Original Title: Notice from the Department of Industry and Information Technology of Shandong Province and the Department of Finance of Shandong Province on Issuing the "Implementation Rules for the Management of Provincial-Level 'Innovation Service Vouchers' for Small and Micro Enterprises"
Chapter I General Provisions
Article 1: To further strengthen support for small and micro enterprises in overcoming difficulties, and in accordance with the requirements of the “Notice of the People’s Government of Shandong Province on Issuing the 2022 Policy List for High-Quality Development Under the Principle of ‘Seeking Progress While Maintaining Stability’ (First Batch)” (Lu Zheng Fa [2021] No. 23), these Implementation Rules are formulated to standardize the management of provincial-level “Innovation Service Vouchers” for small and micro enterprises.
Article 2 Innovation Service Vouchers (hereinafter referred to as “Service Vouchers”) shall be issued in electronic form and distributed free of charge to eligible small and micro enterprises. They are specifically designated to subsidize enterprises’ purchases of agreed-upon commercialized services. The use and management of Service Vouchers shall comply with relevant national laws, regulations, and financial rules and regulations. They shall adhere to the principles of encouraging innovation, scientific management, openness and transparency, universality and fairness, and dedicated use of funds. Service Vouchers shall be issued in registered form, recorded during use, and subject to filing management; they may not be transferred, sold, or gifted, and shall not be issued repeatedly.
Article 3 The Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology is responsible for formulating policies regarding Service Vouchers, conducting supervision and inspections, and reviewing enterprise types, social service providers, and service items, as well as researching and formulating plans for the allocation and use of funds and task lists. The Provincial Department of Finance is responsible for allocating and disbursing funds, and leading budget performance management, among other duties.
Chapter II: Eligibility, Scope, and Methods of Service Voucher Use
Article 4 Enterprises applying for service voucher support must simultaneously meet the following conditions:
(1) Be registered within Shandong Province and possess independent legal person status;
(2) Have been in continuous operation for at least one year, operate in compliance with regulations, and meet the requirements of the “green threshold” system for fiscal funds involving enterprises;
(3) Be a micro or small enterprise as defined by the “Regulations on the Classification Standards for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises” (MIIT Joint Enterprise [2011] No. 300), or a high-growth enterprise such as “Specialized, Refined, Unique, and Innovative” (SRUI), Gazelle, Unicorn, or Single Champion enterprises recognized by provincial-level or higher authorities. Enterprises implementing DCMM (Data Management Capability Maturity) standardization are not subject to the micro and small enterprise classification standards.
Article 5 Service providers applying for eligibility to issue service vouchers shall be enterprises, public institutions, industry associations, or other social organizations with independent legal person status that have been established for at least one year. They must possess relevant business service qualifications, service experience, professional expertise, and service capabilities, and their primary service products must fall within the scope of service voucher usage.
Article 6: The Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology shall, based on the prominent challenges facing the development of small and micro enterprises and the annual key work arrangements, research and determine the annual priority support directions and applicable product categories for service vouchers.
(1) Technology Innovation Services: Including, but not limited to, technology diagnostic services, testing, inspection, and evaluation of technological achievements, and services to improve product quality and efficiency.
(2) Technology Commercialization Services: Including, but not limited to, services such as the assessment, testing, inspection, and development of innovative achievements.
(3) Digital Empowerment Services: Including, but not limited to, diagnostic and consulting services for digitalization, networking, and intelligent transformation, as well as consulting and evaluation services for enterprises implementing DCMM standards.
(4) Industrial Design Services: Including, but not limited to, conceptual design, schematic design, industrial design, structural design services, as well as industrial-grade prototyping, agile manufacturing, production process optimization, and new product introduction services.
(5) Green and Low-Carbon Services: Including, but not limited to, energy-saving (green and low-carbon) assessment and diagnosis, energy audits, green manufacturing, and clean production audits.
(6) Information Technology Development Services: Including, but not limited to, software (program) development and cloud services such as IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS for enterprise production, management, and marketing; construction of enterprise information systems such as ERP; and enterprise IT service outsourcing and IT consulting services.
