Shanghai is offering financial incentives to encourage multinational corporations to establish and strengthen regional headquarters and R&D centers in the city.

Incentives will be granted in accordance with the amended Measures of Shanghai Municipality to Manage the Fund for the Development of Regional Headquarters of Multinational Companies, issued on Aug 27.

Here's how you can apply:

I. Eligible entities, support criteria and required documents

1. Early support subsidy

MNCs' regional or business unit headquarters with a paid-in registered capital of at least $30 million, no fewer than 10 employees, and parent company authorization to manage at least one domestic or foreign enterprise will receive an early support subsidy of 5 million yuan ($700,130).

Global R&D centers with at least 50 dedicated R&D personnel will receive an early support subsidy of 5 million yuan.

Subsidies will be disbursed over three years in a 40-30-30 ratio.

Applications must be filed within three years after being recognized as an MNC's regional or business unit headquarters, or as a global R&D center.

Application materials:

(1) An application form signed by the legal representative or stamped with the company seal (original).

(2) An employee list with names and positions, together with proof of social insurance or income tax payments in Shanghai. Foreign employees must provide valid employment proof (copy).

(3) Proof of managing at least one domestic or foreign enterprise (copy) for regional and business unit headquarters of MNCs.

2. Capability enhancement reward

MNCs' regional or business unit headquarters for Asia, the Asia-Pacific, or wider regions will receive a one-time high-level capability reward of 3 million yuan when they:

• Are authorized by their parent companies to manage at least three foreign enterprises in different countries or regions.
• Undertake at least two functions: R&D, financial management, investment decision-making, procurement and distribution, supply chain management, or shared services.
• Have paid-in registered capital of at least $2 million and employ no fewer than 50 people.
• And have responsible people and other key headquarters management personnel appointed by their parent companies based in Shanghai.

MNCs' regional or business unit headquarters will receive a one-time capability enhancement reward of 10 million yuan when they:

• Are authorized by their parent companies to be upgraded to global business unit headquarters.
• Generate annual operating receipts of no less than 1 billion yuan, accounting for at least 10 percent of the annual global operating receipts of the business unit.
• Have a paid-in registered capital of at least $30 million and no fewer than 80 employees responsible for global business.
• And have the global head, the finance chief, and other key headquarters management personnel appointed by their parent companies based in Shanghai.

Application materials:

(1) An application form signed by the legal representative or stamped with the company seal (original).

(2) An employee list with names and positions, together with proof of social insurance or income tax payments in Shanghai. Foreign employees must provide employment proof (copy).

(3) For the one-time high-level capability reward, a statement on the head of the headquarters and other key management staff residing in Shanghai, and with copies of documents proving that the headquarters manages at least three overseas enterprises in different countries or regions.

(4) For the one-time capability enhancement reward, a special audit report on the previous year's operating revenue and its global share, a list of employees responsible for global operations with names and positions, and a statement on the global head, the finance chief, and other key headquarters management personnel residing in Shanghai.

*Key headquarters management personnel mainly include board members, general manager, deputy general manager, financial officer, and other senior management personnel specified in the company's articles of association.

3. Function reward

MNCs' regional or business unit headquarters adding R&D, financial management, or procurement and distribution functions will receive a reward under the three circumstances:

• With R&D included in their business scope, an average annual R&D investment of at least $4 million over the past two years, at least 40 dedicated R&D personnel, and independent R&D achievements and patents authorized in China, they will receive a one-time R&D innovation reward of 3 million yuan.
• Establishing a cross-border cash pool in Shanghai, engaging in activities such as cross-border fund concentration, allocation, receipt and payment, settlement, investment and financing, risk management, and foreign exchange conversion, having been operational for more than one year, and seeing an annual international balance of payments scale of the cross-border cash pool exceeding 3.5 billion yuan and a net cross-border cash inflow, a one-time treasury management reward of 3 million yuan will be granted.
• Undertaking centralized procurement and sales functions with paid-in registered capital of at least $2 million and annual sales of at least 1 billion yuan, they will qualify for a one-time procurement and distribution reward of 5 million yuan, distributed in a 40-30-30 ratio over three years.

Application materials:

(1) An application form signed by the legal representative or stamped with the company seal (original).

(2) For the one-time R&D innovation reward, proof of average annual R&D spending above $4 million (2023 and 2024), a statement on at least 40 dedicated R&D staff, and valid patent certificates for independent R&D achievements (copy with the company seal).

(3) For the one-time treasury management reward, the cross-border cash pool service agreement signed with the bank, including the name of the host enterprise and the business operations conducted with its member enterprises, and the annual international transaction record declaration form for the cross-border cash pool, including information on the declared annual international balance of payments scale.

(4) For the one-time procurement and distribution reward, the financial audit report of the previous year (copy with the company seal).

4. Innovation platform reward

Open innovation platforms will receive a one-time innovation platform reward of 3 million yuan when they:

• Employ no fewer than five dedicated personnel responsible for technology, operations, and management.
• And have at least five signed R&D innovation projects that have received angel investment or venture capital, and launched innovative products or reached licensing transfer agreements.

Application materials:

(1) An application form signed by the legal representative or stamped with the company seal (original).

(2) A statement on at least five dedicated staff responsible for technology, operations, and management, supporting documents for angel investment or venture capital received, and evidence of at least five innovative products already launched on the market or covered by licensing transfer agreements.

5. Capital increase reward

MNCs' regional or business unit headquarters investing in projects aligned with the city's industrial development direction through capital increases, with an annual paid-in foreign capital increase of at least $30 million, will receive a one-time capital increase reward of 2 million yuan.

The same project cannot apply for both the capital increase reward and the early support subsidy in the same year.

Application materials:

An application form signed by the legal representative or stamped with the company seal (original).

II. Submission deadline and requirements

1. Deadline: Sept 22, 2025

2. Required documents: An original application form and five copies, together with three copies of other supporting documents. All copies shall be stamped with the company seal.

3. Submission: Submit to your district commerce department. The district will review and forward the preliminarily approved application to the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce by Sept 28, 2025.

III. Approval process and fund disbursement

1. Approval process

(1) District commerce and finance departments conduct the initial review.

(2) Preliminarily approved applications are sent to the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce for further evaluation, which may involve third-party verification and site visits.

(3) Final decisions are made by the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce and the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Finance.

(4) The two authorities then notify the district commerce and finance departments of the final results.

2. Fund disbursement

(1) The Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce forwards its opinion on the allocation of the Fund to the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Finance.

(2) District finance departments arrange disbursements based on the final results and relevant regulations on centralized treasury payments.

IV. Contact numbers

Districts	Telephone Nos
Pudong New Area	021-2058-5549, 2058-5552, 2058-5237
Huangpu	021-3313- 4800 Ext 20942
Jing'an	021-3337-1851, 3337-1310
Xuhui	021-6487-2222 Ext 1236
Changning	021-2205-0877
Putuo	021-5256-4588 Ext 7032
Hongkou	021-2565-8332
Yangpu	021-6514-8753
Baoshan	021-5617-6506
Minhang	021-3388-5231
Jiading	021-6998-9128
Jinshan	021-5792-2898
Songjiang	021-3772-2691
Qingpu	021-6971-6509
Fengxian	021-6719-2773

 

Source: Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce

Note: The above content is for reference only. In case of any discrepancies, the Chinese version shall prevail.