Chapter 1 General Provisions
Article 1 To promote the high-quality development of the sports industry and support the construction of an internationally renowned sports city, these Operational Procedures are formulated in accordance with the relevant provisions of the “Several Measures for Promoting the High-Quality Development of the Sports Industry in Shenzhen” (Shen Wen Gui [2024] No. 9, hereinafter referred to as the “Several Measures”), and in light of the actual conditions of the sports industry development in our city.
Article 2 These Procedures apply to projects requiring support from special fiscal funds as stipulated in the “Several Measures,” including support plans such as funding for high-end sports events, subsidies and rewards for professional sports clubs, rewards for entities designated as national or provincial sports industry demonstration bases, rewards for entities designated as national sports tourism demonstration bases or China’s premier sports tourism scenic spots, and rewards for flagship store initiatives.
Article 3 The use of special funds for the sports industry adheres to the principles of openness and transparency, prioritization of key areas, emphasis on effectiveness, and scientific management. It implements a management model featuring centralized acceptance, total budget control, voluntary application, public disclosure, government decision-making, performance evaluation, and strengthened supervision. All funding is provided on a post-event basis.
Chapter II Eligibility Criteria
Article 4: Applicant entities must meet the following basic requirements:
(1) The special fund supports social organizations, enterprises, institutions, and other entities that conduct activities within the administrative region of this city and meet all application criteria for the special fund;
(2) The applicant must not have committed any major violations of laws or regulations and must not be listed as a subject of joint disciplinary action for dishonesty;
(3) The proposed project must not be a government-funded construction or service procurement project, and must not have received funding or awards from other municipal-level special fiscal funds;
(4) The project entity is responsible for the authenticity, legality, and completeness of the application materials and must not fabricate information, misuse, or fraudulently obtain special funds;
(5) Other conditions stipulated by laws, regulations, rules, and normative documents issued by higher-level administrative authorities.
Article 5: When applying for specific categories of support, the applicant must also meet the relevant conditions listed in Chapter III of these Procedures.
Chapter III: Support Directions and Standards
Article 6: Funding for High-End Sports Events
(1) Scope of Funding: High-level competitions in Category I support projects, including soccer, basketball, volleyball, tennis, table tennis, badminton, golf, sailing, road cycling, drone racing, auto racing, equestrian sports, track and field, swimming, winter sports, and esports; and high-level competitions in Category II support projects, including rowing, five-a-side soccer, three-on-three basketball, chess, Go, Chinese chess, and outdoor trail running;International top-tier single-sport events in other official Olympic disciplines.
(2) Funding Standards:
1. Major International Events
(1) For events organized by relevant international sports federations, such as the FIFA World Cup, FIFA Club World Cup, FIBA Basketball World Cup, FIVB Volleyball World Championships, ATP and WTA Year-End Finals, ITTF World Table Tennis Championships, BWF World Badminton Championships, Thomas Cup, Uber Cup, Sudirman Cup, and Formula 1 World Championships, event funding of up to 15 million yuan may be provided;
(2) For international events such as World Championships and World Cups in tennis, golf, sailing, road cycling, drone racing, equestrian sports, track and field, swimming, winter sports, and esports organized by relevant international sports federations, event funding of up to 10 million yuan may be provided;
(3) For international events such as World Championships and World Cups in rowing, five-a-side soccer, 3x3 basketball, chess, Go, and Chinese chess organized by relevant international sports federations, event funding of up to 5 million yuan may be provided;
(4) For international top-tier single-sport events in Olympic sports other than those classified as Category I or Category II support projects, event funding of up to 1 million yuan per event may be provided to cover venue rental and security expenses for the first three editions of such events;
(5) The above events do not include World Championship qualifiers or World Cup qualifying rounds.
(6) Funding for the above events shall not exceed 50% of the audited event operating costs.
2. National Team Home Games
For Olympic qualifiers, Asian Championships, and Asian Cup finals in sports such as soccer, basketball, volleyball, tennis, table tennis, badminton, golf, ice hockey, swimming, and esports (including preliminary matches between China and Japan, and China and South Korea in soccer, basketball, and volleyball),as well as FIFA World Cup qualifiers and other national team home matches, may receive funding not exceeding 50% of the audited event costs, with a cap of no more than 10 million yuan (for tournament-style events) and 5 million yuan (for single-match events).
3. High-Level International Commercial Events
For high-level commercial events in men’s soccer, men’s basketball, and men’s esports featuring international-level teams or athletes, as well as world-class open tournaments, Masters events, and tours in tennis, golf, badminton, and table tennis, funding of up to 40% of the audited event expenses may be provided, with a cap of 10 million yuan.
