Shanghai's special fund for cultural and creative development supports key sectors across the city's districts in line with local conditions, with the aim of stimulating cultural innovation and fostering new forms of cultural business.

This guide sets out the application arrangements for 2026 as follows.

I. Support scope

The support scope includes fields within the classification directory of the cultural and creative industries, such as media and arts, industrial design, architectural design, fashion creativity, internet and related services, software and information technology services, advertising, and exhibition services.

Leisure and entertainment, cultural and creative investment operations, consulting and intermediary services, cultural equipment manufacturing and sales, and cultural and creative auxiliary products production and sales are also included.

The focus lies on promoting the high-quality development of key areas such as film and television, artworks, performing arts, gaming and e-sports, online culture, and creative design.

The same enterprise may apply under all three categories for different projects.

(A) Ongoing projects that may be supported

These projects refer to cultural and creative industry projects that have both social and economic benefits, good development prospects, industry leadership, innovation capabilities, and significant competitive advantages.

Centered on cultivating and developing new quality productive forces, these projects include:

1. Projects that integrate culture, commerce, tourism, sports, and exhibitions

2. Fashion creativity projects

3. Cultural creativity empowerment projects

4. New technology application projects

5. Cultural and creative platform projects

6. Other projects that require key support as determined by the Shanghai Municipal Leading Group for Promoting Cultural and Creative Industries.

(B) Projects that may be funded for their achievements

These projects refer to those with good social and economic benefits in cultural and tourism industries, news publishing, gaming and e-sports, cultural and sports and entertainment industries, high-quality internet content, design innovation and fashion consumption, cultural and creative parks, and financial services for the cultural and creative sectors.

(C) Industry research projects

Industry research, policy research, and industry report preparation related to the cultural and creative industries will be supported.

The 2026 key industry research projects include:

1. Shanghai cultural and creative industries development report

2. Research on AI-empowered business model innovation in the cultural and creative industries

3. Benchmarking research on the cultural and creative industries development in key international metropolises

4. Research on publicly available norms for international "design capital" development

5. Research on international rules and industry solutions for sustainable product eco-design

II. Support methods

The cultural and creative fund is provided through non-repayable grants, loan interest subsidies, and other forms of support. The support amount is determined based on the project's functional positioning, service model, and total investment.

(A) Ongoing projects that may be supported

For projects using non-repayable grants, the municipal-level funding support amount for a single project shall not exceed 3 million yuan ($440,000), while the combined support ratio at the municipal and district levels is capped at 50 percent of the total investment and at 50 percent of the registered capital of the applying entity as of the application date, except for platform projects.

For national-level cultural and creative industry projects and major projects with a critical and overall impact on the city's cultural and creative industry development, the support amount and ratio may be increased as determined by the leading group.

(B) Projects that may be funded for their achievements

For projects using non-repayable grants, the support amount is determined based on the applying entity's operating income, the project's functional positioning, service methods, and total capital investment.

For projects that obtain credit funding, after passing the evaluation, the municipal-level interest subsidy total for a single project shall not exceed 50 percent of the total interest calculated based on the loan prime rate announced by the People's Bank of China on the evaluation date.

(C) Industry research projects

Non-repayable grants will be used.

(D) Priority support items

The following projects will be given priority support under the same conditions:

1. Projects with district-level 1:1 matching funding

2. Projects that have received investment from venture capital, investment-loan linkage, and other social capital

3. Projects with an investment amount of over 50 million yuan

4. Projects that significantly contribute to the high-quality development of the culture, sports, and entertainment industries

5. Projects with a critical and overall impact on the city's cultural and creative industry development

6. National-level cultural and creative industry projects

III. Work process

(A) Online application

1. Application steps:

• Applying entities can log into the "Government Online-Offline Shanghai" portal by scanning the real-time QR code with the Suishenban application, WeChat, or Alipay mini-programs, or by using the legal person's Ukey.
• Select "Government Services", enter the "Precision Pro-Business Policy Services" section, tap "Funding Support", and choose "Municipal Cultural and Creative Office" from the "Departments" dropdown menu.
• Fill in all relevant information online, submit the required electronic materials, and save and download the corresponding application form. Ensure that the system-generated application form in PDF format has a watermark and is properly saved.

If an enterprise hasn't registered on the portal, please complete registration on the registration page first.

2. Application period: April 7 to May 6, 2026 (the application system closes at 4:30 pm on May 6).

The application portal and period for projects related to high-quality internet content, as well as cultural and creative parks in the category of projects that may be funded for their achievements, will be announced separately.

(B) On-site submission of written materials for projects that may be funded for their achievements

1. Written material submission

• After completing the online application, print the fund application form for projects in this category from the application system. Ensure the printed form has a watermark.
• Sign, stamp, and submit the form along with the required attachments.

2. Acceptance time and address

• Cultural and tourism industry projects:

• 9 to 11:30 am, 1 to 4:30 pm, May 7 to 9, 2026
• Government affairs service center of Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism, No 2419 South Zhongshan Road Number Two, Xuhui district

• Projects in news publishing, gaming and e-sports, culture, sports and entertainment, design innovation and fashion-related consumption, and financial services for cultural and creative industries:

• 9 to 11:30 am, 1 to 4:30 pm, May 7 to 9, 2026
• Building B14, No 800 Changde Road, Jing'an district

Written materials must be submitted on-site by applying entities. Submissions after the deadline will not be accepted. The acceptance time and location for written materials related to high-quality internet content and cultural and creative parks in this project category will be announced separately.

(C) Funding disbursement process

1. Ongoing projects that may be supported and industry research projects: funding, once approved, will be disbursed in two installments. The first installment will cover 60 percent of the total proposed support, with the remainder disbursed upon project completion and acceptance.

For entities registered after Jan 1, 2025, and those with limited capacity to fulfill contracts, funding may, depending on the actual circumstances, be disbursed in a single installment upon project completion and acceptance.

2. Projects that may be funded for their achievements: funding, once approved, will be disbursed in a single installment within the applicable support standard limit.

IV. Consultation methods

1. Ongoing projects that may be supported and industry research projects:

021-3250-9315 Ext 807, 021-3250-9316 Ext 808

2. Achievement-based funding projects:

• Cultural and tourism industry:

• 021-2311-8161 (performing arts)
• 021-2311-8166 (artworks)
• 021-2311-8170 (culture-related consumption, and cultural and creative product development)
• 021-2311-8169 (animation and comics, and cultural services export trade)
• 021-2311-8231 and 021-2311-8229 (network-based audiovisual projects)
• 137-6160-1911 (application platform technical consultation)

• News publishing:

• 021-6431-3098 (network-based publishing)
• 021-2402-1726 (journal publishing)
• 021-2402-1718 (distribution channels, printing industry, national reading brand activities, and international communication)
• 021-2402-1706, 021-2402-1701, and 021-2402-1703 (copyright industry)
• 021-2402-1735 (book publishing)

• Gaming and e-sports:

• 021-5448-4676 (Xuhui district)
• 021-3309-5006 (Jing'an district)
• 021-2503-3083 (Yangpu district)
• 021-6431-3098 (municipal publicity department)

• Culture, sports and entertainment, design innovation and fashion-related consumption, as well as financial services for cultural and creative industries: 021-3250-9315 Ext 807 and 021-3250-9316 Ext 808.

3. Government Online-Offline Shanghai technical consultation: 131-2078-5998.

4. Consultation time: 9 to 11:30 am, 1:30 to 4:30 pm, weekdays during the project application period

 

Source: Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Informatization

Note: The English text is for reference only. In the event of any discrepancy, the Chinese version shall prevail.