Chapter 1 General Provisions
Article 1 These Operational Procedures are formulated to standardize the organization and implementation of the micro-short drama industry support plan, and to improve the efficiency and management of the use of special fiscal funds, in accordance with the “Several Measures of Shenzhen Municipality to Promote the High-Quality Development of the Micro-Short Drama Industry” and other relevant regulations.
Article 2 For the purposes of these Operational Procedures, “micro-short dramas” refer to online audiovisual products with a runtime of no more than 20 minutes per episode, featuring a relatively clear theme and main storyline, as well as a relatively continuous and complete plot.The micro-short drama industry referred to in these Operating Procedures refers to online audiovisual industry activities primarily aimed at the production and distribution of micro-short dramas, including scriptwriting, filming and production, distribution, marketing and promotion, technology R&D, industry services, thematic events, and other aspects of micro-short drama production and dissemination.
Article 3 The funds for the micro-short drama industry development support program referred to in these Operational Procedures shall be allocated from the municipal special fund for the cultural and sports industries and shall apply to relevant funding projects organized and implemented by the Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television, Tourism, and Sports.
Chapter II Eligibility Criteria
Article 4 Applicant entities must meet the following basic conditions:
(1) The applicant must be an entity actually engaged in the micro-short drama industry within the administrative jurisdiction of Shenzhen;
(2) The applicant must not have committed any serious violations of the law and must not be listed as a subject of joint disciplinary action for dishonesty;
(3) The applicant shall be responsible for the authenticity, legality, and completeness of the application materials, make a commitment, and bear liability for breach of contract in accordance with the law; the applicant shall not fabricate information, misappropriate, or fraudulently obtain special funds.
Article 5 Applicants applying for specific support program projects must also meet the relevant requirements listed in Chapter 3 of these Operational Procedures.
Chapter III: Support Directions and Standards
Article 6 Award for Outstanding Screenplay Creation:
(1) Eligibility Criteria:
1. The script has been completed and meets one of the following conditions:
(1) Selected for the national, Guangdong Province, or Shenzhen script creation support programs;
(2) Selected for the National Radio and Television Administration’s Online Audio-Visual Excellence Creation and Dissemination Project, the Call for and Screening of Original Online Audio-Visual Programs, the Annual Selection of Outstanding Online Audio-Visual Works, or the “Micro-Short Drama+” Action Plan;
(3) Selected for relevant lists such as Guangdong Province and Shenzhen City’s Outstanding Online Audio-Visual Programs, Original Online Audio-Visual Excellence Projects, “Explore Guangdong Through Micro-Short Dramas,” and Provincial Literary and Artistic Excellence Support Programs.
2. The copyright holder or filing entity of the script must be an enterprise actually engaged in the micro-short drama industry within the administrative jurisdiction of Shenzhen. Only one application per script will be accepted.
3. The work must have obtained a Guangdong Province “Online Drama and Film Distribution License” or a program registration and filing number, and must be available for broadcast on online audiovisual platforms.
(II) Scope of Rewards: Script development costs, including labor costs incurred during the script creation process, copyright purchase and usage fees, copyright registration and protection fees, on-site interview and research expenses, meeting and travel expenses, and other costs directly related to the creation of the submitted script.
(3) Award Standards:
1. Micro-short drama scripts selected for national, Guangdong Provincial, or Shenzhen municipal script creation support programs, which are evaluated as outstanding and successfully released for broadcast, will be awarded up to 30% of production costs, with a maximum reward of 1 million yuan.
