Recently, the Work Plan for Promoting the Development of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in Sichuan Province (2026-2030) (hereinafter referred to as the "Plan") was officially issued, as learned from the Sichuan Provincial Department of Economy and Information Technology.

The Plan proposes that by 2030, the province aims to add a cumulative total of 6,000 industrial enterprises above designated size over five years, reach 20,000 innovative small and medium-sized enterprises, 7,000 specialized and innovative SMEs, 700 specialized and innovative "little giant" enterprises, and 40 national-level characteristic industrial clusters of SMEs.

The Plan puts forward specific tasks in eight areas: cultivating and strengthening business entities, supporting specialized and innovative development, supporting industrial innovation and development, supporting digital, intelligent and green development, supporting cluster-based development, increasing financial support, improving services for enterprises, and strengthening the business environment.

Among these, "cultivating and strengthening business entities" is placed first. The Plan makes clear that efforts should be made to push small and micro enterprises to upgrade and improve quality, and strengthen support for small and micro enterprises to maintain their scale. Sichuan will implement a special action for upgrading small and micro enterprises, including dynamically updating the cultivation database, strengthening policy guidance, improving enterprise assistance services, and enhancing support for maintaining scale.

In terms of supporting specialized and innovative development, it is necessary to strengthen the tiered cultivation of high-quality enterprises, explore leapfrog development for key provincial-level specialized and innovative SMEs, and at the same time strengthen application recommendations and follow-up services for key "little giant" enterprises.

In terms of supporting industrial innovation and development, it is necessary to strengthen the scientific and technological innovation capacity of SMEs and innovate mechanisms for matching supply and demand in scientific and technological breakthroughs. Sichuan will implement an action to enhance the scientific and technological innovation capacity of SMEs, one important task of which is to build a mechanism for clearing key industrial enterprises above designated size with "three no R&D" status, accelerating the clearing of a group, focusing on tackling a group, and fully activating a group of key enterprises.

Beyond pursuing "newness," it is also necessary to improve "intelligence" and increase "greenness." The Plan proposes supporting digital, intelligent and green development, with specific measures including implementing a special action for the digital empowerment of SMEs, supporting characteristic industrial clusters of SMEs in improving green and low-carbon public facilities, and cultivating green parks and zero-carbon parks.

In terms of supporting cluster-based development, it is necessary to promote the clustered development of SMEs, advance the integrated development of large, medium and small enterprises, and enhance the capacity to stabilize and strengthen chains. Through collaborative development models such as "clusters plus high-quality enterprises," shared manufacturing models, and chain leader linkage models, the Plan aims to promote the organic connection between cluster cultivation and tiered cultivation of high-quality enterprises, enhance cluster shared manufacturing capacity, and advance the integrated development of large, medium and small enterprises.

In addition, the Plan also makes special arrangements for increasing financial support, improving services for enterprises, and strengthening the business environment.

In terms of safeguard measures, it will clarify the mechanism for cross-departmental coordination and three-level linkage among the province, city and county, make coordinated use of fiscal funds at all levels, strengthen policy publicity and interpretation and the promotion of typical experience, and create a favorable atmosphere conducive to the high-quality development of SMEs.