4. Proprietary Brand Events
Proprietary brand events may receive funding of up to 40% of the audited event operating costs, with a funding cap of no more than 8 million yuan for Category I support projects and no more than 2 million yuan for Category II support projects.
5. Professional League Home Games
Professional clubs whose home attendance ranks among the top three in the Chinese Super League (CSL) or the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) during the season may receive a reward of up to 5 million yuan; professional clubs awarded the CSL Outstanding Popularity Host City Award or the CBA Outstanding Host City Organization Award may receive a reward of up to 2 million yuan.
(3) Evaluation Process: Evaluation shall be conducted through the following procedures: online preliminary review, written review, solicitation of opinions from relevant departments, special audit, evaluation and determination of the proposed support plan, and collective decision-making by the department.
For the Professional League Outstanding Home Venue Economic Incentive Program, clubs that provide relevant documents officially issued by the General Administration of Sport of China, the Chinese Football Association, the Chinese Basketball Association, or the league organizing body may be exempted from the special audit and evaluation.
Events scoring 60 points or higher in the evaluation shall be eligible for funding.
Article 7: Funding and Incentives for Professional Sports Clubs
(1) Scope of Funding: Professional soccer and men’s basketball clubs that possess independent legal person status and meet the eligibility criteria.
Funding Standards: The funding ratio shall not exceed 25% of the audited and verified expenditures.
Funding Amounts: 1. For men’s soccer, no more than 25 million yuan for the Chinese Super League, no more than 10 million yuan for the China League One, and no more than 3 million yuan for the China League Two; 2. For the Women’s Super League, no more than 2 million yuan; 3. For the CBA men’s basketball league, no more than 12 million yuan (for teams advancing to the playoffs) and no more than 8 million yuan (for teams not advancing to the playoffs).
(2) Scope of Rewards: High-level clubs with independent legal person status that meet the eligibility criteria in soccer, basketball, volleyball, tennis, table tennis, badminton, ice hockey, five-a-side soccer, 3x3 basketball, sailing, Go, chess, Chinese chess, and esports.
Award Standards: 1. Professional clubs participating in top-tier international and domestic professional leagues that secure first, second, or third place (where third place is not awarded, third and fourth place shall be considered third place) will receive awards based on the sport category, influence, and investment. The specific award amounts are as follows (not to exceed):
(1) Soccer: AFC Champions League champions receive 50 million yuan, runners-up receive 30 million yuan, and third-place finishers receive 20 million yuan; Chinese Super League champions receive 30 million yuan, runners-up receive 20 million yuan, and third-place finishers receive 10 million yuan;Women’s AFC Champions League: 8 million yuan for the champion, 6 million yuan for the runner-up, and 4 million yuan for the third-place finisher; Women’s Super League: 5 million yuan for the champion, 3 million yuan for the runner-up, and 2 million yuan for the third-place finisher;
(2) Men’s Futsal: The AFC Champions League champion receives 4 million yuan, the runner-up 2 million yuan, and the third-place finisher 1 million yuan; the Futsal Super League champion receives 2 million yuan, the runner-up 1 million yuan, and the third-place finisher 500,000 yuan;
(3) Basketball: The CBA League champion will receive 20 million yuan, the runner-up 10 million yuan, and the third-place team 5 million yuan; the WCBA League champion will receive 5 million yuan, the runner-up 3 million yuan, and the third-place team 2 million yuan.
(4) 3x3 Basketball: The men’s Super 3 League champion receives 1 million yuan, the runner-up receives 500,000 yuan, and the third-place finisher receives 300,000 yuan;
(5) Volleyball: The Super League champion receives 5 million yuan, the runner-up receives 3 million yuan, and the third-place team receives 2 million yuan;
(6) Ice Hockey: Champions of the world’s top professional leagues (the National Hockey League (NHL) and the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL)) receive 6 million yuan; runners-up receive 4 million yuan; and third-place finishers receive 2 million yuan. Champions of China’s top-tier professional league receive 4 million yuan; runners-up receive 2 million yuan; and third-place finishers receive 1 million yuan;
(7) Table Tennis: The champion of the Super League receives 4 million yuan, the runner-up receives 2 million yuan, and the third-place finisher receives 1 million yuan;
(8) Badminton: 4 million yuan for the Super League champion, 2 million yuan for the runner-up, and 1 million yuan for third place;
(9) Go, Chess, and Chinese Chess: The champion of the top-tier league receives 1 million yuan, the runner-up receives 500,000 yuan, and the third-place finisher receives 300,000 yuan;
(10) Esports clubs participating in top-tier international and domestic tournaments: For tournaments with a total prize pool of 20 million yuan or more, the champion receives 5 million yuan, the runner-up receives 2 million yuan, and the third-place finisher receives 1 million yuan;For events with a total prize pool of 10 million yuan (inclusive) to 20 million yuan, the champion receives 3 million yuan, the runner-up receives 1 million yuan, and the third-place finisher receives 500,000 yuan; for events with a total prize pool of 3 million yuan (inclusive) to 10 million yuan, the champion receives 500,000 yuan, the runner-up receives 200,000 yuan, and the third-place finisher receives 100,000 yuan.
