This English translation is for reference only. The Chinese version shall prevail in case of any inconsistencies.
Notice on Issuing the Measures for Supporting the Development of Sports in the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin
All bureaus under the Executive Committee:
The Measures for Supporting the Development of Sports in the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin has been approved upon deliberation at the session of the Executive Committee of the Cooperation Zone, and are hereby issued to you for your careful implementation. Should any issues arise during implementation, please promptly report them to the Livelihood Affairs Bureau of the Cooperation Zone.
Livelihood Affairs Bureau of the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone
in Hengqin
June 20, 2024
Normative Document No. 2/2024 of the Livelihood Affairs Bureau
Measures for Supporting the Development of Sports in the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin
Article 1.
Purpose of the Measures
In order to fully implement the Master Plan for the Construction of Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin and the Regulations on Promoting the Development of the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, facilitate the high-quality development of public sports in the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin (hereinafter referred to as the “Cooperation Zone”), strengthen sports exchanges between the Cooperation Zone and the Macao Special Administrative Region (hereinafter referred to as “Macao”), and promote the diversified development of the sports sector in both regions, these Measures are hereby formulated in accordance with the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) for the Development of Sports in Guangdong Province, as well as in light of the actual conditions of the Cooperation Zone.
Article 2.
Definition
For the purposes of these Measures, the following definitions apply:
1. “World-class sports events” refer to international multi-sport games and competitions organized by international sports federations, including World Championships, World Cups, Asian Championships, Asian Cups, the East Asian Games, and the FISU World University Games, as well as events related to qualifications or point rankings for the Olympic Games (including the Winter Olympics) or the Asian Games; other sports events included in the annual foreign affairs plan of the General Administration of Sport of China; and other events of equivalent scale as recognized through expert evaluation;
2. “High-level international sports events” refer to events that meet the following criteria: participation by athletes from more than three countries, with at least three athletes ranked among the world’s top 200 or otherwise recognized as notable, and that meet one of the following publicity criteria: (1) broadcast live, rebroadcast, recorded, or reported on by China Central Television; (2) broadcast live, recorded or promoted via international mainstream media, or via networks or media affiliated with international organizations;
3. “National sports events” refer to the National Games of the People’s Republic of China, National Championships, National Professional Leagues, and other sports events organized or co-organized by the General Administration of Sport of China, national sports organizations, or national individual sports associations; and other events of equivalent scale as recognized through expert evaluation;
4. “High-level national sports events” refer to events involving participation by teams or athletes from more than three provinces or regions (including Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan), or by at least three notable athletes, and that are broadcast live, rebroadcast, recorded, or reported on by provincial-level or higher television media;
5. “Notable athletes” refer to athletes who have participated in at least one world-class or national sports event and have won at least one medal in such competitions;
6. “National professional leagues” refer to competitions such as the Chinese Football Super League, Chinese Basketball Association, China Table Tennis Super League, China Badminton Super League, and the National Electronic Sports Tournament, all organized or co-organized by the General Administration of Sport of China or national individual sports associations, with participation limited to professional athletes; and other events of equivalent scale as recognized through expert evaluation;
7. “Regional leagues” and “city leagues” refer to competitive sports events organized, co-organized, or overseen by governments at the prefectural level or above, or by the Macao government, Hong Kong government, or sports authorities, with participating teams named after specific cities or regions and comprising no fewer than five teams;
8. “Large-scale public sports activities” refer to public-facing sports events where each session involves more than 1,000 participants;
9. “Actual event expenditure” refers to the total costs actually incurred by the organizing entity in staging the event, including venue rental, materials, staffing, utilities, publicity, and other expenses recognized by the Livelihood Affairs Bureau of the Cooperation Zone. These expenditures shall be subject to verification via a special audit report issued by a certified public accounting firm commissioned by the Livelihood Affairs Bureau of the Cooperation Zone;
10. “Television media at or above the provincial level” refers to China Central Television and provincial satellite television channels in the Chinese mainland, excluding specialized, regional, or prefecture-level channels;
11. “Non-governmental organizations in Macao” refer to social organizations registered with the Identification Services Bureau of the Macao government;
12. “Macao media outlets” refer to radio stations, television broadcasters, newspapers, and magazines based in Macao;
13. “Construction and renovation costs” refer to one year’s worth of venue rental and property management fees, renovation costs, utility charges, costs for immovable equipment and facilities, cooling fees, and other expenses as recognized by the Livelihood Affairs Bureau of the Cooperation Zone. These costs shall be confirmed via a special audit report issued by a certified public accounting firm commissioned by the Livelihood Affairs Bureau;
14. “Students or youths registered in Hengqin” refer to individuals whose household registration or student registration is located within the Cooperation Zone. “Youths” refer specifically to individuals aged between 10 and 19 years old;
15. The terms “more than”, “exceeding”, “fewer than”, “up to”, and “at least” shall be interpreted as inclusive of the stated value;
