mainly in the urban and new town areas.

• Question 3:

  Is there any agreement to be signed after the EOI has been accepted?

  If URA considers that there is scope to explore the development opportunity further upon completion of the initial appraisal under Item B of Stage One, URA will recommend the applicant to proceed to the preliminary assessment stage under Item D of Stage One. If the applicant decides to proceed, URFS will sign an agreement with the applicant and spell out the scope of the services.

• Question 4:

  One of the eligibility criteria is that the area of the application site should not be less than 2,000 sq.m. Will the EOI be accepted if the site is smaller than 2,000 sq.m.?

  Site area of 2,000 sq.m. is only a benchmark. If an application site is less than 2,000 sq.m. but may have opportunities to amalgamate with surrounding lots for redevelopment, URA would still consider to accept the EOI.

• Question 5:

  What is the definition of NGO? It is not sure whether my organization (e.g. church or tax-exempted charities) is eligible under the Scheme.

  “NGO” under the Scheme should primarily be those providing subvented services as listed on the Social Welfare Department’s Website (https://www.swd.gov.hk/tc/svcdesk/links/ngowebsite/index.html).

• Question 6:

  Are there any fees payable by NGO under the Scheme? How much will the fees be? Will the fees be refundable if the application site is found to be unworthy for redevelopment?

  Application is free of charge. After initial appraisal under Item B of Stage One, if URA decides that the application site is worth exploring further, a fee of up to $200,000 will be charged on a time charge basis for URA to carry out preliminary assessments. Such fee if paid will not be refundable.

• Question 7:

  If the site held by my organization is eligible for a similar scheme of the Social Welfare Department, is my organization still eligible for this Scheme?

  For NGOs which have already joined the Special Sites Scheme of the Government and are at the stage of conducting technical feasibility study as approved by the Social Welfare Department, their submissions will not be considered under this Scheme.