BUD Fund E-commerce Easy and Shopify: Selling From Hong Kong to Asia
The BUD Fund's E-commerce Easy programme can pay part of the cost of a Shopify store aimed at Mainland and ASEAN buyers, and more Hong Kong companies are applying. According to a Legislative Council reply on 1 April 2026, applications rose from 227 in 2024 to 521 in 2025. But only 110 were approved in 2025, and the approval rate stood at 41% at the end of the year.
At the same time, Hong Kong's trade is booming. Merchandise exports rose 42.5% in January to August 2026, with exports to the Mainland up 46.7%. For brands and trading companies, the case for selling online across the region has rarely been stronger.
This guide explains how E-commerce Easy works, what it will and will not fund, and how to set up Shopify for cross-border selling from Hong Kong.
How strong is Hong Kong's cross-border momentum?
C&SD's August 2026 trade release shows exports of HK$667.9 billion in August, up 53.0% year on year. Over January to August, exports to the Mainland rose 46.7%, to the US 63.4% and to Singapore 82.4%. The government links the surge mainly to demand for AI-related electronics, so not every sector is seeing those growth rates. But the direction of trade is clear: the Mainland and ASEAN remain Hong Kong's most active markets.
Ecommerce data points the same way. SHOPLINE's 2025 Hong Kong merchant data, reported by Marketing-Interactive, shows the number of cross-border merchants rose 7% and their GMV rose 11.3%, while total merchant GMV fell. Macau's share of overseas orders rose to 33%, while the US share fell from 24% to 21%.
Why Macau and the Greater Bay Area deserve attention
The SHOPLINE data is a reminder that "cross-border" does not have to mean distant markets. Macau already accounts for a third of overseas orders for those merchants, and Mainland buyers can pay with familiar methods such as UnionPay, Alipay and WeChat Pay. Payment links are improving too. The Hong Kong Association of Banks welcomed Payment Connect, which joined Hong Kong's FPS with the Mainland's Internet Banking Payment System on 22 June 2025 for real-time, small-value remittances between residents. It is not a merchant checkout, but it shows how quickly cross-boundary payment infrastructure is developing.
How does E-commerce Easy work?
E-commerce Easy is part of the Dedicated Fund on Branding, Upgrading and Domestic Sales (BUD Fund). The November 2025 application guide sets the terms:
Item | E-commerce Easy terms |
|---|---|
Funding per project | Up to HK$800,000 |
Cumulative cap per company | HK$1 million, within the overall BUD cap of HK$7 million |
Funding ratio | Government 1 : company 3 (up to 25% of approved cost) |
Initial payment | Up to 20% of the approved grant |
Project length | Up to 24 months, no extensions |
Target markets | Chinese Mainland and the 10 ASEAN member states |
What it funds
- Setting up an online sales platform
- Advertising on commercial media linked to the ecommerce business
- Developing or improving mobile apps
- Developing or improving the company website
- Other ecommerce measures, such as promotional videos and photos
- External audit fees, up to HK$10,000 per audit
What it does not fund
The guide excludes commission-based platform fees, slotting fees and commission-based livestreaming or advertising charges. That matters for strategy. Paying a marketplace a percentage of sales is not fundable, but building your own Shopify storefront for a target market can be.
Why do so many applications fail?
The government's April 2026 reply to LegCo gives the 2025 outcomes for E-commerce Easy: 110 approved, 160 rejected and 194 withdrawn. The average approved grant was HK$566,000. The reply also notes the 41% approval rate did not yet reflect applications still waiting on supporting documents.
The reply does not list reasons for rejection. From the guide's rules, the safest assumptions are:
- Costs must clearly fall into eligible categories, and commission-based fees must be left out.
- The project must target the Mainland or ASEAN, not Hong Kong customers.
- The company must be able to fund its 75% share and deliver within 24 months.
What changed for the BUD Fund in 2026?
The Trade and Industry Department lists several enhancements effective 15 June 2026:
- General BUD coverage expanded to 48 economies.
- The Easy BUD ceiling rose by 50%, from HK$100,000 to HK$150,000.
- More targeted support for projects with AI elements.
- From 1 July 2026, the SME Export Marketing Fund was merged into the BUD Fund.
E-commerce Easy itself still covers the Mainland and ASEAN.
How should you set up Shopify for Mainland and ASEAN buyers?
Hong Kong merchants should plan to configure cross-border selling themselves. Shopify's Managed Markets eligibility page limits that service to merchants in the US and some in Canada and the UK, so Hong Kong stores do not get Shopify's managed duties and tax service.
Storefront
- Use Shopify Markets to create separate markets for the Mainland, Macau, Singapore, Malaysia and other targets.
- Localise language (Simplified Chinese for Mainland buyers, English and local languages for ASEAN) and currency.
- Adjust product ranges by market where regulations or demand differ.
Payments
Shopify Payments Hong Kong natively supports UnionPay, Alipay and WeChat Pay, which matters for Mainland buyers. For ASEAN buyers, cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay cover a large share. Review local wallets market by market.
Logistics, duties and returns
- Decide whether duties are paid by the customer or included in the price, and say so clearly at checkout.
- Set realistic delivery times for each market.
- Write returns rules that work for cross-border shipping costs.
Action plan for an E-commerce Easy project
Before you apply
- Pick one primary target market and define measurable KPIs, such as orders, revenue and new customers.
- Scope the project as an owned platform: a Shopify build, localisation, apps and content.
- Get supplier quotes that separate eligible costs from excluded ones.
- Confirm you can fund 75% of the project and that the timeline fits within 24 months.
During the project
- Launch the market-specific storefront early so you can collect real data.
- Keep invoices, payment records and deliverables organised for audit.
- Report progress against the KPIs in your application.
After launch
- Review conversion and payment data by market.
- Decide whether to apply for further BUD funding, keeping within the HK$1 million E-commerce Easy cap.
Funding rules change, so check the latest guide and consider professional advice before submitting.
The bottom line
Hong Kong's trade with the Mainland and ASEAN is surging, and E-commerce Easy can pay up to a quarter of a cross-border ecommerce project, up to HK$800,000. But demand is rising and most applications in 2025 did not succeed. Well-scoped, clearly eligible projects stand out.
A Shopify storefront built for a specific target market, with local payments, clear delivery terms and measurable goals, fits the scheme's rules well. To plan and build your cross-border store, ONEXT's Shopify development team can support you as a trusted delivery partner.