16. All reward amounts referred to in these Measures are denominated in Renminbi (RMB).
Article 3.
Support for Holding Competitive Sports Events
For high-level international sports events held in the Cooperation Zone, rewards may be granted to applicants based on either the total amount of prize money or the total number of spectators, subject to review and approval by the Livelihood Affairs Bureau of the Cooperation Zone, as follows:
1. A lump-sum reward of RMB 8 million may be granted for events with total prize money exceeding USD 2 million or a total attendance exceeding 40,000 spectators;
2. A lump-sum reward of RMB 6 million may be granted for events with total prize money exceeding USD 1.5 million or a total attendance exceeding 30,000 spectators;
3. A lump-sum reward of RMB 4 million may be granted for events with total prize money exceeding USD 1 million or a total attendance exceeding 20,000 spectators; and
4. A lump-sum reward of RMB 2 million may be granted for events with total prize money exceeding USD 500,000 or a total attendance exceeding 15,000 spectators.
For high-level national sports events held in the Cooperation Zone, rewards may be granted to applicants based either on the total amount of prize money or the total number of spectators, subject to review and approval by the Livelihood Affairs Bureau of the Cooperation Zone:
1. A lump-sum reward of RMB 5 million may be granted for events with total prize money exceeding RMB 10 million or a total attendance exceeding 40,000 spectators;
2. A lump-sum reward of RMB 4 million may be granted for events with total prize money exceeding RMB 8 million or a total attendance exceeding 30,000 spectators;
3. A lump-sum reward of RMB 3 million may be granted for events with total prize money exceeding RMB 6 million or a total attendance exceeding 20,000 spectators; and
4. A lump-sum reward of RMB 2 million may be granted for events with total prize money exceeding RMB 4 million or a total attendance exceeding 15,000 spectators.
For significant high-level international sports events where applicants commit to hosting the event in the Cooperation Zone for three consecutive years, the Livelihood Affairs Bureau of the Cooperation Zone shall submit the cases to the Executive Committee for deliberation. Rewards may be granted to the applicants in accordance with the results of such deliberation.
Article 4.
Support for Holding Large-Scale Public Sports Activities
For large-scale public sports activities held in the Cooperation Zone with self-raised funds, rewards will be granted to applicants based on either the number of participants or participating teams, subject to review and approval by the Livelihood Affairs Bureau of the Cooperation Zone:
1. A lump-sum reward of RMB 2 million may be granted for public sports activities with more than 15,000 participants;
2. A lump-sum reward of RMB 1.5 million may be granted for public sports activities with more than 10,000 participants;
3. A lump-sum reward of RMB 1 million may be granted for public sports activities with more than 5,000 participants;
4. A lump-sum reward of RMB 500,000 may be granted for public sports activities with more than 3,000 participants;
5. A lump-sum reward of RMB 200,000 may be granted for public sports activities with more than 1,000 participants; and
6. For team-based public sports activities with more than 20 participating teams, a lump-sum reward equal to 50% of the actual event expenditure, up to a maximum of RMB 2 million, may be granted.
Article 5.
