To all relevant entities,

The 2023 high-tech enterprise accreditation and management in Beijing will be carried out in accordance with the provisions provided by the Measures for the Administration of High-tech Enterprise Accreditation (Guo Ke Fa Huo [2016] No. 32, the Measures for short) and the Guidelines for the Administration of High-tech Enterprise Accreditation (Guo Ke Fa Huo [2016] No. 195, the Guidelines for short). These regulations were issued by the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China, the Ministry of Finance of the People's Republic of China, and the State Taxation Administration. The relevant details are listed as follows:

I. Accreditation Schedule

The 2023 high-tech enterprise accreditation will be conducted in four separate groups. The specific deadlines for each group are as follows: April 21 (Friday), June 30 (Friday), August 25 (Friday), and October 20 (Friday). The valid application is determined based on the time at which the enterprises successfully complete their online application and submit all required materials to the designated authority responsible for application acceptance.

II. Applicant Scope

Enterprises registered within the administrative regions of Beijing and meeting the requirements stated in Article 11 of the Measures are eligible to apply for high-tech enterprise accreditation.

Accredited high-tech enterprises that received accreditation in 2020 are required to apply for new accreditation due to the expiration of accreditation in 2023. Prior to submitting a new application for accreditation, accredited high-tech enterprises that received accreditation in 2020 shall fulfill the requirement of completing the annual report on high-tech enterprise development.

III. Application and Acceptance of Accreditation

According to the provisions stated in the Notice Issued by the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China on Implementing the Notification and Commitment System for Matters Related to the High-tech Enterprise Accreditation (Guo Ke Fa Huo [2021] No. 362), enterprises have the right to decide whether to apply for accreditation through the notification and commitment system. Enterprises opting for accreditation through the notification and commitment system are required to visit the Administrative Website for High-tech Enterprise Accreditation (www.innocom.gov.cn). From there, they shall select the notification and commitment system and print the Letter of Notification and Commitment on Accreditation Matters. Once the document is signed by the enterprise's legal representative and stamped with the official seal, it shall be uploaded to the website. It is important to note that there is no requirement to provide additional materials such as business licenses, registration documents, or intellectual property certificates such as patents certificates.

Enterprises shall access the Administrative Website for High-tech Enterprise Accreditation (www.innocom.gov.cn) and follow the relevant guidelines to complete the Application Form for High-tech Enterprise Accreditation. For enterprises not selecting the notification and commitment system, it is mandatory to upload intellectual property certificates. Moreover, the submission of financial accounting reports for the previous three fiscal years is mandatory. These reports shall be authenticated by qualified intermediary agencies. The submission of special audit reports or authentication reports, in electronic format, is necessary. These reports pertain to research and development expenses from the past three fiscal years and the incomes generated from high-tech products or services in the previous fiscal year and are issued by qualified intermediary agencies.

Upon completion of the online application, enterprises are obligated to submit the written materials outlined in Section (I) of Article 12 of the Measures and Section (III) of Article 2 of the Guidelines. All materials shall be prepared in duplicate and compiled into a bound document format. Pages should be fastened on the left side and stamped with a cross-page official seal of the enterprise on the right side.

The competent science and technology departments in various districts and the management departments of industrial parks operating within the Zhongguancun Science Park are responsible for handling applications within their respective jurisdictions (For their contact information, please refer to Annex 1). The Science and Technology Innovation Bureau of Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area holds the responsibility for processing the application materials for high-tech enterprise accreditation specifically within the E-Town New Area. This encompasses various areas, including the current Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area, comprehensive supporting service areas (Jiugong Town, Yinghai Town, and E-Town), Taihu High-end Headquarters Base, Zhongguancun Science Park Opto-Mechatronics Industrial Park, Majuqiao Town, logistics bases, Jinqiao Science and Technology Industrial Base, as well as industrial parks situated in Zhangziying Town, Qingyundian Town, and Caiyu Town.