2. For contracted athletes of tennis clubs who participate in various top-tier international tennis tournaments (ATP and WTA 500 or higher events) throughout the year and finish the year ranked in the top 50 of the singles world rankings, while also achieving the following results, the reward standards are as follows:
Participation in the main draw of a Grand Slam tournament (e.g., Australian Open, Wimbledon, US Open, or French Open) during the year: up to 2 million yuan;
Achieving at least one runner-up finish (or better) in a singles event at an ATP or WTA 1000-level tournament during the year, and advancing to the singles quarterfinals or better at a Grand Slam tournament (e.g., Australian Open, Wimbledon, US Open, or French Open): up to 4 million yuan;
Achieving a top-four finish in the singles competition of a Grand Slam tournament (such as the Australian Open, Wimbledon, US Open, or French Open) at least once during the year, or achieving a runner-up finish (or better) in the singles competition of the ATP or WTA Year-End Finals, with a reward not exceeding 6 million yuan.
3. For sailing clubs that purchase professional racing yachts and establish professional teams to participate in top-tier international offshore sailing competitions throughout the year, the reward standards are as follows:
Achieving a runner-up finish (or better) in the professional division of a Rolex Series Category 1 offshore race: reward amount not exceeding 1 million yuan;
For winning the professional division of a Rolex Series Category 1 offshore race, and also safely completing a transoceanic offshore race at the America’s Cup or Clipper Round the World Race level within the same year, the award amount shall not exceed 3 million yuan;
Winning first place in the professional division of a Rolex Series Level 1 offshore race, and also finishing in the top three in the professional division of the America’s Cup or a Clipper Round the World Race-level transoceanic offshore race within the same calendar year: a reward of up to 6 million yuan.
(3) Promotion Reward Standards for Men’s Professional Football Leagues:
For the first promotion from the Chinese Football Association Member Association Championship League to the Chinese Football League Division Two, the reward shall not exceed 1 million yuan;
For a first-time promotion from the China Football League Division Two to Division One, the reward shall not exceed 5 million yuan;
For the first promotion from the Chinese Football League Division 1 to the Super League, the award amount shall not exceed 10 million yuan.
(4) Evaluation Method: Evaluation shall be conducted through procedures including online preliminary review, written review, solicitation of opinions, special audit, on-site inspection, determination of proposed support plans, and collective decision-making by relevant departments. Award projects may be exempt from special audits.
Article 8: Support the high-quality innovative development of the sports manufacturing industry, further stimulate the innovative vitality of sports manufacturing enterprises, promote high-quality industrial upgrading, implement routine service measures, and support enterprises in expanding and strengthening their operations.
(1) Support sports manufacturing enterprises in strengthening the application of 5G, the Internet of Things (IoT), big data, cloud computing, artificial intelligence,biotechnology, new materials, and other emerging technologies and innovative achievements in the sports manufacturing sector. Establish a talent pool for cultivating “Specialized, Refined, Unique, and Innovative” enterprises, and provide abundant application scenarios for new technologies, products, and services. This includes, but is not limited to, opening municipal sports team training bases, sports schools, or connecting with relevant sports rehabilitation medical institutions (hospitals) to serve as testing and validation sites and pilot application environments for sports rehabilitation products, as well as supporting the application validation and demonstration of new sports equipment within the city’s sports sector.
(2) Strengthen coordination across the upstream and downstream industrial chains and support the hosting of low-cost, high-quality sports exhibitions to build a platform for sports enterprises to showcase their products and exchange ideas. Intensify efforts to publicize and promote “Little Giants” (specialized, refined, distinctive, and innovative enterprises), manufacturing single-champions, and hidden champions in the sports sector, and provide support in areas such as the implementation of major projects, the promotion of key products, and high-quality financial services.
