To advance the tiered cultivation of high-quality small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and stimulate innovation vitality among private companies, the Zezhou County SME Development Center has recently organized on-site service teams to conduct face-to-face precision guidance. This initiative focuses on two core metrics: the renewal review of specialized and sophisticated enterprises (known as "little giants") and the annual addition of new innovative SMEs. The goal is to completely clear the last-mile hurdles for implementing enterprise-benefiting policies.

During visits to companies such as 晋城市旭通铸造股份有限公司 (Jincheng Xutong Casting Co., Ltd.), 山西宝辉环保科技股份有限公司 (Shanxi Baohui Environmental Protection Technology Co., Ltd.), and 晋城市德缘合食品有限公司 (Jincheng Deyuanhe Food Co., Ltd.), the on-site teams conducted thorough inspections of each firm's production operations, technological research and development, and intellectual property reserves. They systematically compared each business against the evaluation criteria for innovative and specialized SMEs, identified development gaps item by item, dynamically updated the cultivation registry of potential companies, and implemented tailored "one enterprise, one policy" assistance measures to precisely address varied development needs.

In response to common and prominent issues, such as irregular R&D expense categorization and ambiguous boundaries between production and research expenditures, staff members provided on-the-spot explanations of R&D expense attribution standards and financial accounting requirements. They guided companies to standardize their R&D ledgers and improve the collection and preservation of supporting documentation, including R&D personnel and project details. This bolstered the financial foundation for enterprise applications and assessments. Concurrently, they publicized preferential policies related to R&D expenses, encouraging companies to continuously increase innovation investment and strengthen their core competitiveness.

Regarding difficulties and bottlenecks in the utilization of intellectual property, staff gave detailed explanations of the scoring rules for IP in innovation evaluations and clarified the recognition standards for Class I and Class II intellectual property. They guided enterprises to strategically arrange suitable independent patents around their core products to avoid risks of point deductions during patent applications. For companies with weaker patent portfolios, they delved into highlighting technical innovation points, devised customized patent layout strategies, and helped shore up shortcomings in IP development.

Furthermore, staff provided practical, hands-on guidance on the application processes for innovative SMEs and specialized enterprises, including material standardization. They outlined the policy benefits available to qualifying enterprises—such as financing lines of credit, policy support, and project application advantages—to alleviate concerns and dispel any hesitation companies might have about applying. Looking ahead, the County SME Development Center plans to continue routine on-site visits and coaching. With a tight focus on key areas like R&D spending, patent cultivation, and project quality improvement, the center will dedicate itself to full-cycle tracking and support, assisting eligible companies in completing tiered applications and guiding the county's private enterprises on a path of innovation-driven, quality-focused, and high-efficiency development.