Shanghai's Changning district launched a one-stop service platform on Oct 8 to streamline approvals for activities spanning culture, commerce, tourism, sports, exhibitions, and green spaces, making it easier and faster for businesses to organize events.

As the first district-level one-stop service platform of its kind in Shanghai, the initiative integrates government services across multiple departments to improve administrative efficiency and make it easier to organize promotional events.

The platform builds on a pilot reform introduced in July for marketing activities in shopping malls. For example, a themed event marking the 10th anniversary of the US animated film Zootopia received approval in three working days through the pilot platform, compared with nearly two weeks under the previous process.

The new platform expands the reform to a wider range of activities involving multiple departments. Businesses can submit applications through Government Online-Offline Shanghai, where applications are automatically distributed to relevant authorities for parallel processing.

The platform also generates tailored checklists of required procedures and documents based on the venue and event arrangements, with templates and format requirements provided. It also allows 24 types of application documents to be submitted once and shared across departments.

For eligible marketing activities, the average processing time has been reduced from 20 working days to a maximum of five. Required in-person visits have dropped from at least four to no more than one, while the number of documents required has fallen from at least 38 to a maximum of 14. Applications are now accepted both online and in person.

The platform also links approval procedures with regulatory oversight, allowing event plans and related documents to be shared with relevant authorities during the application process. This enables departments to provide compliance guidance during event preparation.

Beyond approvals, the platform serves as a digital gateway to services and resources across six areas: culture, commerce, tourism, sports, exhibitions, and green spaces. Its features include application guidelines and progress tracking, access to municipal and district-level approval services, and a public-space vending map covering 101 designated locations in Changning.

Businesses can also access guidance on cultural exhibitions, food safety, environmental protection, and fire safety, as well as district services covering talent support, designated areas for time-limited commercial activities, tax-refund shop registration, legal services, and credit-based financing.

Source: WeChat account of Changning district information office "shchangning"