Al- and Ti-containing HMS materials, with a Si/M (Me=Al(Ti)) molar ratio equal to 40, were used as supports for preparing NiMo and CoMo HDS catalysts. The supports and catalysts were characterized by N2 adsorption–desorption (SBET), X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV–vis diffuse reflectance (DRS UV–vis), temperature-programmed reduction (TPR) and Raman spectroscopy. The catalysts were tested in the hydrodesulphurization (HDS) reaction of dibenzothiophene (DBT). All supported NiMo and CoMo catalysts on Al-HMS and Ti-HMS substrates showed higher catalytic activity than their Me-free counterparts. We found two interesting correlations between the structure and chemical coordination of the supported oxide precursors and catalytic activity. The differences observed in catalyst performance are attributed to the structure and specific electronic properties of the supported active species. From our results, it appears possible to optimize the Al- and Ti-loading to maximize the HDS activity.