Eastern Europe Division of the 9th China (Jinan) New Growth Drivers Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition

The Eastern Europe Division of the 9th China (Jinan) New Growth Drivers Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition is now open for applications from outstanding innovation and entrepreneurship projects across Europe.

The competition aims to attract high-level overseas talents, innovative technology projects, start-up teams and research commercialization projects to engage with Jinan, China, and explore opportunities for cooperation, commercialization and local implementation.

Key application areas include:

Electronic information and high-end software, including artificial intelligence;High-end equipment and intelligent manufacturing;Modern medicine and bio-manufacturing;Advanced materials and new energy equipment;Modern agriculture and green environmental protection.

Universities, research institutions, technology companies, start-up teams and overseas high-level talents from Europe are welcome to apply.

Eligibility：

Applicants from the overseas division should, in principle, hold a master’s degree or above.

Applicants should preferably have experience working at well-known universities, research institutions or overseas enterprises, possess certain project operation experience, and have experience as key persons responsible for major industrial technology development, achievement transformation or industrialization projects.

For particularly outstanding applicants, the eligibility requirements may be appropriately relaxed.

Schedule：

Application period: May to early JunePreliminary review: Mid-JunePreliminary competition: JulySemi-final: Mid-SeptemberFinal and “SCIE WEEK”: Late October

The final will be held in Jinan, Shandong Province, China. For European projects selected for the final and invited to participate in Jinan, the organizing committee will reimburse round-trip airfare and provide accommodation and meals during the final competition period.

Awards and Prize Money

Preliminary Competition Awards:

Each preliminary division will set up 15 finalist awards, with a prize of RMB 10,000 per award before tax. A total of 240 finalist awards will be granted across all preliminary divisions.

Final Competition Awards:

20 First Prizes: RMB 30,000 each before tax30 Second Prizes: RMB 20,000 each before tax50 Third Prizes: RMB 10,000 each before tax

A total of 100 awards will be granted in the final. For each specialized track, around six final award places will be granted based on project quality and expert evaluation.

Policy Support

Final-award-winning projects, specialized-track award-winning projects, or final projects that have received more than RMB 10 million in cumulative equity-based cash financing may, if implemented in Jinan within one year and meeting the basic requirements of Jinan’s industrial leading talent policies, directly enter the on-site inspection stage of the municipal key talent program. After inspection and comprehensive evaluation, eligible projects may receive corresponding financial support.

Competition projects implemented in Jinan may receive priority access to the “Haiyou Golden Seed” support policy review process if they meet the relevant application requirements. Entrepreneurial projects with strong market prospects and development potential may receive start-up funding of RMB 100,000 to RMB 300,000.

Projects implemented in Jinan that meet the basic requirements of postdoctoral entrepreneurship, overseas returnee talent or related support policies may receive priority access to policy review and may be eligible for financial support of up to RMB 500,000.

Jinan will establish a project database for competition projects seeking local implementation. Municipal departments, districts, functional zones and industrial parks will assign service officers and open green channels to provide integrated support, including talent and technology policies, industrial development incentives, land-use support, business registration, office space, company planning, recruitment, financing and investment matching.

Official Website：www.jn-rencai.com

Outstanding European technology talents, start-up teams, research commercialization projects and growth-stage technology companies are encouraged to apply for the Eastern Europe Division of the 9th China (Jinan) New Growth Drivers Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition.