Qiantang Talent Program

Qiantang Talent Program

Offers Hangzhou Qiantang pathways for life sciences, semiconductors, aerospace, and materials firms with housing and startup support.

The Qiantang Talent Program (钱塘人才计划) is a district-level talent attraction and retention initiative administered by the Qiantang District government within the broader Hangzhou municipal talent framework. Qiantang District was officially established in April 2021 and targets high-level individuals in five priority industrial sectors: life and health sciences, semiconductors and integrated circuits, aerospace and aviation, new materials, and intelligent automotive and advanced equipment. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis; candidates are classified into tiers A through E consistent with the overarching Hangzhou High-Level Talent Classification scheme.

Benefits are structured across three categories. Housing subsidies mirror the city-wide tier scale: B tier receives CNY 2,000,000; C tier CNY 1,500,000; D tier CNY 1,000,000; and E tier CNY 200,000 plus a monthly rental subsidy of CNY 2,500. Startup project grants are available to young talent bringing commercial projects to the district, ranging from CNY 200,000 to CNY 5,000,000 subject to project evaluation; in exceptional cases, outstanding startup projects can access support up to CNY 100,000,000. Research startup funding of CNY 5,000,000 to CNY 12,000,000 is available for qualifying academic and R&D talent establishing research programs in the district.

Although the Qiantang program operates within the Hangzhou HR Bureau's talent classification framework, it is administered at the district level and applicants should engage directly with Qiantang District authorities for application routing. The program's sector focus makes it particularly relevant for researchers and founders in deep tech and life sciences who are locating operations or research activities within the district. The CNY 100,000,000 maximum represents a published ceiling for exceptional cases and is not a standard outcome; typical startup awards fall in the CNY 200,000 to CNY 5,000,000 range following project evaluation.