Cultural and creative industries | MDC to award eight new design studios

The Macau Design Center will provide eight new studios for local design companies in August, offering a variety of services at below-­market prices. MDC will review applications and select successful candidates based on the applicants’ business plan and development direction.
The organization is Macau’s first integrated service platform, and aims to aid the development of the local design industry. It currently leases out 17 studios that, according to MDC, “spares tenants the burden of high rental and maintenance costs,” allowing them to “thrive on the resources of the center.”
Last month MDC awarded its sole vacant studio to Cliffs Studio Company after receiving 13 formal applications, which the center says was a record number of applicants.
The new studios will come in a range of sizes from 240-square-foot to 1150-square-foot. They will have features such as basic design, decoration, lighting, air-conditioning, shared meeting rooms, chargeable printing services and security.
MDC and the Cultural Industries Fund will jointly select a panel and a judge to review applications, which will involve an analysis of the businesses’ portfolios and proposals. The maximum length of a lease for successful applicants is three years. The lease can be renewed each year following a review of tenants’ annual performance, said MDC.
Companies interested in the eight additional studios must submit an application form, business proposal and other supporting documents by July 6. DB