(3) Support sports enterprises in organizing, hosting, and sponsoring relevant sports events and activities based on their unique products and industry chain needs, with the aim of creating proprietary brand events. Provide support in areas such as event approval services, event naming rights, and promoting industry cooperation. For eligible events, support shall be provided in accordance with the relevant provisions of Article 6 of these Operational Procedures.
Article 9: Rewards for Sports Industry Demonstration Bases and Demonstration Units
(1) Scope and Standards of Rewards: For national-level sports industry demonstration bases newly recognized by the General Administration of Sport of China, a one-time reward of up to 2 million yuan shall be granted; for national-level sports industry demonstration units newly recognized, a one-time reward of up to 1 million yuan shall be granted. For provincial-level sports industry demonstration bases newly recognized by the Guangdong Provincial Sports Bureau, a one-time reward of up to 1 million yuan shall be granted; for provincial-level sports industry demonstration units newly recognized, a one-time reward of up to 500,000 yuan shall be granted.
(2) Evaluation Method: Evaluation shall be conducted through procedures including online preliminary review, written review, solicitation of opinions, on-site inspection, determination of proposed support plans, and collective decision-making by relevant departments. For projects that meet the “automatic eligibility without application” or “fast-track eligibility upon application” policies outlined in the “Shenzhen Work Plan for Accelerating the Implementation of Business Support Policies,” relevant regulations shall apply.
Article 10: First-Store Economy Incentives
(1) Applicants must meet all of the following conditions:
1. The applicant must be a domestic or international sports enterprise that has opened a store specializing in sports equipment, sports gear, smart fitness equipment, or sports apparel and footwear, which serves as the global, Asian, or Mainland China (Mainland) flagship store, or the first store in South China, and has been in actual operation in our city for at least one year;
2. The store opened by the applicant must be a physical store operated directly by the brand or by an authorized entity, with a floor area of no less than 50 square meters (inclusive);
3.The brand of the project applied for by the applicant must be an internationally renowned brand (having opened three or more stores in globally renowned consumer cities such as New York, London, Paris, Milan, Tokyo, Hong Kong, China, and Singapore, and having received three or more positive media reports on the brand from national-level media platforms) or a domestically renowned brand (having opened five or more stores in domestic sub-provincial-level or higher cities, and having received five or more positive media reports on the brand from national-level media platforms).
(2) Incentive Standards: A one-time incentive of up to 500,000 yuan for global and Asian flagship stores, up to 300,000 yuan for flagship stores in Mainland China, and up to 100,000 yuan for flagship stores in South China.
(3) Evaluation Process: Evaluation will be conducted through the following procedures: online preliminary review, document review, solicitation of opinions, on-site inspection, determination of the proposed support plan, and collective decision-making by relevant departments.
Article 11: Rewards for Premium Sports Tourism Projects
(1) Scope and Standards of Rewards: A one-time reward of up to 1 million yuan shall be granted to National Sports Tourism Demonstration Bases newly designated by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the General Administration of Sport of China; a one-time reward of up to 500,000 yuan shall be granted to newly designated China Sports Tourism Premium Scenic Areas.
(2) Evaluation Process: The evaluation shall be conducted through the following procedures: online preliminary review, written review, solicitation of opinions, on-site inspection, determination of the proposed support plan, and collective decision-making by the relevant departments.
Chapter IV Project Application and Review
Article 12: The municipal sports administrative department shall, based on industrial development plans, annual work plans, and the annual special fund budget allocated by the municipal finance department, identify key areas for annual support. It shall compile funding application guidelines in accordance with these procedures, specifying the categories of funding support plans, priority directions, application criteria, acceptance periods, and requirements for application materials. Within the scope defined by the relevant funding and incentive provisions of these procedures, it shall also specify the standards for various types of funding and incentives for the current year.The application guidelines shall be publicly released to the public through media such as the official website of the Shenzhen Municipal Sports Administrative Department.
Article 13: Applicants submitting project applications shall provide the following basic materials:
(1) Project Application Form. This primarily includes the applicant’s basic information, project details, and a self-assessment report on project performance; specific content shall be subject to the Application Guidelines;
(2) Applicant’s Commitment Letter. This letter must affirm the authenticity, accuracy, and completeness of the information in the application form, confirm compliance with laws and regulations, and state that the project has not been submitted for funding elsewhere. The applicant shall bear corresponding liability for any false declarations;
(3) Other materials related to the project application.
Article 14: Applicant entities shall enter relevant information online via the application system in accordance with the requirements of the application guidelines and submit the relevant application materials as required.
