Entry Information

Download Application Form

Download Application Guideline

‍File Format: in Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) Maximum file size is 10MB*

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File Format: in Adobe Acrobat format (.pdf) Maximum file size is 10MB*

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Please upload the attachment (i.e.: Presentation PowerPoint (.ppt), a valid business registration, etc.)
File Format: All the attachments must be uploaded to a secure cloud storage platform (such as Google drive, Dropbox, 騰訊微雲, 百度雲, etc…) with a URL for secretariat to download the files. Please write down the URL link in space provided.

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Objectives

Connect

ConnectHong Kong’s home-grown IP owners and character designers with potential partners and international buyers on licensing and hence facilitating IP commercialization

Promote

Promote entrepreneurship and start-ups spirits for the youth through facilitating their development and expansion of licensing business and necessary knowledge, which in turn will help cultivate and enhance creativity for the future of Hong Kong

Reinforce

Reinforce Hong Kong’s position as the IP-trading and Licensing Hub of Asia

Benefits

The 45 Hong Kong character designers / owners of licensable design content IPs / small and medium-sized design companies who / which are selected to participate in the 7^th DLAB (the participants)will receive:

Local character designers / designers and companies with licensable design IPs are eligible.

Receive sponsorship to set up a 6 square meter booth in the HongKong International Licensing Show 2026 at a rental of HK$4,000 for new participants or HK$6,000 for past participants (original rental is HK$30,020) ¹
Free participation in the comprehensive trainings, and workshops on marketing, business operations and brand building, etc.²
Free consultation by programme advisors who are industry experts.
Free business matching and sales pitching sessions.
Free promotion of the participants’ designs in the channels under the DLAB (such as advertisements / advertorials in newspapers, internet, social platforms and websites, etc.)
Join the study mission to Greater Bay Area at special price.

The booths will be allocated to the participants by drawing lots by the DLAB Organizer. Participants will be notified by separate emails on the arrangement of the ballot.
Each participant has to pay a reservation fee ofHK$2,500 for the DLAB workshops and trainings. The reservation fee will be refunded to the participants if their attendance rate at these events reaches 75% and they have full participation in the assigned booth of DLAB Hong Kong pavilion at the HKILS, or else the fee will be forfeited and used as project operational income.

Timetable

Main Tasks / Events

Call for Applications

23 September 2025

Online Project Briefing

10 October 2025 & 17 October 2025

Deadline of Applications

5 November 2025

Announcement of Interview Details

11 - 13 November 2025

Interviews to Select Participants

20 November 2025

Announcement of Vetting Results

24 November 2025

Briefing to 45 Selected Participants

28 November 2025

Kick-Off Ceremony

12 December 2025

GBA study mission (2 days)

Late January 2026

Trainings and Workshops

February – March 2026

Program Advisor Network Service to Participants

February – April 2026

Drawing of Ballots for Allocation of Booths at Hong Kong International Licensing Show 2025

March 2026 (Tentative)

Hong Kong International Licensing Show 2026 (Business Matching will be arranged during the physical show period from 27 to 29 April 2026.)

Physical Exhibition 27 – 29 April 2026
Online Exhibition 20 April – 26 May 2026

Eligibility

Tier 1

Companies with a history of not more than 6 years, as at the application deadline (i.e. established within period from 6 Nov 2019 to 5 Nov 2025) and with design or licensing as the major business

Registered in Hong Kong with a valid Hong Kong Business Registration Certificate

The submitted intellectual property (IP) should be launched in not more than 6 years, as at the application deadline

Have full ownership of the IP right of the creative content, such as original character designs, pattern designs, illustrations, etc.

Tier 2

Companies with a history of not more than 12 years, as at the application deadline (i.e. established within period from 7 Nov 2011 to 6 Nov 2023) and with design or licensing as the major business

Registered in Hong Kong with a valid Hong Kong Business Registration Certificate

The submitted IP should be launched in not more than 6 years, as at the application deadline

Have full ownership of the IP right of the creative content, such as original character designs, pattern designs, illustrations, etc.

*The submitted IP can be original character design, pattern design, illustration design, etc.

Vetting Criteria

The vetting panel members will evaluate the applications with the below criteria

Originality and creativity of the submitted IP
Business potential of the submitted IP
Business track record and business development plan on the submitted IP
Commitment of the applying companies’ professional team on developing the submitted IP
Creativity to IP development in the past one year (only applicable to participants of the past editions of DLAB which also applies for the 7^thDLAB with the same IP submitted to the past DLAB)

Vetting Procedures

Upon receipt of the applications, the secretariat will check the completeness.

The eligible applications will then be submitted to the Vetting Panel for consideration. All applicants are required to attend an interview of 10-15 minutes on 20 Nov 2025 to present their submitted applications and answer the questions from the Vetting Panel. Applicants should reserve the date for the interview. The schedules and other details of the interviews will be announced by the Organizer around Late-Nov 2025. The Vetting Panel is comprised of representatives of the Organizer, industry professionals, well-known designers, licensing professionals and representatives of education institutions.
Notification emails of the application result will be sent to all applicants on or before 30 Nov 2025 (Sunday), regardless if they are selected or not.

Vetting Mechanism

The applicants must meet the eligibility requirements.
A “passing score” subject to the discussion and agreement of vetting committee is set. The applicants who exceed the “passing score” means their IPs / design has market potential and licensable, and these applicants will proceed the next stage of selection process.
The applicants who had less frequency of joining previous DLAB will have higher priority of being selected. Conversely, the higher frequency of joining previous DLAB will have lower priority of being selected.
Each company has maximum 3 times of participation in DLAB.

Application Method

Applicants MUST read the “Application Guideline” before filling in the form
This form must be typed. The completed and signed application forms must be submitted online in word / pdf format via our official website (dlab.hk).
The signed completed application form and all other relevant materials should be uploaded to the online submission platform before 5:30 pm on 5 November 2025. Late applications will not be considered.

Disclaimer: The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region provides funding support to the project only, and does not otherwise take part in the project. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in these materials/events (or by members of the project team) are those of the project organisers only and do not reflect the views of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency, the CreateSmart Initiative Secretariat or the CreateSmart Initiative Vetting Committee.
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