Hanoi digital transformation vouchers: how to apply and what to spend them on

In short: Hanoi has opened its first 2026 support round, worth VND 50 billion. It issues vouchers that small and mid-sized businesses, cooperatives and household businesses can use to buy digital transformation and e-commerce products and services. Applications go through the iHanoi app until 5 p.m. on 4 December 2026, or earlier if the money runs out. Eligible businesses should apply early, but they should pick one specific problem first and only then choose a service.

What Hanoi's VND 50 billion digital transformation package covers

According to Thanh Niên on 9 November 2026, the Hanoi Department of Science and Technology has announced its first 2026 support round for digital transformation and e-commerce, with a total budget of VND 50 billion. The city does not pay cash to businesses. Eligible applicants receive a voucher and use it for technology products and services on a list published by the city.

The city expects to issue around 3,000 to 3,500 digital transformation vouchers and 2,000 to 2,500 e-commerce vouchers. The final number depends on how many businesses apply and how much the services they choose cost. The article does not state the value of each voucher or what share of the service price the city covers, so read the detailed guidance on iHanoi before you do any sums.

The budget is split by group:

Group	Budget
Producers and traders in four craft villages: Bát Tràng, Vạn Phúc, Chuyên Mỹ, Sơn Đồng	VND 5 billion
Holders of valid OCOP products rated 3 stars or higher	VND 5 billion
Other priority groups	VND 25 billion
General pool	VND 15 billion

Who gets priority for a voucher

The VND 25 billion share is reserved for priority groups outside the craft villages and OCOP producers:

• small and mid-sized manufacturers and processors that are 100% Vietnamese-owned;
• production facilities in industrial parks and industrial clusters;
• tourist accommodation;
• businesses operating in Hoàn Kiếm and Cửa Nam wards;
• household businesses with revenue above VND 1 billion a year;
• businesses that converted from a household business on or after 1 January 2025;
• some cooperatives and household businesses selling Vietnamese goods on e-commerce platforms, and food businesses that are part of a supply chain.

A business outside all of these groups can still apply to the VND 15 billion general pool if it qualifies. From 28 November 2026, any priority money not yet allocated moves into the general pool, which keeps issuing vouchers.

How to apply on iHanoi

Everything is filed online through the "HANOINEXT" mini app inside iHanoi. The legal representative of the business or cooperative, or the owner of the household business, signs in with their electronic ID account, fills in the details, uploads the required documents and then chooses a product or service.

Each eligible business can receive at most one voucher per support type, so one digital transformation voucher and one e-commerce voucher at most. Vouchers cannot be exchanged for cash, sold or transferred. The portal opened at 8 a.m. on 9 November 2026 and closes at 5 p.m. on 4 December 2026, or earlier once the budget has been allocated.

What the voucher means for a business

For a small business, the voucher lowers the cost of trying software or a digital service it has been reluctant to pay for. But with only one voucher per type, picking the wrong service means losing this round's chance.

The most common mistake with schemes like this is choosing a service because the voucher is there, not because the business needs it. A company signs up for sales management software when the real bottleneck is in the warehouse, and a few months later staff are back in Excel. The voucher is spent, next year's renewal comes out of the company's own pocket, and the process has not changed.

The deadline matters too. Applications may close before 4 December 2026, so a business that only starts looking in the last week is likely to choose in a hurry or miss the round.

What to do this week

The portal has been open since 9 November 2026, so the groundwork should be done within the next few days:

1. Find your group. Check your business against the priority list above and collect the supporting documents. The exact document list is in the guidance on iHanoi and on the Hanoi Department of Science and Technology's website.
2. Pick a problem, not a piece of software. Write down the process that takes the most staff hours or goes wrong most often: quoting, reconciling receivables, stock, handling marketplace orders. Our guide to digital transformation by industry suggests an order of priorities for each sector.
3. Read the list and question the vendors. For each service, get clear answers to four questions: how much the voucher pays, how much you pay on top, what it costs from year two, and whether you can export your data if you switch vendors. Detailed selection criteria are in our article on choosing ERP, CRM and HRM software.
4. Apply early. Businesses in a priority group should apply before 28 November 2026, because after that date the remaining priority money moves to the general pool.
5. Set one number to track. Pick a metric before you start using the service, such as the time it takes to close the books each month or the number of orders handled per day, and measure it again after three months. Our article on digital transformation ROI explains how to set one.

Frequently asked questions

Can a business outside the priority groups get a voucher? Possibly, through the VND 15 billion general pool if it qualifies. From 28 November 2026, the general pool also receives any priority money that has not been allocated.

How much is each voucher worth? The Thanh Niên article does not give the voucher value or the share of the service price it covers. Check the guidance on iHanoi or the Hanoi Department of Science and Technology's website.

Can the voucher be exchanged for cash or given to another business? No. It can only be used for products and services on the published list. It cannot be exchanged for cash, sold or transferred.

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HAT Solutions helps small and mid-sized businesses decide which digital transformation problem to tackle first, compare services on their cost over several years, and plan the rollout so staff actually use the result. If you are unsure which service to spend the voucher on, send us a description of the process that takes up the most time. Get in touch for advice, or start with where to start digital transformation: 4 steps for SMEs.