Shanghai's Changning district has introduced a set of new measures to create a vibrant ecosystem for innovation, supporting businesses in sci-tech advancement and economic growth.

Effective from Aug 25, 2025, to Dec 31, 2026, the policy applies to entities legally established or organizations operating in the district, maintaining normal business operations, and having a good credit record.

Here's a breakdown of its key points:

1. Encouraging sci-tech R&D

• Enterprises are encouraged to tackle critical and generic technologies. After evaluation, projects that align with industrial goals and show promising results may receive funding of up to 3 million yuan ($421,000).
• Projects approved by the Zhangjiang National Innovation Demonstration Zone may receive matching funding support.
• Municipal-level "little giant" projects (or such projects being cultivated) may get matching funding support, while district-level such projects (or such projects being cultivated) may receive up to 500,000 yuan.

*"Little giant" companies are leading small and medium-sized enterprises that specialize in niche sectors, command a high market share, and feature strong innovative capacity and core technologies.

• Projects approved by the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Science and Technology (SMCST) for the municipal-level innovation fund, and qualified projects supported by the district-level innovation fund, may receive up to 100,000 yuan.
• Entities receiving national or municipal-level sci-tech awards may qualify for matching funding support. Newly recognized high-tech enterprises may receive up to 200,000 yuan, while re-recognized enterprises may receive a maximum of 100,000 yuan.

2. Creating an innovation environment

• Support is available for constructing functional platforms like professional-tech-focused public service platforms, proof-of-concept centers, and pilot testing platforms. Eligible projects may receive up to 20 million yuan, covering no more than 30 percent of the investment.
• Eligible key entities that contribute to the transformation of sci-tech achievements, the incubation of sci-tech enterprises, and the clustering of sci-tech companies may receive funding support.
• Qualified leading sci-tech companies that form innovation alliances or open innovation centers may receive up to 10 million yuan, covering no more than 30 percent of the investment.
• Key enterprises that set up new R&D institutions or cooperate with universities or scientific research institutes to establish such institutions may receive up to 2.5 million yuan based on annual performance evaluation.
• Companies using Shanghai municipal innovation vouchers may receive up to 300,000 yuan based on amounts verified by SMCST.
• Sci-tech innovation companies that follow the district's key industrial development direction may receive a one-time annual subsidy of up to 5 million yuan for purchasing public services such as communication, cloud computing, large language model R&D, and application-oriented intelligent computing services.
• Eligible projects that are centered on innovative application scenarios, have significant economic and social benefits, and demonstrate good market value and exemplary effects may receive up to 2 million yuan after evaluation.
• Qualified sci-tech SMEs with performance guarantee loans and small and micro sci-tech enterprises with small loans may receive financial support. Eligible sci-tech enterprise incubators that purchase startup insurance for enterprises based in them may also receive financial support based on the premiums.

3. Supporting innovation and entrepreneurship spaces

• Construction commencing funding and annual funding are available for building municipal-level high-quality incubators (or such incubators being cultivated). Well-performing incubators (or such incubators being cultivated) may receive matching support, along with municipal-level incentives, based on performance evaluation.
• Sci-tech parks passing annual district-level evaluation may receive up to 2 million yuan, while sci-tech enterprise incubators and makerspaces may receive up to 1 million yuan.

Source: Changning district government

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