The 2026 5Th“Sprint Forward In Golden Boots”Innovation And Entrepreneurship Competition In Shangcheng District Is Now Launched

(MENAFN- TimesNewswire ) 2026 marks the beginning of China's 15th Five-Year Plan and serves as a pivotal year for Shangcheng District as it accelerates the construction of a Central Innovation District and deepens its talent-driven development strategy. As the core urban area of Hangzhou, Shangcheng is rapidly transitioning from a Central Business District (CBD) to a Central Innovation District (CID), with technological innovation as the key engine to build a first-class ecosystem for talent and innovation.

To attract more high-level talent from home and abroad to start businesses and innovate in Shangcheng, to accelerate the clustering of future industries, and to drive a leap in the district's economic vitality, the 2026 5th“Sprint Forward in Golden Boots” Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition in Shangcheng District officially kicks off today. The competition is held under the guidance of Hangzhou Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology and Hangzhou Municipal Bureau of Science and Technology, hosted by CPC Hangzhou Shangcheng District Committee and Hangzhou Shangcheng District People's Government, and organized by Talent Affairs Office of CPC Hangzhou Shangcheng District Committee and Shangcheng District Bureau of Science, Technology, Economy and Information Technology.

As a flagship innovation and entrepreneurship brand of Shangcheng District, the“Sprint Forward in Golden Boots” competition has been successfully held for four consecutive years. It has attracted and nurtured a number of high-tech, high-growth talent projects that have taken root and thrived in Shangcheng. This year's competition features a completely refreshed structure, closely aligned with Shangcheng's industrial foundation and future vision. It precisely targets six key fields: Artificial Intelligence, Embodied Intelligence, High-End Software, Brain-Like Intelligence, Low-Altitude Economy, and Future Healthcare. The competition focuses on high-level talent projects with independent intellectual property or core technologies, strong R&D capabilities, and promising industrialization prospects.

The competition offers 1 first prize, 4 second prizes, 7 third prizes, and 18 excellence awards. Winning projects that are established and implemented in Shangcheng District within six months of receiving the award are eligible for up to RMB 10 million in R&D subsidies, full interest subsidies on bank loans of up to RMB 10 million over three years, up to RMB 2 million in equity incentives, and office rent subsidies covering up to 1,000 square meters over three years. In addition, they will have priority access to services such as the Sci-Tech Enterprise Risk Pool Fund, housing subsidies, and health retreats.

Notably, this year's competition debuts an overseas track in Singapore, designed to connect with global innovation resources and directly reach overseas high-level talent and outstanding projects, thereby broadening international talent acquisition channels and enhancing the competition's global influence. All submitted projects will go through multiple stages of qualification review, preliminary selection, and semifinals. The final outstanding projects will gather in Shangcheng in October to compete for the top prizes.

The application channel for the competition is now officially open. From today until July 15, entrepreneurs from around the world are welcome to submit their project information via the official competition website ( ) and join Shangcheng on its journey of innovation and entrepreneurship.

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