2. Micro-short drama scripts selected for the National Radio and Television Administration’s “Online Audio-Visual Excellence Creation and Dissemination Project,” the “Original Online Audio-Visual Program Collection and Broadcast,” the “Annual Selection of Outstanding Online Audio-Visual Works,” the “Micro-Short Drama Plus” Action Plan, or other relevant lists, and subsequently released online, shall be awarded up to 300,000 yuan per script based on the following tiers:
(1) For micro-short dramas with production costs of 1 million yuan or more, a maximum reward of 300,000 yuan will be granted;
(2) For micro-short dramas with production costs between 300,000 yuan (inclusive) and 1 million yuan (exclusive), a maximum reward of 150,000 yuan will be granted;
(3) For micro-short dramas with production costs of 300,000 yuan or less (excluding 300,000 yuan), a maximum reward of 80,000 yuan will be granted.
3. For micro-short dramas selected for the Guangdong Province and Shenzhen City Directories of Excellent Online Audiovisual Programs, the Original Online Audiovisual Masterpiece Project Database, the “Explore Guangdong Through Micro-Short Dramas” initiative, the Provincial Literary and Artistic Masterpiece Support Program, and other relevant directories, and subsequently released online, a reward of up to 200,000 yuan per production will be granted based on the following tiers:
(1) For micro-short dramas with production costs of 1 million yuan (inclusive) or more, a maximum reward of 200,000 yuan will be granted;
(2) For micro-short dramas with production costs between 300,000 yuan (inclusive) and 1,000,000 yuan (exclusive), a maximum reward of 100,000 yuan will be granted;
(3) For micro-short dramas with production costs of 300,000 yuan or less (excluding 300,000 yuan), a maximum reward of 50,000 yuan will be granted.
Scripts that reflect Shenzhen-themed content and promote the city’s image may receive an additional 50% in funding on top of the above standards.
A single entity may submit a maximum of three projects for consideration as outstanding scripts in the same year; upon approval, the total award amount shall not exceed 1 million yuan. If a single script meets two or more of the eligibility criteria listed in items 1–3 above, it need only be submitted once; upon approval, the specific award amount will be determined based on the “higher amount” principle.
(4) Evaluation Method: Expert review and specialized audit.
Article 7: Funding for Filming in Shenzhen:
(1) Eligibility Criteria:
1. A single production must feature on-location filming at no fewer than five sites with iconic Shenzhen landmarks;
2. The work plays a positive role in enhancing Shenzhen’s urban image and promoting tourism, such as showcasing a positive and uplifting image of Shenzhen, generating significant discussion on mainstream social media platforms both domestically and internationally, effectively turning filming locations into popular tourist spots, or effectively guiding the public to pay attention to Shenzhen’s cultural and tourism products or services;
3. The work has obtained a “Online Drama and Film Distribution License” or program registration number from Guangdong Province, and after being released on online audio-visual platforms, ranks among the top 100 in annual popularity in the micro-short drama category;
4. The applicant must be the copyright holder, filing entity, production company, or producer of the work. Only one application per work will be accepted.
(2) Scope of Funding: Directly related expenses incurred during the filming and production process, including labor, travel, venue/equipment/vehicle rentals, costumes, makeup, and props, copyright fees, insurance, and post-production costs. This does not include promotional or advertising costs.
(3) Funding Standards: Based on the evaluation results, awards of up to 2 million yuan will be granted in tiers. In principle, the award amount shall not exceed 30% of the total costs for script development and production.
1. Projects where the primary filming locations are in Shenzhen, and the plot, dialogue, and other elements explicitly feature Shenzhen-specific content—including depictions of Shenzhen’s landmark buildings, transportation and public facilities, tourist attractions, and distinctive street scenes—appearing 20 times (inclusive) or more, with a total duration of 40 seconds (inclusive) or more, will be awarded up to 2 million yuan;
2. If one of the project’s primary filming locations is in Shenzhen, and the plot, dialogue, and other elements are related to Shenzhen, with the city’s image—including landmark buildings, transportation and public facilities, tourist attractions, and distinctive street scenes—featured 15 times or more, with a total duration of 30 seconds or more, a reward of up to 1.5 million yuan will be granted;
3. For projects partially filmed in Shenzhen that showcase Shenzhen’s iconic architecture, transportation and public facilities, tourist attractions, and distinctive street scenes—with such content appearing 10 times or more and totaling 20 seconds or more—a reward of up to 1 million yuan will be granted;
4. For projects filmed in Shenzhen that feature Shenzhen’s iconic architecture, transportation and public facilities, tourist attractions, and distinctive street scenes—or other elements representing the city’s image—at least 5 times (inclusive) with a combined duration of 10 seconds (inclusive) or more, a reward of up to 500,000 yuan will be granted.