Support for Holding Self-Organized Brand Sports Events
For self-organized sports events held in the Cooperation Zone that incorporate “Hengqin” in their names, take place around the Hengqin Island, or rely on the island’s natural resources such as waters, mountains, and others, and that are planned to be hosted annually for more than three years, rewards proportional to the actual event expenditure may be granted to the applicants for a maximum period of three years, subject to review and approval by the Livelihood Affairs Bureau of the Cooperation Zone:
1. For cycling, water sports, road running, orienteering, and triathlon events held around Hengqin Island or utilizing its waters, mountains, and other natural resources, a lump-sum reward equal to 50% of the actual event expenditure, up to RMB 2 million, may be granted; and
2. For other individual sports events held around Hengqin Island or utilizing its waters, mountains, and other natural resources, a lump-sum reward equal to 40% of the actual event expenditure, up to RMB 1 million, may be granted.
For events that are broadcast live, rebroadcast, or recorded on provincial or higher level television media, or on television media in Hong Kong or Macao, an additional lump-sum reward equal to 30% of the original reward amount, up to RMB 300,000, may be granted.
Article 6.
Support for Extending Sports Events from Macaoto the Cooperation Zone
For sports events that received non-repayable funding from the Macao government within three years prior to the application date and are subsequently extended to the Cooperation Zone, rewards may be granted to the applicants on a 1:1 basis in Renminbi (RMB) equal to the amount of Macao government funding, based on the exchange rate on the first day of the event, subject to review and approval by the Livelihood Affairs Bureau of the Cooperation Zone.
For sports events that have been successfully held in Macao for more than three editions within the ten years prior to the application date and are subsequently extended to the Cooperation Zone, with at least 200 participants or 20 participating teams in the Cooperation Zone, a lump-sum reward equal to 50% of the actual event expenditure, up to RMB 1 million, may be granted to the applicants upon review and approval by the Livelihood Affairs Bureau of the Cooperation Zone.
Article 7.
Support for Sports Events Exchanges and Cooperation between Hengqin and Macao
For sports exchange activities held in the Cooperation Zone in collaboration with non-governmental organizations from Macao and reported by the Macao media outlets, rewards may be granted to the applicants upon review and approval by the Livelihood Affairs Bureau of the Cooperation Zone:
1. A lump-sum reward of RMB 50,000 may be granted for activities with more than 300 participants, of which Macao residents account for more than 30%;
2. A lump-sum reward of RMB 30,000 may be granted for activities with more than 200 participants, of which Macao residents account for more than 30%; and
3. A lump-sum reward of RMB 20,000 may be granted for activities with more than 100 participants, of which Macao residents account for more than 30%.
Article 8.
Support for the Construction of Sports Venues and Facilities
For gymnasiums and stadiums that are either newly constructed or repurposed from existing construction land, idle factories, warehouses, or commercial facilities within the Cooperation Zone, and have been in normal external operation for more than one year, rewards may be granted to the operating entities equal to 40% of the construction and renovation costs, subject to review and approval by the Livelihood Affairs Bureau of the Cooperation Zone:
1. A lump-sum reward of up to RMB 1 million may be granted for stadiums exceeding 1,500 square meters or gymnasiums exceeding 2,500 square meters;
2. A lump-sum reward of up to RMB 800,000 may be granted for stadiums ranging from 1,000 square meters (inclusive) to less than 1,500 square meters; and
3. A lump-sum reward of up to RMB 600,000 may be granted for stadiums ranging from 500 square meters (inclusive) to less than 1,000 square meters.
Article 9.
Support for the Development of Sports Clubs
For professional sports clubs registered in the Cooperation Zone that bear the “Hengqin” name, if the clubs participate in national professional leagues, a cumulative reward of up to RMB 10 million per club per year may be granted:
1. A lump-sum reward of RMB 10 million, RMB 8 million, RMB 6 million, RMB 4 million, and RMB 2 million may be granted, respectively, to team sports clubs with more than five members that rank first to fifth in the annual league standings;
2. A lump-sum reward of RMB 5 million, RMB 4 million, RMB 3 million, RMB 2 million, and RMB 1 million may be granted, respectively, to team sports clubs with four members or fewer that rank first to fifth in the annual league standings; and
3. An additional lump-sum reward of RMB 2 million may be granted to clubs that achieve promotion to a higher-tier sports event.
