To thoroughly implement the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important directives on supporting the development of specialized, refined, distinctive, and innovative small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the *Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Promotion of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises*, and the *Jiangsu Province Regulations on the Promotion of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises*, and in accordance with the requirements of documents such as the *Interim Measures for the Graded Cultivation and Management of High-Quality SMEs* and the *Jiangsu Province Three-Year Action Plan for the Cultivation of Specialized, Refined, Distinctive, and Innovative Enterprises*, this Action Plan is hereby formulated to fully implement the “No. 1 Strategy” for strengthening the city through industry, accelerate the cultivation of a group of specialized, refined, distinctive, and innovative enterprises, and lead the city’s SMEs in enhancing their innovation capacity and competitiveness.
I. General Requirements
Guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, we will fully implement the spirit of the 20th CPC National Congress and fully, accurately, and comprehensively implement the new development philosophy. Focusing on the requirements of high-quality development, we will adhere to the integration of emerging and traditional industries. With the promotion of the specialized, refined, distinctive, and innovative development of SMEs as the main focus, we will concentrate on the city’s four major leading industrial clusters and eight key industrial chains. We will implement six major initiatives: categorized tiered cultivation, innovation-driven development, digital and green transformation, securing the supply of production factors and resources, quality and brand enhancement, and optimization of the development environment,to accelerate the cultivation of a cohort of innovative “vanguard” SMEs that specialize in niche sectors, possess outstanding innovation capabilities, practice lean production management, and demonstrate strong growth potential, thereby providing robust support for the stability of the city’s industrial and supply chains and the enhancement of industrial competitiveness.
II. Development Goals
By 2025, the city aims to cultivate 12 National Manufacturing Single-Champions, 50 National Specialized, Refined, Unique, and Innovative “Little Giants,” 300 Provincial Specialized, Refined, Unique, and Innovative SMEs, and 1,000 Innovative SMEs. The average annual growth rate of taxable sales for Specialized, Refined, Unique, and Innovative SMEs should exceed that of above-scale industrial enterprises by more than 5 percentage points, with an R&D intensity of over 4%, making them a vital backbone of industrial economic growth.
III. Key Tasks
(I) Categorized and Tiered Cultivation Initiative
1. Strengthen the Foundational Reserve. Focusing on enterprises with taxable sales of 15–20 million yuan in the previous year, encourage micro and small enterprises as well as newly recruited enterprises to grow into scaled industrial enterprises through measures such as achieving production efficiency, reaching full production capacity, and expanding production capacity. Aim to add more than 300 new industrial enterprises that meet the scale criteria annually, thereby solidifying the foundation for specialized, refined, distinctive, and innovative enterprises.Encourage and support local governments in providing incentive grants and subsidies to newly qualified industrial enterprises. [The Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology, the Municipal Finance Bureau, the Municipal Bureau of Statistics, and the people’s governments of each city (district) shall be responsible according to their respective duties; hereinafter, implementation by the people’s governments of each city (district) is required and will not be listed separately]
2. Intensify efforts to cultivate enterprises in the development pool. Focusing on the directories of high-tech enterprises, science and technology-based small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and enterprises with intellectual property advantages, dynamically update the reserve enterprise cultivation pool and establish a tiered cultivation system comprising innovative SMEs—specialized, refined, distinctive, and innovative SMEs—specialized, refined, distinctive, and innovative “Little Giants”—and single-champion enterprises. By 2025, strive to include more than 1,500 enterprises in the cultivation pool.(The Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology, the Municipal Science and Technology Bureau, the Municipal Market Regulation Bureau, and other relevant departments shall be responsible in accordance with their respective duties)
3. Precisely Identify Gaps and Address Weaknesses.By benchmarking against the recognition criteria and evaluation standards for National Manufacturing Single-Champions, National Specialized, Refined, Unique, and Innovative “Little Giants,” and Provincial Specialized, Refined, Unique, and Innovative SMEs, we will assist enterprises in the cultivation pool in identifying their weak points and “deduction items” through various methods such as specialized training and on-site visits. This will enable enterprises to address these shortcomings in a targeted manner, gradually grow into Specialized, Refined, Unique, and Innovative enterprises, and drive a shift from “seeking enterprises for applications” to “cultivating enterprises to meet standards before applying.” (Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology)