IV. Annual Report, Name Change, and Account Information Retrieval

(I) Annual report

Based on the regulations stipulated in Article 13 of the Measures and Section 2 of Article 5 of the Guidelines, in the event that an enterprise fails to to submit its annual report on the development status within the designated timeframe for two consecutive years during the validity period of its high-tech enterprise accreditation, the enterprise will be disqualified from the accreditation. Enterprises are instructed to visit the government service platform of the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China (https://fuwu.most.gov.cn/) by May 31 (Wednesday), 2023. They shall choose the "Legal Representative" section, log on at the user login area, and click on the "Service Items" section on the homepage. From there, they shall access the Torch Center Application Handling Platform and click on the "Application Portal". Next, they shall proceed to the Torch Statistical Survey of the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China and click on "Start Application". Finally, enterprises are required to submit the 2022 High-tech Enterprise Development Status Report after providing the necessary information regarding the high-tech enterprise's development in the previous year.

(II) Name change and other major changes

In the event that a high-tech enterprise experiences a name change or undergoes significant changes related to accreditation conditions (such as separation, merger, reorganization, or changes in business operations), the enterprise are required to complete and submit the Application Form for Name Change of High-tech Enterprise through the "Administrative Website for High-tech Enterprise Accreditation" (www.innocom.gov.cn) within three months from the date of the change (Please note that the form should include a detailed explanation of the reasons for the change). Additionally, the enterprise is required to provide the following materials:

1. The application form for name change (Please download and print the form from the Administrative Website for High-tech Enterprise Accreditation (www.innocom.gov.cn) and affix an official seal of the enterprise on the form);

2. Materials required for the industrial and commercial changes;

3. Registration certificates of enterprises such as business licenses;

4. Accreditation certificate of the enterprise under its previous name.

Please submit all the materials in one file to gxrd@kw.beijing.gov.cn. Ensure that the materials are in an electronic format after scanning. Please name the file using the complete name of the enterprise, and include the contact person's name and contact information in the email.

(III) Account information retrieval

If an enterprise forgets its username or password, it can visit the Administrative Website for High-tech Enterprise Accreditation (www.innocom.gov.cn) and proceed to the "Unified Identity Authentication and Single Sign-on Platform" section within the "Enterprise Application" section. From there, the enterprise can choose the "Password Retrieval" or "Enterprise Account Appeal" options and provide the necessary enterprise information accurately. Afterward, by clicking on the website link received in the enterprise registration email, the enterprise will be able to retrieve the username and reset the password. If an enterprise forgets the mobile phone number or email address used during registration, it shall select the "Enterprise Account Appeal" option and provide the necessary enterprise information. By doing so, the enterprise will be able to reset both the username and password.

V. Others

(I) Intermediary agency

Enterprises shall select intermediary agencies that fulfill the specific requirements for issuing special audit reports or authentication reports, as stipulated in the Measures and Guidelines.

1. Intermediary agencies shall possess independent practicing qualifications. They shall have a minimum of three years of establishment and a clean record within the past three years; 

2. During the year when the accreditation tasks are carried out, the number of certified public accountants or tax agents employed by the intermediary agencies shall constitute at least 30 percent of the monthly average number of employees throughout the year. Moreover, the monthly average number of employees throughout the year shall not be fewer than 20.

3. The staff members involved must demonstrate good professional ethics. They shall possess a comprehensive understanding of the national policies concerning science, technology, economy, and industry. Additionally, they shall be well-versed with the specific requirements pertaining to high-tech enterprise accreditation.