(7) Cloud Migration and Adoption Services: Including, but not limited to, cloud migration and adoption solutions for R&D, design, and manufacturing.
(8) IPO Preparation Services: Including, but not limited to, IPO coaching and financing information matching services for enterprises.
(9) Market Expansion Services: Including, but not limited to, brand consulting, new media promotion, and online marketing for enterprises; expanding market channels for small and micro enterprises; participating in domestic and international economic and technical exchanges and promotional activities; and attending domestic provincial/ministerial-level or international exhibitions and trade shows, particularly to expand international market channels.
(10) Purchase Services for First-of-a-Kind (Set) and First-Edition Products: Includes the purchase of products recognized within the past two years as provincial first-of-a-kind (set) technical equipment and key core components, as well as first-edition high-end software; purchase services for first-batch new materials products, including the purchase of products listed in the *Shandong Province Key New Materials First-Batch Application Demonstration Guidance Catalog* during its validity period.
(11) Other Services: Other specialized services required for the development of small and micro enterprises.
Article 7: Taking into comprehensive consideration factors such as the type of service product and the number of service providers eligible for vouchers, service vouchers shall be issued through two methods: pre-application and post-redemption. Service vouchers shall be distributed periodically on a “first-come, first-served” basis, with applications accepted as needed, subject to a usage deadline, and available until exhausted.
Article 8: Service voucher subsidies shall be provided through fixed-amount subsidies or proportional reimbursement. For pre-application service vouchers, a fixed-amount subsidy approach is primarily adopted; based on the content and type of service, the maximum value of a single voucher shall not exceed 50,000 yuan, and the validity period shall not exceed 60 days. For post-application service vouchers, a proportional reimbursement approach is primarily adopted; the reimbursement rate shall not exceed 30% of the service amount, and the maximum value of a single voucher shall not exceed 50,000 yuan.For DCMM certification services provided to high-growth enterprises—including “Specialized, Refined, Unique, and Innovative” (SRUI) enterprises, Gazelle enterprises, Unicorn enterprises, and Single-Champion enterprises—as well as other enterprises, the limit per service voucher may be increased to 100,000 yuan. Each enterprise may apply for only one service voucher per application cycle.
Article 9: Enterprises intending to claim vouchers must log in to the Smart Industry and Information Technology Comprehensive Service Platform (http://zhpt.gxt.shandong.gov.cn) to register and undergo real-name authentication.
Article 10: Service providers shall log in to the Smart Industry and Information Technology Comprehensive Service Platform to submit product applications in accordance with the annual service voucher priority support directions and applicable product categories determined by the Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology. Upon review, these products will be included in the eligible product database for voucher allocation.
Chapter 3: Management Process for Advance Service Voucher Claims
Article 11: Service vouchers for pre-application are distributed on a regular basis. Enterprises may apply for service vouchers on the Smart Industry and Information Technology Comprehensive Service Platform; distribution ends once the current allocation is exhausted. Vouchers must be used within their validity period; expired vouchers are void, and the funds are automatically carried over to the next distribution period.
Article 12: Enterprises shall select eligible products on the Smart Industry and Information Technology Integrated Service Platform to place orders using service vouchers. Service providers shall contact the enterprise to negotiate specific service details and sign a service contract. Service providers must decide whether to accept the order within two business days of the enterprise placing the order. If the order is not accepted within two business days, it will be canceled, and the service voucher will be refunded to the enterprise’s account.
Article 13: The service products specified in the service contract signed between the service provider and the enterprise must match the products covered by the service voucher. The contract signing date and service start date must not precede the date the enterprise placed the online order, and the service term shall not exceed two years.
Article 14: Service providers must provide services to enterprises that meet the relevant standards as stipulated in the service contract and shall not arbitrarily reduce or indirectly lower the service level. Upon completion of the contract, the enterprise shall confirm service completion on the Smart Industry and Information Technology Integrated Service Platform and evaluate the service provider’s performance.
