The Guide focuses principally on PPPs that involve the use of private financing of the facilities required to deliver a facility or services; this may be associated with the granting of a franchise or concession to deliver some or all of those services. It is acknowledged that many PPPs in Hong Kong will use mainly public funding, and users of the Guide should interpret the Guide appropriately when government funded models are being considered.

The Guide introduces the use of the PPP approach to procurement in Hong Kong by posing and answering a number of questions. It has been developed mainly for use by the civil service but is made available to the private sector to enhance its understanding of the Government’s approach. Users of the Guide should recognise that it is not definitive and many departments should be consulted in individual cases (see “Taking Advice and Guidance”).

PPPs are used in many jurisdictions. Definitions, legal requirements and procedures, practices, terminology and acronyms etc. naturally do vary. This Guide draws on the relevant experience elsewhere that is considered most appropriate to Hong Kong’s circumstances. We have used terminology etc. most familiar to Hong Kong. Some of the other terminology used overseas is cited in the Glossary of Terms.