The National Innovation Center par Excellence has begun accepting applications for the first batch of the innovative research and development enterprises in the Yangtze River Delta region.

This is meant to further enhance the independent innovation capability of local industries, promote the development of the R&D service industry, strengthen the supply capacity of industrial technologies and to facilitate the smooth flow of innovation resources on a broader scale.

The relevant notice is as follows:

Eligibility

Enterprises registered in Shanghai municipality, Jiangsu province or Anhui province are eligible to apply. They must focus on independent technological R&D as their core business, while continuously providing R&D, achievement transformations, technical services and comprehensive solutions to other businesses.

Application requirements

Each applicant should meet the following conditions:

• Be registered and established for at least one year in Shanghai, Jiangsu, or Anhui.
• At least 50 percent of the company's employees this year are sci-tech staff engaged in R&D and related technological innovation activities.
• Owning independent intellectual property rights for core and key technologies.
• Revenue from technological activities, including R&D, technology transfer, technology licensing, technical consulting and technical services, was no less than 5 million yuan ($ 688,505) last year, accounting for at least 50 percent of the company’s total revenue.

Selection process

• Enterprise applications: Enterprises should submit their applications to NICE by completing the required forms and providing the necessary support documents.
• Preliminary screening and evaluation: NICE will organize financial and technical experts to conduct a preliminary screening and evaluation of the collected application materials.
• On-site communications: NICE's business divisions will have on-site exchanges with enterprises that pass the preliminary review to gain a deeper understanding of their R&D input, scientific research conditions and technological level.
• Review and confirmation: The NICE Administration Committee will review the standouts from on-site communications. Those eligible will be officially recognized as YRD Innovative R&D Enterprises after signing the cooperation agreement with NICE.

Supportive policies

• Demand matchmaking: NICE has established joint innovation centers with over 500 leading companies in various sectors. It can help R&D enterprises to align themselves with industry demands, promoting the transformation and application of their technical achievements in leading enterprises.
• Project incubations: R&D enterprises are encouraged to recommend candidate project managers to NICE and take part in the incubation of NICE's major industrial technology innovation projects. If successfully implemented, these projects will receive R&D funding support.
• R&D cooperation: R&D enterprises are encouraged to collaborate with NICE's strategically partnered universities and scientific research institutions both at home and abroad. NICE will subsidize up to 50 percent of the fees payable to the partner institutions, with the maximum capital support for a single project not exceeding 1 million yuan.
• Enterprises' overseas expansion: NICE will utilize its resources — including overseas universities, research institutions, innovation platforms, international organizations and global innovation partners — to support R&D enterprises in going global. This includes participating in and managing international organizations, jointly establishing proof-of-concept funds with overseas institutions, overseas business expansion, financing and mergers and acquisitions, employee recruitment, as well as supply-demand matchmaking with foreign-invested enterprises in China.
• Talent cultivation: R&D enterprises are encouraged to collaborate with NICE's strategically partnered universities and scientific research institutions in China for the joint cultivation of graduate students and postdoctoral researchers. Scholarships may be provided by NICE with a maximum of 12,000 yuan per year for graduate students, 30,000 yuan per year for doctoral students and 50,000 yuan per year for postdoctoral researchers. Meanwhile, NICE also supports enterprises to participate in the educational projects that integrates academic studies with industry practices — by matching them with high-quality interns and providing scholarships and insurance.
• Resource sharing: R&D enterprises are encouraged to participate in apparatus and equipment sharing within NICE's system, helping enterprises expand their customer base for analysis and testing services, computing power and other equipment resources. NICE may subsidize 20 percent of the expenditure, up to a maximum of 500,000 yuan annually, if the R&D enterprises use NICE's R&D carriers or corporate apparatus and equipment for major projects.
• Regional support: NICE will assist R&D enterprises in benefiting from regional supportive policies.

Relevant materials

The applicants must scan the QR code below to download and complete the Application Form for YRD Innovative R&D Enterprises (signed by the legal representative and stamped with the official seal) and submit the Special Audit Report for Enterprises (issued by a qualified auditing institution and filed with the Chinese Institute of Certified Public Accountants), along with a copy of the auditing institution's business license.

The application materials must be sent to NICE's headquarters before March 31, 2025 (Address: Yunfei Building, No 257 Xiangke Road, Pudong New Area, Shanghai; Recipient: He Xiangpo; Phone: 021-6878-6330), with the electronic version emailed to yfxqy@nice.org.cn simultaneously.

The applicants must ensure the authenticity and completeness of the application materials. Any form of falsification is strictly prohibited and if discovered, the application will be disqualified.

To help applicants better understand the positioning, application requirements and related support policies for YRD innovative R&D enterprises, an online briefing session is scheduled for 10 am on March 14 (Tencent Meeting ID: 530-279-399).

Contact persons:

He Xiangpo at 021-6878-6330

Shao Tao at 025-8345-5146

(Please scan the QR code below to download the Application Form for YRD Innovative R&D Enterprises and Special Audit Report for Enterprises.)

Source: WeChat account of the National Innovation Center par Excellence at "NICE-20210603"

Note: The English version of the notice is for reference only; the official Chinese document shall prevail.