Page 49 - Urban Renewal Authority 2023-24 Annual Report

Equipping Owners with Professional Assistance and Technical Knowledge Chairman’s Statement

Smart Tender Building Rehabilitation Facilitating Services Scheme (Smart Tender) and
E-Tendering Platform
Launched in 2016, Smart Tender enables building owners to invite tenders for consultancy services and works
contracts on an innovative online platform with an aim of minimising risks of collusion and corruption that have
long been associated with building rehabilitation works. Smart Tender also covers a suite of independent and Managing Director’s Statement
professional services during the procurement process, which include rendering pre-tender estimates and tender
collection services to OCs, as well as offering a Certified Public Accountant to administer and record the whole
tender openings process.
A nominal fee is charged for using the Smart Tender service. Since its launch, around 3,350 valid applications of
Smart Tender have been received, among which 3,250 successful applicants have benefitted from the services.
Apart from Smart Tender, the URA also launched the free-of-charge Open E-Tendering platform in 2021 to
enable OCs and/or Deeds of Mutual Covenant (DMC) managers to invite tenders online without joining Smart
Tender. Operating Review

Enrichment of Building Rehabilitation Platform (BRP)
Launched in 2019, the BRP at https://www.brplatform.org.hk is a comprehensive information hub designed to
support building rehabilitation efforts. Since its inception, it has garnered over 1.8 million hits, serving as a
testament to its usefulness and popularity. The platform provides building owners and stakeholders with a wide
range of information and support services, which include a guidebook detailing the rehabilitation process,
approximately 70 sets of tutorial videos available in three languages, and 18 sets of sample tender documents to
facilitate the procurement of consultants and contractors. Additionally, the BRP features a cost reference centre Corporate Sustainability
that lists the unit rates for common work costs, offering a valuable reference for building owners.
In pursuit of continuous improvement, an online survey targeting individual users was conducted to collect
feedback for laying the groundwork for a thorough revamp of the BRP website. The work of analysis of
approximately 6,000 responses is currently underway. The results will be used for the development of an
enhancement proposal for the BRP website.

Building Rehabilitation Company Registration Scheme (BRCRS)

BRCRS, which has been progressively rolling out in phases since 2021, encompasses distinct databases of
consultants and contractors who are interested in providing building rehabilitation works and have their
management systems independently assessed by the Hong Kong Quality Assurance Agency (HKQAA). To be Management Discussion and Analysis
registered in the scheme, consultants and contractors must submit an application to authenticate their basic
building rehabilitation qualification. The evaluation results of the companies’ management systems by the
HKQAA will be displayed in the database. The databases for Authorised Persons/Registered Inspectors and
Registered General Building Contractors were released in 2022. The application for the Registered Minor Works
Contractors (Class I) and Registered Fire Service Installation Contractors (Classes 1 and 2) are scheduled in the
fourth quarter of 2024, and the information of the first batch of successful registered companies will be published
in the database by the end of first quarter 2025.

Retrofitting Projects Projects at a Glance

Ex-Mong Kok Market Building (Ex-MKM)

The URA initiated the retrofitting of Ex-MKM into an interim District Health Centre (DHC) to be managed by the
Health Bureau. The project began in March 2023, with an anticipated completion in early 2025. The interim DHC
is expected to remain operational until the completion of the permanent DHC located at the Joint-user Complex
planned under YTM-013 Project adopting the “Single Site, Multiple Use” model. Corporate Governance

URA ANNUAL REPORT 2023-24 47