(IV) Evaluation Method: Expert review and specialized audit.
Article 8 Rewards for the Distribution and Broadcast of Micro-Short Dramas:
(1) Eligibility Criteria:
1. The work must be distributed, owned, produced, or created by an enterprise actually engaged in the micro-short drama industry within the administrative region of Shenzhen, which shall serve as the applicant; only one application per work will be accepted;
2. The work must have obtained the Guangdong Province “Online Drama Distribution License” or a unique program registration and filing number, and must have been released and broadcast on online audiovisual platforms.
(2) Incentive Standards: Based on distribution and broadcast revenue, an incentive of up to 10% of such revenue, with a maximum of 1 million yuan, will be granted. If the same work is broadcast on multiple platforms, the incentive will be awarded according to the principle of “taking the highest amount and avoiding duplication.”
1. For landscape-oriented works released on major online audio-visual platforms with distribution and broadcasting revenue of no less than 500,000 yuan, a reward of up to 10% of the distribution and broadcasting revenue, with a maximum of 1 million yuan, shall be granted; for portrait-oriented works released on major online audio-visual platforms with distribution and broadcasting revenue of no less than 500,000 yuan, a reward of up to 10% of the distribution and broadcasting revenue, with a maximum of 500,000 yuan, shall be granted.
2. For landscape or portrait-oriented works released on other online audio-visual platforms with distribution and broadcast revenue of no less than 500,000 yuan, a reward of up to 10% of the distribution and broadcast revenue, with a maximum of 300,000 yuan, shall be granted.
(3) Evaluation Method: Expert review and specialized audit.
Article 9: Funding for the Creation of High-Quality Micro-Short Dramas:
(1) Eligibility Criteria:
1. The work must be planned and created around themes that promote core socialist values and traditional culture;
2. The work must be produced by an enterprise actually engaged in the micro-short drama industry within the administrative region of Shenzhen, acting as the copyright holder, production company, producer, distributor, or filing entity, and serving as the applicant; only one applicant per work will be accepted;
3. The work must have obtained a “Online Drama Distribution License” or program registration number from Guangdong Province and be broadcast on online audiovisual platforms.
(2) Scope of Funding: Direct costs incurred during script development (as per Article 6) and the filming and production process, including labor, travel, venue/equipment/vehicle rentals, costumes, makeup, and props, copyright fees, insurance, and post-production expenses. This excludes promotional and advertising costs.
(3) Funding Criteria: Works must premiere on the China Media Group’s General Channel (Channel 1), the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee’s Film Satellite Channel (CCTV-6), or the TV Drama Channel (Channel 8);or premiering on domestic online video platforms and ranking among the top 50 in annual popularity within the micro-short drama section. Based on evaluation results, tiered rewards of up to 2 million yuan will be granted, with the reward amount generally not exceeding 30% of the combined script development and production costs.
1. Key micro-short dramas with production costs of 1 million yuan or more will receive up to 2 million yuan in funding;
2. For standard micro-short dramas with production costs between 300,000 yuan (inclusive) and 1 million yuan (exclusive), a maximum grant of 300,000 yuan will be provided;
3. Other micro-short dramas with production costs of 300,000 yuan or less (excluding 300,000 yuan) will receive a maximum grant of 90,000 yuan.
(IV) Evaluation Method: Expert review and specialized audit.
