To comprehensively implement “The Plan for Comprehensive Deepening Reform and Opening Up of the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone” and the “Overall Development Plan for the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone,” this initiative aims to facilitate employment and entrepreneurship for youth from Hong Kong and Macao within the Qianhai Cooperation Zone. It also seeks to support the social and economic development of the Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions and to foster closer interaction and integration among youth from Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao.

I. Eligibility Criteria

Article 1: Applicants must be residents of Hong Kong or Macao, under 45 years of age, hold Chinese nationality, and meet the following criteria:

a. Be permanent residents of Hong Kong or Macao, or Chinese citizens who reside in Hong Kong or Macao and no longer hold household registration in the Chinese Mainland;

b. Hold at least an associate degree (including an associate degree or advanced diploma from Hong Kong and Macao) (not applicable to those participating in internship programs or holding shares in Hong Kong and Macao entrepreneurial firms);

c. Have signed a labor contract of over one year with an employer in Qianhai and must be enrolled in Qianhai’s social security system at the time of application (not applicable to those participating in internship programs).

Article 2: For entities or organizations applying (either legal or non-legal), they must have a physical presence in Qianhai and must not be listed as serious dishonest entities at the time of application (this excludes those applying for awards in the youth innovation and entrepreneurship contest as specified in Measure 6).

Article 3: In addition to complying with Article 2, applicants who are entrepreneurs should have commercially registered their firms for no more than five years, with at least 25% of the registered equity or shares owned by individuals from Hong Kong or Macao. If shareholders are overseas enterprises, the registered equity or shares held by Hong Kong and Macao individuals in these overseas enterprises must exceed 25% of the registered equity or shares of the Hong Kong and Macao entrepreneurial enterprises after conversion.

Article 4: In addition to complying with Article 2, the entrepreneurial platforms supported by these measures must also be recognized or registered by the relevant authorities in human resources and social security, industry and information technology, science and technology innovation, culture, radio, television, tourism, and sports.

II. Incentive Measures

Article 1: Support for Employment and Internships for Hong Kong and Macao Youth

Measure 1: Employment Subsidy

Employment subsidies will be provided for Hong Kong and Macao youth employed in the Qianhai Cooperation Zone for the first time after July 1, 2021, at the following rates: 8,000 yuan per month for PhD holders, 4,000 yuan per month for Master’s degree holders, 3,000 yuan per month for Bachelor’s degree holders, and 2,000 yuan per month for Associate degree or higher diploma holders. The cumulative subsidy period shall not exceed three years.

Measure 2: Job Creation Subsidy

Employers in the Qianhai Cooperation Zone are encouraged to regularly publish campus recruitment and social recruitment information for Hong Kong and Macao youth. A subsidy of 20,000 yuan will be granted for each Hong Kong or Macao youth hired after July 1, 2021, with an annual subsidy cap of 200,000 yuan for each employer. If there are changes in the employment of Hong Kong and Macao youth, employers may not reapply for this subsidy for the same individual.

Measure 3: Internship Unit Subsidy

Employers in the Qianhai Cooperation Zone are encouraged to provide internship positions for Hong Kong and Macao youth. If they meet the criteria for internship subsidies set by Shenzhen’s human resources and social security department for youth from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan, they shall be subsidized according to those regulations.

Article 2: Support for Entrepreneurship of Hong Kong and Macao Youth

Measure 4: Entrepreneurship Rewards

Hong Kong and Macao entrepreneurial companies that receive funding from the following sources for their projects will be eligible for a one-time entrepreneurship reward based on the actual amount of funding received. The reward for a single company shall not exceed one million yuan:

a. Government departments or statutory bodies of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region;

b. Post-secondary educational institutions funded by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government’s University Grants Committee;

c. Academic qualifications granted with funding from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government or subsidized by recognized post-secondary educational institutions;

d. The Macao Special Administrative Region Government;

e. Human resources and social security departments or technological innovation departments of Shenzhen.