4. Encourage Enterprise Scale Expansion. We encourage Single-Champion enterprises and Specialized, Refined, Unique, and Innovative enterprises to focus on their dominant and competitive products, expand production scale in response to market conditions, capture market share, and further consolidate their leading positions in niche markets. Within the municipal industry and information technology special funds, priority and key support will be given to projects of Specialized, Refined, Unique, and Innovative enterprises that have completed technology and equipment investments and achieved significant increases in sales. (Municipal Development and Reform Commission, Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology, and other relevant departments are responsible according to their respective duties)
(II) Innovation-Driven Development Initiative
5. Strengthen the development of innovation platforms.Support "Specialized, Refined, Unique, and Innovative" enterprises in comprehensively upgrading their existing in-house R&D institutions—covering institutional mechanisms, funding allocation, talent utilization, technological output, and overall benefits—to gradually evolve into innovation platforms such as enterprise technology centers, engineering (technology) research centers, and key laboratories. Provide rewards in accordance with relevant regulations, striving to achieve full coverage of provincial-level R&D institutions for national "Specialized, Refined, Unique, and Innovative" small giant enterprises and full coverage of municipal-level R&D institutions for provincial "Specialized, Refined, Unique, and Innovative" SMEs.(Responsibility lies with relevant departments such as the Municipal Science and Technology Bureau, Municipal Development and Reform Commission, Municipal Industry and Information Technology Bureau, and Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau, in accordance with their respective duties)
6. Tackle and Break Through Key Technologies. Guide SRUI enterprises to focus on critical links in industrial chains, key processes, and core technologies to undertake breakthrough research. These enterprises should take on innovation projects involving breakthroughs in key core technologies and strategic emerging industries to “strengthen strengths,” “address weaknesses,” and “fill gaps,” and will receive priority support and recommendations under equal conditions. (Responsibility lies with the Municipal Science and Technology Bureau, Municipal Development and Reform Commission, Municipal Industry and Information Technology Bureau, and other relevant departments according to their respective duties)
7. Deepen university-enterprise collaborative innovation. Through organizing technology supply-demand matching events, industry-academia-research cooperation conferences, and small-group exchange visits, further strengthen communication and collaboration between enterprises and universities and research institutes. Facilitate the commercialization of university innovation outcomes within enterprises, promote university-enterprise collaborative technological innovation, and continuously enhance corporate core competitiveness. Promote the open sharing of large-scale instruments and equipment to effectively reduce innovation costs for small and medium-sized enterprises. (Municipal Science and Technology Bureau)
8. Accelerate the utilization of intellectual property. Include specialized, refined, distinctive, and innovative enterprises in the scope of cultivation for intellectual property advantage enterprises and intellectual property demonstration enterprises. Guide enterprises to continuously improve their intellectual property management systems, enhance their independent R&D capabilities for patents—particularly high-value patents—and build core competitive advantages. By 2025, the average number of invention patents held by specialized, refined, distinctive, and innovative SMEs will reach 5 or more. (Responsibility lies with the Municipal Market Regulation Bureau, the Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology, and other relevant departments according to their respective duties)
9. Support the promotion of innovative products. Organize and carry out the recognition of municipal-level “first-of-its-kind” major equipment and demonstration projects for the promotion and application of new materials. Actively assist enterprises in applying for provincial-level “first-of-its-kind” major equipment, first-batch new materials, first-version software, the catalog of key new technologies and products for promotion and application, and relevant national insurance compensation pilot programs, thereby helping SMEs promote their innovative products and expand their markets. (Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology, Municipal Science and Technology Bureau, and other relevant departments shall be responsible according to their respective duties)
10. Promote enterprise management innovation. Focusing on the development needs of specialized, refined, distinctive, and innovative enterprises, organize specialized training activities such as “Talent and Master Craftsman,” SME capacity building, and lean production and lean management. Guide enterprises to innovate management approaches, enhance management capabilities, and achieve cost reduction and efficiency gains. (Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology)
