“科技型中小企业”将纳入优质中小企业梯度培育范围

Core Viewpoint - The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has revised the "Management Measures for the Gradual Cultivation of High-Quality Small and Medium-sized Enterprises," which will take effect on April 1, 2026, expanding the scope to include "technology-based small and medium-sized enterprises" and raising the recognition standards for specialized and innovative "little giant" enterprises [1][2]. Group 1: Inclusion of Technology-based SMEs - The new measures include "technology-based small and medium-sized enterprises" for the first time, creating a "reserve" tier in the cultivation system, allowing for earlier policy support in the enterprise lifecycle [1]. - This change aims to alleviate funding and policy pressures on early-stage technology companies that face a "research first, revenue lag" phase [1]. Group 2: Recognition Standards for Specialized and Innovative SMEs - The new recognition standards require an annual revenue of over 15 million yuan or a total of over 20 million yuan in new equity investment from qualified institutional investors in the past two years, compared to the previous requirement of 10 million yuan [2]. - The retention of the investment criterion establishes a dual evaluation system of "financial indicators + market recognition," acknowledging the importance of capital validation for hard-tech companies [2]. Group 3: Stricter Standards for "Little Giant" Enterprises - The new measures set a minimum annual revenue of over 50 million yuan and increase the requirement for I-type intellectual property (e.g., invention patents) from "2 or more" to "4 or more" [3]. - Additionally, the requirement for R&D expenses has been set at no less than 12 million yuan over the past two years, with an annual revenue ratio of at least 3% [3]. - The quality evaluation score must be above 60, ensuring that only high-quality enterprises are recognized [3]. Group 4: Standardization and Fairness in the Review Process - The new measures eliminate the previous regional "specialization indicators," implementing a nationwide standard for recognition [4]. - The introduction of a "double random" review process aims to enhance fairness and reduce human intervention in the evaluation process [4]. - Companies that have completed credit restoration will no longer face a three-year ban on reapplication, reflecting a balanced regulatory approach [4]. Group 5: Long-term Implications - The revised measures signify a shift from broad coverage to precision in cultivating high-quality SMEs, potentially leading to the emergence of more "little giant" enterprises with core technologies [4]. - This is expected to strengthen the resilience of economic development by nurturing capable SMEs in critical areas of the industrial chain [4].