Article 10 Export Incentives for Micro-Short Dramas:
(1) Eligibility Criteria:
1. The applicant must be the copyright holder, production company, producer, or distributor responsible for the overseas distribution and broadcast of the micro-short drama. Only one application per work will be accepted;
2. The project must demonstrate high production quality, effective dissemination, and a positive social response, and play a proactive role in promoting Chinese culture and telling the story of Shenzhen;
3. The project must feature audio or subtitles in at least one foreign language.
(2) Incentive Standards: Funding will be provided in tiers based on the applicant’s total overseas distribution, copyright, and other related revenues from micro-short dramas for the current year, with a maximum of 1 million yuan.
1. For entities meeting the application criteria for National Key Cultural Export Enterprises or Key Projects, our Bureau will recommend them for application. Upon approval, a one-time reward of 500,000 yuan will be granted to National Key Cultural Export Enterprises and 300,000 yuan to Key Projects;
2. For entities meeting the application criteria for Shenzhen Key Cultural Export Enterprises, our bureau will organize the evaluation; upon approval, a one-time reward of up to 500,000 yuan will be granted based on tiered categories.
Applicants may apply for both of the above grants simultaneously. If approved for both, the award will be granted according to the principle of “the higher amount, with no duplication.”
(3) Evaluation Method: Specialized Audit.
Article 11: The same micro-short drama project may apply for funding under Articles 6 through 10 simultaneously. The total cumulative funding amount for the same applicant and the same micro-short drama project shall not exceed 3 million yuan.
Article 12: Funding for Technical R&D and Innovation in Micro-Short Dramas:
(1) Eligibility Criteria:
1. The project must primarily involve technology R&D applicable to the micro-short drama industry, including but not limited to the development of micro-short drama creation tools, micro-short drama platforms, applications for the global expansion of micro-short dramas, interactive dramas, and R&D related to SaaS, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and augmented reality technologies;
2. The project must have been fully developed and put into use, and the applicant must hold the intellectual property rights to the project;
3. The applicant must be an enterprise actually engaged in micro-short drama-related business operations within the administrative jurisdiction of Shenzhen;
4. The project must demonstrate a significant improvement in the efficiency and quality of micro-short drama production and promotion.
(2) Scope of Funding: Expenses related to the project, including construction investment, purchase or lease of hardware and software (such as equipment and cloud services), software licensing, R&D, personnel costs, publicity and promotion, and operational management.
(3) Funding Standards: Funding will be provided at a rate not exceeding 30% of actual expenditures, with a maximum cap of 2 million yuan.
(IV) Evaluation Method: Expert review and specialized audit.
Article 13: Funding for the Aggregated Development of the Micro-Short Drama Industry:
(1) Eligibility Criteria:
1. The project must be an industrial cluster space (such as an industrial park or base) that has been completed and is in operation;
2. The operating entity of the project must be a company or institution actually engaged in the operation of industrial spaces within the administrative area of Shenzhen, and the operational management team must possess relevant professional backgrounds and industry experience;
3. The project must meet one of the following conditions:
(1) The project consists of office space or a combined office and filming facility serving the micro-short drama industry. The floor area and the number of micro-short drama enterprises already in residence meet the relevant requirements. The project plays a role in promoting the clustering and development of the micro-short drama industry and is capable of providing high-quality supporting services to participating enterprises;
(2) The project is a studio or production base primarily used for micro-short drama filming, with an area of no less than 1,000 square meters. It must be capable of providing high-quality hardware and software services for micro-short drama production and have served no fewer than 10 micro-short drama enterprises;
(3) The project is a micro-short drama-themed industrial park that meets the requirements set by relevant authorities for national-level or provincial-level cultural industry demonstration parks (bases). It has been evaluated by higher-level authorities and awarded the title of national-level or provincial-level cultural industry (demonstration) park (base). (Note: Projects that have previously received recognition or rewards as national-level or provincial-level cultural industry parks will not be eligible for duplicate rewards.)
