The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, together with the Cyberspace Administration of China, the State Taxation Administration and the National Intellectual Property Administration, has jointly issued a notice aimed at further preventing misconduct by exploitative intermediary agencies from undermining the cultivation and certification of high-quality small and medium-sized enterprises.
The notice sets out measures in five areas, namely improving certification management, strengthening service guidance, enhancing data verification, reinforcing joint law enforcement, and introducing innovative management mechanisms, so as to foster a healthier cultivation environment, curb the influence of bad-faith intermediaries, and keep the "golden signboard" of specialized, refined, distinctive and innovative enterprises shining brightly.
The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology will strictly organize the certification of specialized, refined, distinctive and innovative "little giant" enterprises, and will raise the quality of the cultivation and certification of high-quality SMEs while guarding against the influence of harmful intermediaries through means including quality evaluations of the specialized, refined, distinctive and innovative development of SMEs, special inspections of the work on SMEs and high-tech enterprises, and unannounced inspections of specialized, refined, distinctive and innovative SMEs.
Notice on Further Preventing Harmful Intermediaries from Affecting the Cultivation and Certification of High-Quality SMEs
To the competent departments for SMEs, internet information offices, tax bureaus and intellectual property offices of all provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the central government, cities under separate state planning, and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps:
In order to implement the decisions and arrangements of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, further foster a sound cultivation environment, prevent the influence of harmful intermediaries, and keep the "golden signboard" of specialized, refined, distinctive and innovative enterprises shining brightly, the relevant matters are hereby notified as follows.
First, improving certification management. In the certification of specialized, refined, distinctive and innovative SMEs and the preliminary review and recommendation of specialized, refined, distinctive and innovative "little giant" enterprises, provincial competent departments for SMEs should improve their review mechanisms and standardize whole-process management. They should organize experts to conduct reviews strictly against the certification standards in a "double random" manner, meaning randomly drawing experts to form multiple review panels and randomly assigning review tasks on the spot, and must not entrust review and certification work to institutions engaged in intermediary services related to applications for specialized, refined, distinctive and innovative SMEs or "little giant" enterprises, referred to as application-related intermediary institutions. With rigorous review procedures, the channels through which intermediary agencies interfere with the review work must be cut off.
Second, strengthening service guidance. Competent departments for SMEs should step up publicity and interpretation of the Measures for the Tiered Cultivation and Management of High-Quality SMEs, establish smooth communication channels with applicant enterprises, ensure that enterprises fully understand application policies and review procedures, promptly release and respond to hot issues, reduce information asymmetry, and organize public-interest application coaching services for SMEs so as to cover all applicant enterprises and guide them to apply independently. The "proactive discovery" mechanism should be put to good use by bringing services to enterprises' doorsteps.
Third, enhancing data verification. Competent departments for SMEs should strengthen coordination with intellectual property, taxation and other departments, and intensify the comparison and verification of key data. They should study and establish a front-end patent screening mechanism so that, during the certification of specialized, refined, distinctive and innovative SMEs and "little giant" enterprises, they can rely on the professional strength of local intellectual property departments to screen for abnormal patents and evaluate patent quality. They should explore the use of artificial intelligence, big data and other technologies to improve the review capacity of experts. The on-site verification mechanism must be strictly implemented to prevent data packaging and falsification. Key verification should be carried out on abnormal indicators, contradictory data, and sudden spikes or drops. Dynamic management and risk monitoring should be strengthened to promptly address hidden risks among high-quality SMEs in their localities.
Fourth, reinforcing joint law enforcement. Competent departments for SMEs, cyberspace departments and intellectual property departments should jointly crack down on acts by application-related intermediary institutions such as publishing false information through various self-media, official accounts and internet platforms, distorting the interpretation of relevant application and certification policies, releasing false promotional and advertising information about application services, and soliciting business by guaranteeing application results as a gimmick, so as to ensure that application and certification work is carried out fairly and in an orderly manner. Cyberspace departments, based on relevant clues and assessment opinions from competent departments for SMEs, should lawfully clean up illegal and non-compliant information posted by application-related intermediary institutions on website platforms, and lawfully handle website platforms and accounts that seriously violate the law. For harmful intermediary institutions that obtain customers through improper means such as fraud, deception, intimidation or threats, enterprises are encouraged to report them to public security organs in accordance with the law. Where provincial competent departments for SMEs discover harmful intermediary institutions that instigate or help enterprises fabricate false application materials or engage in profit-sharing of fiscal funds, they should report them to the relevant competent departments in accordance with the law.
Fifth, introducing innovative management mechanisms. For enterprises that falsify data or materials, competent departments for SMEs shall revoke their certification and bar them from applying again for three years. Typical cases of harmful intermediary institutions will be circulated on the tiered cultivation platform for high-quality SMEs. Local competent departments for SMEs are encouraged to optimize their work measures, increase the transparency of review work, explore innovative ways of preparing application materials and collecting data, and open a "front door" while blocking "side doors." The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology will strictly organize the certification of specialized, refined, distinctive and innovative "little giant" enterprises, and will raise the quality of the cultivation and certification of high-quality SMEs while guarding against the influence of harmful intermediaries through means including quality evaluations of the specialized, refined, distinctive and innovative development of SMEs, special inspections of the work on SMEs and high-tech enterprises, and unannounced inspections of specialized, refined, distinctive and innovative SMEs.
It is hereby notified.
General Office of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology
Secretariat of the Cyberspace Administration of China
General Office of the State Taxation Administration
Office of the National Intellectual Property Administration
October 13, 2026
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