(III) Digital and Green Transformation Initiative
11. Enhance the Intelligence Level of Equipment. Implement equipment upgrades and renovations, supporting enterprises in applying intelligent equipment across R&D, design, production, testing, warehousing, and distribution to elevate the intelligence levels of production equipment and key processes. By 2025, the CNC utilization rate for key processes in specialized, refined, distinctive, and innovative SMEs will exceed 65%. (Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology)
12. Accelerate the Pace of Digital Adoption. Organize diagnostic service matchmaking events, select a group of outstanding service providers specializing in intelligent upgrades and digital transformation, and offer free diagnostic services to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) above the designated scale, providing precise and personalized solutions. Guide SMEs to adopt cloud computing and platforms, carry out integrated innovation of production equipment and information systems, and build smart workshops (factories), industrial internet benchmark factories, and 5G fully connected factories.By 2025, a cumulative total of more than 50 smart workshops (factories) will be established; the digitalization rate of business management among provincial-level specialized, refined, distinctive, and innovative enterprises will exceed 80%, and the adoption rate of digital R&D and design tools will reach 90%; 50 star-rated cloud-based enterprises will be prioritized for cultivation annually. (Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology)
13. Promote green and low-carbon development. Conduct industrial energy-saving diagnostics to encourage specialized, refined, distinctive, and innovative enterprises to accelerate the adoption of advanced energy-saving and low-carbon processes, technologies, and equipment. Implement green transformation projects such as energy system optimization, energy efficiency upgrades for energy-consuming equipment, efficient recovery and utilization of waste heat and pressure, and clean and low-carbon energy utilization to create green and low-carbon factories, and explore the construction of “near-zero-carbon factories” and “carbon-neutral factories.”By 2025, SRUI enterprises will establish more than 50 green factories at the municipal level or above. (Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology)
(IV) Special Campaign to Ensure the Supply of Key Resources
14. Actively Address Financing Needs. Implement the “Golden Chain Initiative” and establish a mechanism for the dissemination and sharing of the “Specialized, Refined, Unique, and Innovative Enterprise Whitelist” to encourage financial institutions to prioritize credit resources toward these enterprises. Provide credit services such as green channels, unsecured loans, intellectual property loans, medium- and long-term loans, preferential low-interest rates, and dedicated financial products to better support financing for Specialized, Refined, Unique, and Innovative enterprises in their growth phase.Encourage government-backed financing guarantee institutions to offer guarantee products to SRUI enterprises with an annualized guarantee fee rate not exceeding 1%. (Responsibility lies with relevant departments such as the Municipal Bureau of Local Financial Supervision, the People’s Bank of China Zhenjiang Central Branch, the Zhenjiang Branch of the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission, and the Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology, in accordance with their respective duties)
15. Strengthen the cultivation of enterprises for listing. Implement the “Yangfan Plan” to provide more convenient and high-quality services to SPEC-type enterprises through training, mentoring, roadshows, forums, and other activities, and promote eligible SPEC-type enterprises to list on the Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Beijing Stock Exchanges, the National Equities Exchange and Quotations (NEEQ), and the Jiangsu Equity Exchange Center.By 2025, the city aims to have more than 15 SPEC-type enterprises listed on stock exchanges and 80 such enterprises listed on the SPEC Board of the Jiangsu Equity Exchange. (Responsibility lies with the Municipal Local Financial Regulatory Bureau, the Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology, and other relevant departments in accordance with their respective duties)
16. Strengthen Talent and Intellectual Support.Implement the "Town Revitalization" Talent Initiative and the "University Student Gathering in Towns" Plan to further encourage SRUI enterprises to recruit and cultivate high-level leading talents, highly skilled professionals, flexible talent, and innovation teams. Under equal conditions, talents from SRUI enterprises at the provincial level or above will be given priority for recommendation to apply for provincial-level or higher key talent programs, thereby supporting the development of talent teams within SRUI enterprises. (Responsibility lies with the Municipal Party Committee Talent Office, the Municipal Science and Technology Bureau, the Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau, the Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology, and other relevant departments according to their respective duties)