To qualify for the entrepreneurship reward, firms must have been operational in the Qianhai Cooperation Zone after July 1, 2021, with shareholders including the principal leader of the funded entrepreneurship project. If the project has received funding multiple times, the reward will be based on the highest amount received. Only one Hong Kong or Macao entrepreneurial firm may apply for a reward for the same project.

Entrepreneurship projects that qualify for subsidies for overseas returnees from the Shenzhen human resources and social security department may apply for corresponding subsidies in accordance with relevant regulations.

Measure 5: Loan Interest Subsidy and Listing Support

Hong Kong and Macao entrepreneurial firms are encouraged to apply for guaranteed entrepreneurship loans. If they meet the criteria set by the Shenzhen human resources and social security department for such loans, the relevant regulations will apply. Additionally, support will be provided for Hong Kong and Macao entrepreneurial firms to list overseas, and those meeting project support requirements from relevant municipal departments can apply for corresponding funding according to applicable regulations.

Measure 6: Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Contest Rewards

Entrepreneurial teams that win gold, silver, bronze, or merit prizes at the finals of the Qianhai Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao-Taiwan Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Contest (hereinafter referred to as the Entrepreneurship Contest) will receive rewards of up to 500,000 yuan. Teams winning gold, silver, or bronze prizes in the regional divisions of the contest will be eligible for rewards of up to 100,000 yuan. Rewards for the Entrepreneurship Contest will be disbursed in two phases: upon the issuance of awards and upon the actual operation of the team.

Measure 7: Rent Subsidy

Hong Kong and Macao entrepreneurial firms renting office or operational space will receive a rent subsidy at a standard rate of 40 yuan per square meter per month, with the subsidy amount not exceeding 50% of the actual rent paid by the firm. The annual subsidy shall not exceed 300,000 yuan, and the total subsidy period shall not exceed three years. If firms rent entrepreneurial space owned by the property management company of the Qianhai Authority, they will adhere to the corresponding rules and will not be eligible for this rent subsidy again.

Measure 8: Incentives for Operations of Entrepreneurial Carriers

Entrepreneurial carriers are encouraged to establish and operate within the Qianhai Cooperation Zone, supporting employment and entrepreneurship for young individuals from Hong Kong and Macao.

For entrepreneurial carriers with a floor area exceeding 1,500 square meters, equipped with the necessary hardware and software facilities to meet operational needs, and where more than 50% of the incubated enterprises are Hong Kong and Macao entrepreneurial firms, the following operational rewards will be granted:

a. For every 200 square meters of the carrier that accommodates one Hong Kong or Macao youth, an operational reward of 10,000 yuan per youth will be provided;
b. For every 100 square meters that accommodates one Hong Kong or Macao youth, an operational reward of 15,000 yuan per youth will be provided;
c. For every 50 square meters that accommodates one Hong Kong or Macao youth, an operational reward of 20,000 yuan per youth will be provided.

Each entrepreneurial carrier can receive operational rewards totaling no more than one million yuan per year, with a cumulative period not exceeding three years.

Measure 9: Corporate Income Tax Incentives

Hong Kong and Macao entrepreneurial firms that meet the criteria outlined in the “Notice by the Ministry of Finance and the State Taxation Administration on the Extension of Preferential Enterprise Income Tax Policies for the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone of Shenzhen” ([2021] No. 30), and the “Notice by the Ministry of Finance and the State Taxation Administration of the Preferential Enterprise Income Tax Policies for the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone of Shenzhen” ([2024] No. 13), will be taxed at a reduced rate of 15%.

Article 3: Support for the Living of Hong Kong and Macao Youth

Measure 10: Housing Subsidy

For Hong Kong and Macao youth who commence their business or engage in employment for the first time after July 1, 2021, and who, along with their spouses and children under 18, do not own housing in Shenzhen, are not receiving housing purchase subsidies for high-level talents, and are not benefiting from the housing guarantee policies in Shenzhen or the Qianhai Cooperation Zone, a monthly housing subsidy of 1,000 yuan will be provided, with a cumulative subsidy period not to exceed three years.

