Shanghai Sci-Tech Little Giant Project

Shanghai Sci-Tech Little Giant Project

Supports Shanghai high-tech firms through the Little Giant programme via post-development innovation subsidy.

The Shanghai Sci-Tech Little Giant Project, administered by the Shanghai Municipal Science and Technology Commission, is a post-spend R&D subsidy for high-technology SMEs in Shanghai. It is technology-neutral, supporting High and New Technology Enterprise (HNTE) certified firms across sectors including artificial intelligence, semiconductors, biotechnology, medical technology, manufacturing, and hardware. The 2025 cycle continues a long-running program aimed at scaling certified, non-listed Shanghai technology companies.

The program provides two subsidy tiers. Sci-Tech Little Giant enterprises can receive up to CNY 1,500,000, while firms in the Little Giant under cultivation tier can receive up to CNY 1,000,000. The subsidy is paid in arrears and is capped at 20 percent of actual R&D expenditure within the implementation period. Eligibility is tightly gated: a company must hold a valid HNTE designation, which is a prerequisite this program does not itself confer; must have been registered before January 1, 2021; and must be non-listed, since publicly traded enterprises are excluded. Only for-profit companies qualify, and applicants must meet the STCSM's science-and-technology credit management requirements.

Because the subsidy reimburses a share of money already spent, the program rewards firms that can document substantial, verifiable R&D expenditure during the implementation window. Strong applicants confirm their HNTE certification is current, verify their pre-2021 registration and non-listed status, and assemble audited R&D-spend records to support the 20-percent calculation. Companies should treat valid HNTE accreditation as the hard gate and ensure their credit standing with the STCSM is clean before applying.