17. Optimize the supply of production factors and resources. National-level "Specialized, Refined, Unique, and Innovative" (SRUI) "Little Giant" enterprises shall be directly classified as Category A enterprises in the comprehensive evaluation of resource-intensive industrial enterprises. For SRUI enterprise projects, the threshold for inclusion in municipal-level key projects shall be appropriately lowered; project approval procedures—including filing (approval), energy assessments, environmental impact assessments, and safety assessments—shall be streamlined, and approval processes optimized to further enhance efficiency.Land requirements arising from the expansion and increased production of "Specialized, Refined, Unique, and Innovative" enterprises shall be prioritized in land supply plans and allocated land quotas. Reasonable energy needs of enterprises shall be guaranteed. (Responsibility lies with the Municipal Bureau of Natural Resources and Planning, the Municipal Development and Reform Commission, the Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology, and other relevant departments in accordance with their respective duties)
(V) Quality and Brand Enhancement Initiative
18. Promote comprehensive quality management. Deepen the implementation of quality management enhancement initiatives for small, medium, and micro enterprises, provide one-stop quality infrastructure services, and offer full-chain quality support to enterprises. Encourage "Specialized, Refined, Unique, and Innovative" enterprises to appoint Chief Quality Officers and conduct quality management activities; prioritize recommending such enterprises for quality honors such as the China Quality Award, the Governor’s Quality Award, Provincial Quality Benchmark, and the Mayor’s Quality Award. (Responsibility lies with the Municipal Market Regulation Bureau, the Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology, and other relevant departments according to their respective duties)
19. Strengthen Brands and Improve Standards. Strengthen trademark management and guide small and medium-sized enterprises to accelerate the cultivation of product brands with independent intellectual property rights and strong core competitiveness, and apply for the “Jiangsu Quality Products” designation. Enhance the leading role of standards by encouraging small and medium-sized enterprises to take the lead in or participate in the formulation of national standards, industry standards, and enterprise standards that exceed existing standards. By 2025, strive to cultivate more than 10 “Jiangsu Quality Products.” (Municipal Market Regulation Bureau)
20. Implement industrial design empowerment. Support SMEs in establishing industrial design centers and striving to become pilot sites for service-oriented manufacturing. By integrating services around technical or product advantages in the manufacturing sector, increase service elements at both the input and output levels, shifting from a model of providing single products to one of offering “manufacturing + services” and “products + services,” thereby extending manufacturing products to both ends of the “smile curve.”By 2025, we aim to establish 30 industrial design centers at the provincial level or above. (Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology)
(VI) Action Plan for Optimizing the Development Environment
21. Reduce the Cost Burden on Enterprises. Actively implement national policies benefiting enterprises, such as tax and fee reductions and deferrals or exemptions of social insurance contributions, to alleviate enterprises’ cost burdens in areas such as water, electricity, gas, heating, and internet services. Reduce institutional transaction costs, improve long-term mechanisms for preventing and resolving overdue payments to SMEs, and effectively lighten the burden on SMEs. (Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology, Municipal Development and Reform Commission, Municipal Taxation Bureau, Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau, Municipal Telecommunications Administration Office, and other relevant departments shall be responsible according to their respective duties)
22. Guide Industrial Collaboration and Supply Chain Integration. Establish platforms for enterprise exchange and organize a series of “Four Clusters and Eight Chains” matchmaking activities to fully tap into the collaborative potential and innovative development of upstream and downstream enterprises, leading enterprises, and specialized, refined, distinctive, and innovative enterprises within provincial and municipal industrial chains, thereby expanding product sales channels. (Responsibility lies with relevant industrial chain departments such as the Municipal Development and Reform Commission, Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology, Municipal Bureau of Commerce, Municipal State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, Municipal Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, and Municipal Big Data Administration, in accordance with their respective duties)
