Funding Opportunities

Funding Opportunities for Social Enterprises and SMEs Focused on Environmental and Social impact

Below is a curated (but not exhaustive) list of funding opportunities, fellowships or award competitions for social enterprises and SMEs supporting women-owned businesses, sustainability and/or social impact.

Organization Name and Website Link

Key Focus Areas

Grant Details

Cartier Women’s Initiative

Women Entrepreneurs, Sustainability, Social Impact

Cartier Women’s Initiative – 2026 Edition

Application Deadline: June 24, 2025, at 2:00 PM CEST (GMT+2)

Purpose: Fellowship program and awards for businesses which contribute to at least one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and have a female leader.

DBS Foundation

Social Enterprises, Financial Inclusion, Sustainability

DBS Foundation Grant Program

Application Deadline: June 30, 2025, at 11:59 PM SGT

Purpose: Open to innovative social enterprises (SEs) and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that address areas such as providing essential needs (e.g., food, education, healthcare), fostering inclusion (e.g., financial and digital literacy), and enabling people to age with dignity.

HKEX Impact Funding Scheme

Financial Literacy, Social Empowerment, Talent Development, and Environmental Sustainability

Amount HKD800K-2M

12 or 24 months project period

Application deadline 28 May 2025 at 5pm

Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC)

Government Funding Access, Digital Transformation, Cybersecurity, ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) Practices, Talent Development, Cross-border E-commerce, Business Expansion (Mainland & ASEAN), Innovation and Technology Adoption

HKPC SME Reach Out: FUND Fair Plus Tech Sourcing

Event Dates for 2025 have yet to be announced but the 2024 dates were from October 29–30

Purpose: to help small and medium-sized enterprises navigate government funding schemes and explore technological solutions.

OCBC

Recognizes emerging enterprises that are either:

Capitalizing on growth opportunities in the green economy, embedding sustainability in their businesses and leveraging technology and new solutions to drive the change and transition to low-carbon businesses and industries.

OCBC Emerging Enterprise Sustainability Award.

Recognizing young, bold ambition of businesses under 10 years old.

Interest free loan funding opportunities of up to S$200,000

Publicity and Business Consulting packages

Submission deadline: 30 June 2025

SC WIN Now
(Standard Chartered Bank)

Women entrepreneurs and business owners (including startups and SMEs seeking expansion)

Grand prize: HKD500,000

Innovative award: HKD100,000

Best Social Impact / ESG Award: HKD100,000

Shortlist 20 women-led businesses or female entrepreneurs, from which 10 finalists will be selected through online interviews to participate in the final competition and the 8-week LiftHER Global Accelerator Programme.

Deadline: 9 May 2025

TiE Women (TiE Global)

Learning, Mentoring, Access to Funding, Scalability, Safe Space, Community Building, Global Networking, Entrepreneurship Development

TiE Women SEA Pitch Competition 2025

Application Deadline: June 15, 2025

Purpose: Open to women entrepreneurs in the Southeast Asia region. Allows competitors the chance to pitch their startups, gain exposure, and win equity-free cash prizes.