For non-professional sports clubs registered in the Cooperation Zone that bear the “Hengqin” name, if the club participate in regional or city leagues, a cumulative reward of up to RMB 3 million per club per year may be granted:
1. A lump-sum reward of RMB 1 million, RMB 800,000, and RMB 600,000 may be granted, respectively, to team sports clubs with more than five members that rank first, second, and third in the annual league standings; and
2. A lump-sum reward of RMB 800,000, RMB 600,000, and RMB 400,000 may be granted, respectively, to team sports clubs with four members or fewer that rank first, second, and third in the annual league standings.
Article 10.
Support for the Development of Youth Sports
For students or youths registered in Hengqin who win awards in sports competitions, a cumulative reward of up to RMB 500,000 per person per year may be granted upon review and approval by the Livelihood Affairs Bureau of the Cooperation Zone:
1. A lump-sum reward of RMB 500,000, RMB 300,000, and RMB 200,000 may be granted, respectively, to individuals ranked first, second, and third in world-class sports events;
2. A lump-sum reward of RMB 200,000, RMB 100,000, and RMB 60,000 may be granted, respectively, to individuals ranked first, second, and third in national sports events;
3. A lump-sum reward of RMB 50,000, RMB 30,000, and RMB 20,000 may be granted, respectively, to individuals ranked first, second, and third in the Provincial Games;
4. A lump-sum reward of RMB 20,000, RMB 10,000, and RMB 8,000 may be granted, respectively, to individuals ranked first, second, and third in annual youth provincial championships or other equivalent provincial-level events; and
5. A lump-sum reward of RMB 2,000, RMB 1,000, and RMB 500 may be granted, respectively, to individuals ranked first, second, and third in annual youth prefectural championships or other equivalent prefectural-level events.
For the chief coaches or coaching teams of the aforesaid prize-winning students or youths registered in Hengqin, a lump-sum reward equal to 50% of the corresponding student or youth reward may be granted, up to a cumulative amount of RMB 500,000 per individual or team per year.
Article 11.
Application Conditions
Enterprises applying for rewards shall meet the substantive operation conditions set forth in the Rules for Determining the Substantive Operations of Enterprises in the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin (Normative Document No. 2/2023 of the Executive Committee). Social groups, non-enterprise private units, and other institutions shall also be subject to the Rules.
Individuals applying for rewards shall comply with the relevant provisions of these Measures.
Applicants shall not be eligible for rewards under these Measures if, during the application year or the preceding year, they fall under any of the following circumstances:
1. Being listed as discredited entities on the “Credit China” platform, or included in the List of Enterprises with Abnormal Business Operation, List of Dishonest Judgment Debtors, or List of Unreachable or Non-Compliant Institutions;
2. Having received administrative penalties for violations of laws, regulations, or rules related to work safety, market regulation, environmental protection, fire safety, or taxation during their business operations, and where such penalties fall within the scope of hearings as stipulated in the Implementation Measures for Administrative Penalty Hearing Procedures in Guangdong Province; or
3. Being responsible for incidents during sports events that cause personal injury, property damage, or significant adverse social impact.
Article 12.
Application Procedures
Reward funds under these Measures will be applied for on a retroactive basis. Applications for reward funds may only be submitted after the relevant sports events or activities have been completed.