(II) Scope of Funding:
1. For projects involving office spaces or integrated office-and-filming spaces serving the micro-short drama industry, funding will be provided for project-related construction, renovation and upgrading, public platform R&D, as well as operational management expenses such as personnel costs and promotional activities;
2. For projects primarily consisting of film studios or bases used for filming micro-short dramas, funding will be provided for project-related construction, R&D, and operational management expenses;
3. Projects that have been awarded the title of National or Provincial Cultural Industry (Demonstration) Park (Base) will receive a one-time reward based on the recognition documents issued by higher-level competent authorities, with rewards tiered according to the level of recognition.
(3) Funding Standards:
1. For projects involving office spaces or integrated office-and-filming spaces serving the micro-short drama industry:
(1) With a floor area of no less than 5,000 square meters and hosting no fewer than 20 micro-short drama-related enterprises, funding shall be provided at a rate not exceeding 30% of actual investment, up to a maximum of 5 million yuan;
(2) For projects with a floor area of no less than 3,000 square meters and hosting no fewer than 10 micro-short drama-related enterprises, funding shall be provided at a rate not exceeding 30% of actual investment, up to a maximum of 3 million yuan;
2. Projects that are primarily film studios or production bases used for micro-short drama filming: with an area of no less than 1,000 square meters, capable of providing high-quality hardware and software services for micro-short drama production, and having served no fewer than 10 micro-short drama enterprises, shall be granted funding of up to 30% of actual investment, with a maximum of 1 million yuan;
3. Newly designated national-level cultural industry (demonstration) parks (bases) are eligible for a maximum reward of 3 million yuan, while provincial-level cultural industry (demonstration) parks (bases) are eligible for a maximum reward of 1 million yuan.
(4) Evaluation Method: Expert review, specialized audit, and on-site inspection.
Article 14: Funding for Micro-Short Drama Themed Industry Events:
(1) Eligibility Criteria: The proposed project must be a micro-short drama-related industrial event—such as an exhibition, trade fair, or forum—held within the administrative boundaries of Shenzhen, and must play a positive role in promoting the development of Shenzhen’s micro-short drama industry.
(2) Scope of Funding: Expenses incurred in organizing the event, including venue rental and setup, equipment rental, publicity and promotion, conference and event management, travel, transportation, labor costs, and guest invitations.
(3) Funding Standards: Funding shall be provided at a rate not exceeding 30% of actual expenditures, with a maximum cap of 2 million yuan. A single applicant may submit applications for up to three individual or series of industrial events in a single batch; in principle, the duration of each event or series shall not exceed 7 days, and funding amounts may be cumulative.
(4) Evaluation Method: Expert review and specialized audit.
Chapter IV Project Application and Review
Article 15: The Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television, Tourism, and Sports shall, in accordance with industrial development plans and annual work plans, determine the categories of projects to be supported for the current year. Based on these operational procedures, the Bureau shall compile a funding application guide specifying the categories and directions of the funding support plan, as well as the application deadlines and requirements for supporting materials.
Article 16: Project applications must submit the following basic materials:
(1) Project Application Form. This primarily includes the applicant’s basic information, project details, and the expected outcomes or performance targets; specific content shall be subject to the application guidelines.
(2) Declaration of Commitment. This document must affirm the authenticity, accuracy, and completeness of the application’s content, confirm lawful business operations, and state that the project has not been submitted for duplicate funding. The applicant shall bear corresponding liability for any false declarations.
Article 17: Applicant entities shall enter relevant information online via the special fund application system in accordance with the requirements of the application guidelines and submit the required application materials as specified.
Article 18 The Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television, Tourism, and Sports shall organize the review of application materials after the application deadline. The review shall focus on the applicant’s qualifications, the completeness and authenticity of the content, and whether the applicant or relevant personnel have engaged in acts of dishonesty. The review results shall be communicated to the applicant within 30 days. For projects that fail the review, the reasons shall be explained; for projects that pass the review, further project evaluation or verification shall be organized.