Article 15. Within the validity period of the service voucher, service providers shall apply for reimbursement through the Smart Industry and Information Technology Comprehensive Service Platform by uploading the following materials: a stamped copy of the service contract, payment receipts (dated no earlier than the contract signing date), and invoices (showing both the service voucher credit amount and the enterprise’s self-paid amount, dated no earlier than the contract signing date).
Article 16: The Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology shall, within 30 working days, verify the validity of the service provider’s services, the quantity of service vouchers, and their usage status by reviewing relevant materials on the Smart Industry and Information Technology Integrated Service Platform. It shall publicly announce the service provider’s name, service products, and proposed redemption amount for no fewer than 5 working days. Upon expiration of the public notice period, fund disbursement procedures shall be processed in accordance with regulations.
Chapter IV: Post-Service Redemption Management Process
Article 17: After an enterprise places an order for a voucher-eligible product on the Smart Industry and Information Technology Integrated Service Platform, the service provider shall contact the enterprise to negotiate specific service details and sign a service contract. The Smart Industry and Information Technology Integrated Service Platform shall automatically generate the service voucher based on the service contract, the fiscal subsidy ratio, and the applicable limits.
Article 18: Service providers shall collect service fees based on the amount remaining after deducting the value of the enterprise’s service voucher, in accordance with the service contract. If the contract is not fulfilled, the service voucher shall immediately become invalid. Upon completion of the contract, the enterprise shall confirm service completion on the Smart Industry and Information Technology Integrated Service Platform and evaluate the service provider’s performance and other relevant aspects.
Article 19: Service vouchers are subject to a periodic aggregation and redemption system.Service providers shall apply for redemption on a quarterly basis by uploading stamped copies of service contracts, payment receipts (dated no earlier than the contract signing date), invoices, and other relevant materials through the Smart Industry and Information Technology Integrated Service Platform. Following evaluation by a third-party institution and review and approval by the Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology, the names of service providers, service products, and proposed redemption amounts shall be publicly announced for no less than five working days. Upon expiration of the announcement period, fund disbursement procedures shall be processed in accordance with regulations.
Chapter V Supervision and Management
Article 20. Enterprises and service providers shall apply for, use, and redeem service vouchers in accordance with relevant regulations; strictly comply with relevant financial systems and accounting standards; use service vouchers lawfully; and voluntarily accept inspections and supervision by the departments of industry and information technology, finance, audit, and supervision.In any of the following circumstances, the Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology shall revoke the service voucher application eligibility of the involved enterprise and the voucher allocation eligibility of the service provider, and shall not accept service voucher application (or allocation) requests from that entity or any enterprise under the same legal representative for a period of three years. Relevant violations of laws and regulations shall be handled in accordance with relevant provisions; where criminal suspicion exists, the case shall be transferred to judicial authorities for handling in accordance with the law.
(1) Transferring, gifting, or trading service vouchers;
(2) Intentionally concealing the affiliation between a service provider and an enterprise, thereby affecting fair and impartial market transactions;
(3) Engaging in violations such as fabricating false business transactions, inflating transaction amounts, or fraudulently obtaining fiscal subsidies;
(4) Service providers with few clients, weak overall capabilities, or poor user evaluations;
(5) Other cases where inspection and supervisory departments determine that the entity is unsuitable to continue performing related work.
Article 21: After service vouchers have been redeemed, if an enterprise or service provider has failed to provide substantive services or has issued a full or partial refund, the service provider shall proactively report this to the Smart Industry and Information Technology Comprehensive Service Platform and cooperate in the subsequent process of returning the funds.
Article 22 The Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology shall conduct budgetary oversight and performance management regarding the management of service voucher funds and the effectiveness of their implementation. It shall organize social evaluation agencies to conduct inspections and spot checks on the use of service vouchers and contract fulfillment. Based on the results of these inspections and spot checks, records shall be entered into service files to serve as the basis for the qualification certification of service providers and the settlement of subsidies, thereby urging service providers to improve service quality.
Chapter VI Supplementary Provisions
Article 23: The Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology and the Provincial Department of Finance shall be responsible for interpreting these Detailed Rules.
Article 24 These Detailed Rules shall come into effect on July 1, 2022, and remain valid until July 1, 2024.