23. Support participation in exhibitions, conferences, and competitions. Organize SMEs to participate in events such as the China Import and Export Fair, the China International SME Expo, the Maker China Competition, and the “Innovation Echoes Jiangsu” Competition, providing SMEs with exhibition platforms to help them expand their markets. Give priority support to award-winning enterprises from maker competitions when they apply for recognition as specialized, refined, distinctive, and innovative enterprises. (Responsibility lies with relevant departments such as the Municipal Commerce Bureau, Municipal Development and Reform Commission, Municipal Science and Technology Bureau, and Municipal Industry and Information Technology Bureau, in accordance with their respective duties)
24. Improve inclusive and prudent regulation. Standardize administrative law enforcement inspections related to enterprise safety production, ecological and environmental protection, and fire safety. For SPEC-New enterprises committing a first-time violation with minor consequences, a reasonable rectification period shall be granted; if rectification is completed within the specified period, administrative penalties may be waived, thereby providing SPEC-New enterprises with a more lenient and favorable development environment. (Responsibility lies with relevant departments such as the Municipal Ecology and Environment Bureau, the Municipal Emergency Management Bureau, the Municipal Government Affairs Office, and the Municipal Market Regulation Bureau, in accordance with their respective duties)
25. Leverage the role of government procurement. Strictly implement the “Measures for Promoting the Development of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises through Government Procurement” and carry out the spirit of documents such as the “Notice on Further Strengthening Government Procurement Support for the Development of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises.” Increase support through measures such as reserving procurement quotas, offering price deductions, and including innovative products and services from eligible specialized, refined, distinctive, and innovative enterprises within the scope of government procurement support. (Responsibility lies with the Municipal Finance Bureau, Municipal Industry and Information Technology Bureau, Municipal Government Affairs Office, and other relevant departments in accordance with their respective duties)
26. Foster a collaborative service ecosystem. Encourage third-party entities—including public service platforms, demonstration bases for entrepreneurship and innovation among small and micro enterprises, and intellectual property service agencies—to provide policy interpretation, intellectual property, and testing and inspection services to SMEs, thereby comprehensively enhancing service support capabilities. Establish and improve the system of service specialists for specialized, refined, distinctive, and innovative enterprises, strengthen policy publicity, and ensure targeted dissemination of business-friendly policies to such SMEs. (Responsibility lies with the Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology, the Municipal Market Regulation Bureau, and other relevant departments in accordance with their respective duties)
IV. Support Measures
(1) Strengthen Organizational Coordination. Fully leverage the role of the Municipal Government’s Leading Group for Promoting the Development of SMEs, enhance information sharing and inter-departmental coordination, and comprehensively coordinate the advancement of efforts to foster “Specialized, Refined, Unique, and Innovative” SMEs. Support cities and districts in strengthening organizational capacity building, establishing coordination mechanisms for promoting the development of “Specialized, Refined, Unique, and Innovative” SMEs, further clarifying development goals, refining work measures, assisting and promoting enterprise development, and stimulating the emergence of more “Specialized, Refined, Unique, and Innovative” enterprises.
(2) Increase Policy Support. A reward of 500,000 yuan shall be granted to enterprises (or products) in the city and districts that are first recognized as National Manufacturing Single-Champions. A reward of 300,000 yuan shall be granted to enterprises in the city and districts that are first recognized as National "Specialized, Refined, Unique, and Innovative" Little Giants. For National "Specialized, Refined, Unique, and Innovative" Little Giants that have already received rewards and are subsequently recognized as National Manufacturing Single-Champions (or products), the reward amount shall be supplemented to the full amount.A dedicated "Specialized, Refined, Unique, and Innovative" fund will be established within the municipal industry and information technology special funds to encourage capacity enhancement among such enterprises. When applying for municipal-level industrial special funds, "Specialized, Refined, Unique, and Innovative" enterprises will receive priority support under equal conditions. Municipalities may implement these measures accordingly.
(3) Fostering a Favorable Environment. Make full use of various media channels, including newspapers, television, and the internet, to intensify publicity efforts for the city’s SRUI enterprises. Highlight exemplary cases of SRUI development, promote advanced practices from across the region, and enhance the示范带动效应 (demonstration and driving effect) to create a favorable atmosphere throughout the city where all sectors jointly promote the specialized, refined, unique, and innovative development of small and medium-sized enterprises.