Article 15: The municipal sports administrative department shall complete the review of the project’s paper application materials within 10 working days after the conclusion of the online preliminary review. The review shall focus on the applicant’s qualifications, the completeness of materials, compliance of content, and whether the applicant or relevant personnel have engaged in any violations or acts of bad faith.
Article 16: Where a project requires an audit, the municipal sports administrative department shall organize a special audit; where an on-site inspection is required, the municipal sports administrative department shall organize and conduct the on-site inspection, with a team of no fewer than three inspectors.
The municipal sports administrative department shall compile a list of proposed projects for support based on the annual budget approval status and the results of project review, evaluation, or verification. For projects that have already been approved or recognized through relevant procedures and do not require further review or verification, the approved (recognized) documents or review results shall serve as the basis for inclusion in the list of proposed projects for support.
Article 17 The municipal sports administrative department shall solicit opinions from relevant municipal departments regarding whether the applicant entities have engaged in duplicate applications, violations, or acts of bad faith. Based on these departmental opinions, it shall formulate a support plan. After collective decision-making and approval by the director’s office meeting or the Party leadership group meeting of the municipal sports administrative department, the list of proposed supported entities and the support amounts shall be finalized.
Article 18: The municipal sports administrative department shall publish the list of supported projects on its official website. The publication shall include the entity name, project name, project description, proposed support amount, and other relevant details, and shall remain posted for no less than five working days. If no objections are raised or if objections are deemed invalid, the projects shall be included in the annual special fund budget. Support for projects where objections are deemed valid shall be suspended pending further investigation and resolution.
Article 19: The municipal sports administrative department shall issue the special fund support plan based on the approved special fund budget. After the supported project entities complete the disbursement procedures as required, the funds shall be disbursed to the project entities’ basic bank accounts.
Chapter V: Project Management, Performance Evaluation, and Supervision and Inspection
Article 20. Project entities receiving support 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 21. The municipal sports administrative department shall conduct an annual comprehensive performance evaluation of the use and effectiveness of the previous year’s sports industry special funds. This comprehensive performance evaluation shall serve as an important basis for adjusting support policies and arranging the budget.
Article 22: During the application, approval, management, and evaluation of projects under the special fund support program, any institution or individual found to have engaged in fraud, illegal solicitation, collusion, seeking kickbacks for personal gain, embezzlement of funds, malicious duplicate applications, obstruction or intentional evasion of supervision, or other misconduct shall not be granted funding or rewards;funds or rewards already received shall be recovered by the municipal sports administrative authority; where criminal suspicion exists, the case shall be referred to judicial authorities for handling in accordance with the law.
Article 23: Applicant entities that fall under any of the following circumstances shall not be eligible for support; if funds have already been received, all fiscal funds shall be returned in accordance with the decision of the municipal sports administrative department:
(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 already received investment from the municipal government or funding or rewards from other municipal-level special fiscal funds;
(3) The actual circumstances of the applicant do not match the project application or the applicant has provided false materials;
(4) The project has experienced a major work safety accident or triggered significant negative public sentiment;
(5) High-level sports events or professional sports clubs have been penalized by national competent authorities for involvement in cases related to match-fixing, gambling, or organized crime;
(6) Other circumstances explicitly specified in relevant documents as ineligible for support.
Chapter VI Supplementary Provisions
Article 24: The Sports Industry Special Fund Support Program is subject to the annual budget allocated by the finance department. The municipal sports administrative authority shall uniformly adjust the amount of funding and the disbursement schedule based on the total annual budget allocated and the application status.
Article 25. In principle, the cumulative funding provided by the municipal and district governments for the same project shall not exceed 50% of the project’s audited and verified expenditures.
Article 26: For the same matter or project that meets multiple support criteria under these Measures, funding shall be provided in accordance with the “higher-value, non-duplicative” principle, unless otherwise specifically stipulated.
Article 27: Olympic qualifying events refer to competitions that directly determine the allocation of Olympic participation quotas (such as continental qualifiers and qualifying events organized by international sports federations), and do not include events that solely involve the ranking of Olympic qualification points.
“Globally renowned consumer cities” refer to overseas cities classified as Beta-level or higher in the latest “GaWC World City Ranking” published by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network.
Article 28 These Procedures shall take effect on July 14, 2025, and remain valid for five years. The “Operational Procedures for Rewards for Shenzhen Sports Industry Parks and Bases” (Shen Wen Gui [2020] No. 10) and the “Operational Procedures for the Recognition and Rewards of Outstanding New Sports Business Models in Shenzhen” (Shen Wen Gui [2022] No. 4) are hereby repealed simultaneously.