4. For detailed information about intermediary agencies, please refer to the Industry Management Information System of the Chinese Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the official website of the Beijing Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Information Service Platform of the China Certified Tax Agents Association, or the official website of the China Certified Tax Agents Association. As a general rule, accounting firms shall have a clean record, devoid of any administrative penalties, denunciations, or regulatory warnings within the past three years. Tax agent firms shall possess credit points of over 200 in relation to tax-related professional service institutions (The term "credit points" refers to the "credit points of tax-related professional services" specified in the Measures for the Administration of Credit Evaluation of Tax-related Professional Services (Trial) issued by the State Taxation Administration. The same explanation applies below.). Enterprises shall thoroughly verify the qualifications and credit information of the chosen intermediary agency, ensuring that the agency satisfies the aforementioned requirements. A written commitment shall be issued by enterprises. As the primary entity accountable for the genuineness and lawfulness of audit reports, intermediary agencies shall guarantee compliance with the aforementioned requirements while conducting special audit services. Moreover, they shall provide a written commitment as evidence of fulfilling these obligations. If the aforementioned enterprises and intermediary agencies make false commitments, they will be held accountable for their actions and bear appropriate liabilities in accordance with the law. The official website for the disclosure of penalties imposed on accounting firms can be found at: http://czj.beijing.gov.cn/ztlm/xzzfxxzt/xzzfdtxx/xzzfjg/xzcfjdxx/ http://www.bicpa.org.cn/zyjgz/zyjg/cjjl/index.html The website for credit point inquiry of tax agent firms is at: https://12366.chinatax.gov.cn/sszyfw/bulletinBoard/main

Upon issuance of a special audit report or authentication report, an intermediary agency that meets the aforementioned requirements shall submit a collection of documents. These include an integrity commitment letter, a copy of its business license, a copy of its practicing certificate, and a list of employees during the specific year when audit or authentication services are provided (This list shall contain details such as names, genders, ID card numbers, labor and social security card numbers of employees. Additionally, the certificate numbers of certified public accountants or tax agents must be provided.).

(II) Intermediate and post-stage supervision

High-tech Enterprise Accreditation Group of Beijing Municipality (the municipal accreditation group for short) will prioritize the intermediate and post-stage supervision of high-tech enterprise accreditation. To achieve this, it will implement various measures, including targeted examination, random spot checks, and on-site verification. Enterprises that fail to meet the relevant requirements during the examination process will be denied accreditation. Similarly, enterprises that have been granted accreditation but subsequently found to be non-compliant with the requirements will have their accreditation revoked. The outcomes of the examination will be announced on the Administrative Website for High-tech Enterprise Accreditation (www.innocom.gov.cn), along with other applicable websites. If enterprises and intermediary agencies are found engaging in fraudulent activities during the high-tech enterprise accreditation process, they will face severe consequences in accordance with the prescribed Measures and Guidelines. Any suspected violations of laws and regulations will be reported to the relevant authorities for a thorough investigation and appropriate punishment.

(III) Others

The municipal accreditation group has not granted authorization or entrusted any agencies or individuals to engage in activities related to high-tech enterprise accreditation, such as training and entrusted application processing. Any such activities conducted by agencies or individuals are separate and independent from the responsibilities of the municipal accreditation group.

In case of any objections, the concerned parties are required to submit materials reflecting their objections. For entities, the materials shall be signed by the legal representative or stamped with an official seal of the entity and scanned as PDF documents. For individuals, the materials shall be signed with the real names of the individuals and include their contact information. All materials should be sent to gaoxinchu@kw.beijing.gov.cn. Additionally, entities or individuals can choose to call the designated personnel responsible for the supervision of high-tech enterprise accreditation. The objections shall be grounded in factual evidence, accompanied by specific information, details, and relevant materials to serve as convincing evidence. We will handle objections received from entities and individuals in strict compliance with the relevant laws and regulations.

This is to inform and notify you accordingly.

Annex:

1. The contact information of the competent science and technology departments in various districts and the management departments of industrial parks operating within the Zhongguancun Science Park

2. The Notice Issued by the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China on Implementing the Notification and Commitment System for Matters Related to the High-tech Enterprise Accreditation (Guo Ke Fa Huo [2021] No. 362)

Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Commission, Administrative Commission of Zhongguancun Science Park

Beijing Municipal Finance Bureau

Beijing Municipal Tax Service, State Taxation Administration

April 3, 2023