The application procedures are as follows:
1. Project Collection. The Livelihood Affairs Bureau of the Cooperation Zone will, based on the Cooperation Zone’s annual budget and following the principle of total quantity control, determine the number of rewards for each project category and publicly announce this information. A pre-application channel will be opened periodically each year to solicit sports event and related project applications from the public;
2. Project Approval. The Livelihood Affairs Bureau of the Cooperation Zone will convene review meetings to select outstanding projects and include them in the annual reward allocation plans for public sports in the Cooperation Zone;
3. Application. The Livelihood Affairs Bureau of the Cooperation Zone will issue annual application guidelines for reward funds and organize relevant entities to submit applications according to the actual circumstances. Applicants shall complete the application forms and submit the required materials in accordance with these Measures and the relevant application guidelines;
4. Acceptance. The Livelihood Affairs Bureau of the Cooperation Zone will conduct a preliminary review of the application materials. Applications failing to meet the acceptance conditions shall not be accepted. If materials are incomplete, applicants shall be notified in a one-time notice of the missing items and shall complete the submission within the specified period. Applications that meet the acceptance conditions and have complete materials will be formally accepted;
5. Review. The Livelihood Affairs Bureau of the Cooperation Zone will review the authenticity, validity, and other aspects of the application materials, and, combined with on-site inspections, issue review conclusions. Where necessary, third-party professional institutions may be commissioned to assist with reviews and inspections;
6. Fund Determination. Based on the review conclusions, the Livelihood Affairs Bureau of the Cooperation Zone will determine the reward allocation plans;
7. Public Announcement. The Livelihood Affairs Bureau of the Cooperation Zone will publish the proposed list of recipients and corresponding reward amounts on the official website of the Cooperation Zone for five working days; and
8. Funds Disbursement. Where no objections are raised during the public announcement period, or where objections are investigated and found to be unsubstantiated, the Livelihood Affairs Bureau of the Cooperation Zone will disburse funds in accordance with the relevant regulations.
For applications under Articles 3 to 7 of these Measures, applicants shall have completed the pre-application procedures with the Livelihood Affairs Bureau of the Cooperation Zone according to Items 1 and 2 of this Article and have been included in the annual reward allocation plans for public sports in the Cooperation Zone. Applications under Articles 8 to 10 of these Measures shall follow the procedures specified in Items 3 to 8 of this Article.
Each sports event or activity shall be limited to one single applicant for rewards. In principle, where two or more entities jointly organize an event or activity, the entity that obtains prior approval from the Livelihood Affairs Bureau of the Cooperation Zone before the event shall be responsible for submitting the application. The reward amounts shall be reviewed and determined either by review panels organized by the Livelihood Affairs Bureau of the Cooperation Zone or by third-party professional institutions commissioned by the Bureau.
Article 13.
Applicable Rules
Except as provided in Article 10, where these Measures overlap or intersect with other preferential policies of Guangdong Province, Zhuhai City, or the Cooperation Zone, support shall be provided in accordance with the principles of highest priority, optimal benefits, and no duplication, unless otherwise stipulated.
For self-organized sports events that have received financial support from Hengqin New Area prior to the implementation of these Measures, if the total duration of financial support is less than three years and the events meet the application conditions under these Measures, applicants may continue to apply under these Measures until a cumulative period of three years of support is reached. Self-organized sports events that have already cumulatively received three years of financial support from Hengqin New Area shall not be eligible under these Measures, and the Livelihood Affairs Bureau of the Cooperation Zone shall no longer accept their applications for rewards.
Article 14.
Tax and Fee
All rewards specified in these Measures are pre-tax amounts. Applicants shall be responsible for paying any taxes and fees arising from the receipt of rewards in accordance with national laws, regulations, and relevant provisions.
Article 15.
Supervision of Funds
Applicants shall be responsible for the authenticity and legality of their application materials. If applicants obtain reward funds through fraudulent means, such as concealing facts or providing false materials, the Livelihood Affairs Bureau of the Cooperation Zone will revoke their application eligibility, reclaim any disbursed funds, and render them ineligible for any future rewards under these Measures. If the act constitutes a violation of law or a crime, the case shall be referred to the relevant authorities for handling in accordance with the law.
Article 16.
Implementation
The Livelihood Affairs Bureau of the Cooperation Zone will be responsible for formulating the application guidelines and implementing these Measures.
Article 17.
Power of Interpretation
The Livelihood Affairs Bureau of the Cooperation Zone reserves the right to interpret these Measures.
Article 18.
Effective Date and Validity Period
These Measures shall come into effect on July 1, 2024, and shall remain valid for a period of three years. If the validity period expires while any portion of the relevant funds remains unpaid, payments shall continue until all due amounts are fully disbursed.