Article 19 For projects requiring expert evaluation, the Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television, Tourism, and Sports shall organize an expert review. The expert panel shall conduct project evaluations by category in accordance with the evaluation requirements of different support programs; where an audit is required, a special audit shall be organized; where on-site inspections or on-site assessments are required, such inspections or assessments shall be organized and implemented.
The Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television, Tourism, and Sports shall compile a list of proposed projects for support based on the annual budget approval status and the results of project reviews, evaluations, or verifications. For projects that have already been approved or recognized through relevant procedures and do not require further review or verification, the Bureau shall directly include them in the list of proposed projects for support based on the approval (recognition) documents or review results.
Article 20 The Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television, Tourism, and Sports shall solicit opinions from relevant municipal departments regarding whether the applicant entities have engaged in duplicate applications or acts of dishonesty. Based on these departmental opinions, the Bureau shall determine the list of supported projects, which shall be collectively decided and approved by the Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television, Tourism, and Sports.
Article 21 The list of supported projects shall be publicly posted on the website of the Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television, Tourism, and Sports. The public notice shall include details such as the name of the entity, project name, and project category, and shall be posted for no less than 7 working days. Projects for which no objections are raised or for which objections are deemed invalid shall be included in the scope of support. Funding for projects where objections are deemed valid shall be suspended pending further investigation; such projects shall be handled separately once the results of the investigation and resolution are finalized.
For projects not selected for support, the Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television, Tourism, and Sports shall promptly provide feedback on the reasons for the rejection.
Article 22 The Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television, Tourism, and Sports shall issue the special fund project funding plan in accordance with the approved departmental budget and arrange for the disbursement of funds after the funded project units have completed the required disbursement procedures.
Chapter V Project Management and Performance Evaluation
Article 23. Funded applicants shall effectively strengthen the management of special fund usage, voluntarily accept supervision and inspection by financial, audit, and supervisory authorities, and strictly enforce financial and accounting systems.
Article 24 The Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television, Tourism, and Sports shall organize and carry out self-assessments of performance, key performance evaluations, and supervisory inspections in accordance with relevant regulations.
Chapter VI Supervision and Management
Article 25: During the processes of application, approval, management, acceptance, and evaluation of projects under the Special Fund Support Program, if any entity or individual engages in fraud, illegal solicitation, collusion, seeking kickbacks for personal gain, embezzlement of grant funds, malicious duplicate applications, obstruction or intentional evasion of supervision, or other misconduct, the Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television, Tourism, and Sports shall recover the special funds in accordance with relevant laws, regulations, and rules, and pursue corresponding liabilities;where criminal suspicion exists, the case shall be transferred to judicial authorities for handling in accordance with the law.
Article 26 Funding shall not be granted to applicant entities that fall under any of the following circumstances; if funds have already been received, the Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television, Tourism, and Sports shall recover the full amount of the funding:
(1) Entities included in the list of subjects subject to joint disciplinary actions for dishonesty in accordance with national, provincial, and municipal joint disciplinary policies and regulations;
(2) The same project has been submitted to multiple funding sources, or its construction content overlaps with that of a project already funded by Shenzhen municipal fiscal funds;
(3) The actual circumstances of the applicant do not match the project application or the applicant has provided false materials;
(4) The applicant or the project has been the subject of complaints or reports regarding ideological or intellectual property issues, and the allegations have been verified as true;
(5) Other circumstances explicitly specified in relevant documents as grounds for denial of funding.
Chapter VII Supplementary Provisions
Article 27 During the implementation of these Operational Procedures, if newly issued municipal industrial support policies or measures conflict with the provisions of these Operational Procedures in terms of supported fields, program categories, or funding standards, the requirements of the newly issued policies or measures shall prevail.
Article 28 These Operational Procedures shall take effect on July 1, 2025, and shall remain valid for two years.
