Administrative Procedures for the Accreditation of Shanghai

Municipal Design Innovation Centers

Chapter I General Provisions

Article 1

With a view to implementing Shanghai's Outline of the 14th Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development and Long-Range Objectives Through the Year 2035, accelerating the cultivation and growth of the design market entities, developing the design innovation system, and promoting the ability of design to empower high-quality economic development, high-quality life of citizens and efficient urban governance, the Procedures are formulated in accordance with the Administrative Procedures for the Accreditation of State-Level Industrial Design Centers, and the Several Opinions on Building Shanghai into a World-Class "City of Design".

Article 2

The "Shanghai Municipal Design Innovation Centers" (hereinafter referred to as the "municipal design innovation centers") in these Procedures refers to the design innovation agencies accredited by Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Informatization (hereinafter referred to as the "SMCEI") with strong design innovation capacity, outstanding performance and leading development level in the fields of industry, construction, service, fashion, and digital economy. Municipal design innovation centers fall into two types: the design innovation centers established within enterprises to provide in-house design services primarily for the enterprises themselves, and the design innovation enterprises that provide design services catering to market demands.

Article 3

The accreditation of municipal design innovation centers shall adhere to the principles of government guidance, voluntariness of enterprises, openness and transparency, selection of the best, dynamic administration, and gradual upgrading.

Article 4

SMCEI is responsible for administering the accreditation of municipal design innovation centers and the formulation of relevant policies. The relevant competent departments of all district people's governments are responsible for the preliminary examination of the design innovation centers within their respective jurisdictions, and cooperate with SMCEI in the administration of State-level industrial design centers and municipal design innovation centers within their respective districts.

Chapter II Accreditation Qualifications and Procedures

Article 5

Any municipal design innovation center shall have the following qualifications:

1. The applicant entity shall be lawfully registered in Shanghai Municipality and possess independent legal personality; for a design innovation center without legal personality established by an enterprise, the application shall be filed by the entity with legal personality that establishes such center.

2. It shall have been operating stably for more than two years (by the date of application), with fixed premises, good hardware and software conditions, sound management systems, and stable staffing, meeting the evaluation indicators for municipal design innovation centers.

3. It shall abide by Chinese laws, rules and regulations, have not had major environmental protection, quality or safety accidents in the past two years, have not been listed as a serious dishonest entity, and have not committed any serious illegal act or been suspected of any major illegal act currently under review by relevant departments.

4. It shall comply with the industrial development direction of China and Shanghai Municipality, and have a significant competitive advantage in the industry, and an outstanding innovation capability. 

5. And in the case of a design innovation center established by an enterprise, it shall be a specially established and independently operated branch or an internal department.

Article 6

In principle, the accreditation of municipal design innovation centers shall be conducted once a year, subject to the application notice issued by SMCEI, and shall be carried out in a coordinated and orderly manner under the principle of "district-level recommendation, municipal-level review, and collaborative administration".

1. The entity applying for the accreditation of a municipal design innovation center shall submit the application form and relevant application materials via the designated application platform pursuant to the application notice, and be responsible for the authenticity and completeness of the materials.

2. The competent departments of all district people's governments shall make a preliminary examination of the application materials, then determine the list of recommended entities, and submit it to SMCEI.

3. SMCEI shall organize experts to conduct comprehensive reviews and necessary on-site examinations of the applicant entities that have passed the district-level preliminary examinations, and determine the list of municipal design innovation centers. If no objection is raised within the publicity period, such applicant entities shall be accredited as municipal design innovation centers.

Chapter III Cultivation and Administration

Article 7

This Municipality shall establish and improve the gradient cultivation system for design innovation centers, continuously cultivate and expand market entities in design innovation, encourage municipal design innovation centers to focus on key industrial fields, anticipate industrial development trends, participate in making key technological breakthroughs and key R&D programs, realize design optimization and improvement, and improve the capability of industrial innovation. The cultivation system also opens design programs to small and medium-sized enterprises in the industrial chain and supply chain to enhance the capability and level of collaborative design of the industrial chain.

Article 8

The relevant competent departments of all district people's governments are encouraged to improve their implementation measures by by reference to these Procedures and carry out the cultivation and accreditation of district-level design innovation centers. The evaluation criteria for district-level design innovation centers may be formulated based on the evaluation requirements for municipal design innovation centers. "Characteristic indicators" (not more than 30% of the total score) may be set in light of the actual circumstances of each district. The work record of relevant accreditation and administration of district-level design innovation centers shall be timely submitted to SMCEI.

Article 9

Municipal design innovation centers are subject to dynamic administration.

1. A municipal design innovation center is valid for a period of three years, and subject to review upon expiry. The municipal design innovation centers subject to review shall submit relevant review materials as required. The competent departments of all district people's governments shall conduct preliminary examination thereof and report the result to SMCEI. The validity period is extended by three years after verification and approval of the said result by SMCEI.

2. Where a municipal design innovation center fails to receive the review as required, or is ranked as unqualified in the review, or whose host enterprise requests revocation on its own, SMCEI shall revoke its certificate after verifying the relevant circumstances. Such centers shall not reapply within two years.

3. Where a municipal design innovation center practices frauds or violates relevant provisions in the process of application for accreditation and acceptance of administration, or incurs major environmental protection, quality or safety accidents, or is listed as a serious dishonest entity, or commits any other serious illegal act, SMCEI shall revoke its certificate after verifying the relevant circumstances. Such centers shall not reapply within three years.

4. Where the enterprise that owns a municipal design innovation center undergoes major adjustments such as change of name, reorganization and lawful termination, it shall timely report the information to the relevant competent department of the district people's government and SMCEI.

5. SMCEI conducts comprehensive evaluation of the annual operation of municipal design innovation centers each year and takes the evaluation results as the basis for the review work.

Article 10

SMCEI shall record in accordance with law the dishonest acts of municipal design innovation centers during the process of certification and evaluation, and submit the relevant information to Shanghai Public Credit Information Platform in accordance with laws, rules and regulations.

Article 11

The supportive policies given to municipal design innovation centers are as follows:

1. According to relevant provisions, municipal design innovation centers are eligible to receive the support from the Municipal Special Creation Funds and encouraged to apply for the Municipal Special Funds to Promote High-quality Industrial Development and the Municipal Financial Support Funds for the Development of Cultural and Creative Industries.

2. Municipal design innovation centers are recommended on a selective basis to participate in the World Design Capital Conference, "Shanghai Design 100 +" and other publicity and promotion campaigns organized by Shanghai Municipality.

3. Municipal design innovation centers are recommended on a selective basis to apply for the certification of State-level industrial design centers, China Excellent Industrial Design Award, etc.

4. And Municipal design innovation centers are eligible to receive services provided for the development of Shanghai’s creative and design industries in accordance with relevant provisions.

Article 12

The relevant competent departments of all district people's governments may provide policy and financial support to the design innovation centers by reference to these Procedures in light of the actual circumstances of their respective districts.

Chapter IV Supplementary Provisions

Article 13

The existing Shanghai Industrial Design Centers shall be administered in accordance with these Procedures. Public institutions, social organizations and other applicant entities for municipal design innovation centers shall follow these Procedures by reference.

Article 14

SMCEI is responsible for the interpretation of these Procedures.

Article 15

These Procedures shall be effective as of December 15, 2023 until December 14, 2028.