Measure 11: Living Subsidy

For Hong Kong and Macao youth who start their business or engage in employment for the first time after July 1, 2021, a living subsidy of 2,000 yuan per month will be provided, with a cumulative subsidy period not to exceed three years. If eligible, Hong Kong and Macao youth may also apply for living subsidies for newly recruited doctoral talents from the Shenzhen Human Resources Guarantee Department, as well as living allowances under the Greater Bay Area Youth Employment Scheme, according to relevant regulations.

Measure 12: Providing Caring Services

Services such as employment and entrepreneurship support, interview coaching, assistance with talent housing applications, policy application guidance, investment and financing connections, and market linkages will be available through platforms including the Qianhai e-Services Hong Kong-Macao Station, Qianhai International Talent Hub, Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Youth Innovation and Entrepreneur Hub, Qianhai Hong Kong Enterprise Service Station, and the Qianhai Hong Kong Youth Development Center.

These services are designed to help Hong Kong and Macao youth adjust quickly to life, study, and work in the mainland while continuously enhancing Qianhai’s policy framework through collaboration between Hong Kong and Shenzhen. This initiative aims to facilitate policy applications and create broader opportunities for young individuals from Hong Kong who wish to develop in the mainland, empowering them to pursue their dreams.

III. Subsidy Application Procedures

These measures primarily adopt an annual centralized declaration system for subsidies. If relevant departments in Shenzhen have other regulations concerning subsidies, those regulations shall prevail.

Article 1: Announcement

The Qianhai Authority will publish an application notice on its official website, specifying the acceptance period, application guidelines, and other relevant details.

Article 2: Application and Acceptance

Applicants must submit the required application materials during the acceptance period. If the application materials are complete, the application will be accepted; if they are incomplete, the applicant will be notified once to make corrections within a specified timeframe.

Article 3: Review and Publicity

The Qianhai Authority will review accepted applications, completing the review within 60 days. Applications that meet the requirements will be publicly announced on the official website for a period of five working days.

Article 4: Handling Objections

Any organization or individual with objections to the public announcement must submit a written objection to the Qianhai Authority within the publicity period. The Qianhai Authority will investigate and verify the objections. If an objection is upheld, the matter will be publicly announced, and the objector will be informed in writing. If the objection is not upheld, a written decision will be made and communicated to the objector.

Article 5: Disbursement of Subsidies

If there are no objections during the publicity period, or if the objections are found to be unfounded after investigation, the Qianhai Authority will disburse the subsidy funds based on the review results.

IV. Other Provisions

Article 1: Firms operating entrepreneurial carriers cannot apply for both the job creation subsidy under Measure 2 and the incentives for the operations of entrepreneurial carriers under Measure 8 for the same Hong Kong or Macao youth.

Article 2: If applicants qualify for both of these measures and other similar support policies from Shenzhen, Nanshan District, Bao’an District, or Qianhai Cooperation Zone, they cannot receive benefits from both. All subsidies under these measures are post-disbursement and will be provided in RMB. Taiwanese youth engaged in employment and entrepreneurship in the Qianhai Cooperation Zone must adhere to these measures.

Article 3: Hong Kong and Macao youth who have received employment or living subsidies under the previous version of the 12 Measures to Support Employment and Entrepreneurship for Hong Kong and Macao Youth in Qianhai promulgated in 2023, and who meet the conditions of these measures, may receive the subsidy gap accordingly.

The total subsidies from both the new and old versions of the 12 Measures for the same applicant cannot exceed three years.

Article 4: Applicants who have received entrepreneurship, housing, or transportation subsidies according to the “Implementation Rules for Supporting the Development of Hong Kong and Macao Youth in Qianhai” (Shenzhen Qianhai [2019] No. 7) may not apply for subsidies under this measure.

Article 5: These measures will take effect on July 1, 2024, and remain valid for three years. The previous version of the 12 Measures to Support Employment and Entrepreneurship for Hong Kong and Macao Youth in Qianhai promulgated in 2023 will be abolished simultaneously.