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Registration is now open! The 3rd Beijing Sub-Center Cultural Industry Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition, themed "Tongzhou on the Canal," has officially begun!

September 24, 2025 HotTopics Tongzhou Local News 125

Registration is now open for the 3rd Beijing Sub-Center Cultural Industry Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition, themed "Tongzhou on the Canal," organized by the Tongzhou District Committee's Publicity Department and the Tongzhou District Talent Bureau.

The competition focuses on key industrial development priorities of the sub-center, accelerating industrial clustering and optimizing the industrial structure. Leveraging the construction of the Grand Canal Cultural Belt as a strategic driver, it aims to build a culturally influential industrial demonstration zone with international impact. Deeply implementing the strategy of innovation-driven cultural development, with "cultural empowerment for regional development" as its core objective, the competition strives to create an industrial incubation platform that "attracts talent through competitions and promotes industry through competitions." By discovering and nurturing innovative cultural industry projects, it seeks to attract high-end talent and high-quality enterprises, fostering high-quality development of the cultural industry in the sub-center.

I. Competition Goals

01 Drive Industrial Advancement Through Innovation
Ignite creative energy by building an integrated service platform for "idea incubation, funding access, and market development." Priority support will target emerging fields blending culture and technology—digital culture, canal heritage, and revitalized intangible cultural heritage. The goal is to attract high-quality cultural enterprises to establish operations within the sub-center's cultural parks, creating a powerful industrial cluster effect.

02 Cultivate Talent & Build Ecosystems
The competition will precisely identify, systematically train, and continuously support versatile talent for the cultural sector. It focuses on solving core challenges in attracting and retaining talent, providing a solid foundation of human capital to establish the sub-center as a leading hub for cultural innovation. Emphasis is placed on commercializing promising projects to ensure sustainable outcomes from talent development.

03 Provide End-to-End Enterprise Support
A comprehensive service platform will support businesses through their entire lifecycle, offering tailored services from startup to maturity. This includes matching enterprises with the sub-center's unique resources and policy advantages, offering prioritized support to key projects, deepening integration between cultural industries and urban development, and fostering a proactive, empowering service ecosystem.

II. Key Features

This edition leverages Beijing's "One Core, Two Wings" strategy and integrates unique local assets like the Grand Canal Cultural Belt, Universal Beijing Resort, and major cultural facilities. It aims to build a synergistic "Culture + Technology + Tourism" innovation ecosystem. The platform is designed to spark creativity, cultivate new productive forces in the cultural sector, accelerate the gathering of industry elements, and build a globally influential cultural innovation brand.

Dedicated Incubation Space: Over 1,000 sqm of low-cost space is available in partner parks like Hongxiang, Donglang, Ziguang VID, and Zhihui Yuan. Top-winning enterprises qualify for space in the competition's incubation base, potentially free or discounted, plus an incubation support package.

Comprehensive Talent Support System: To attract top-tier domestic and international talent and foster a vibrant innovation environment, Tongzhou's "Canal Talent Initiative" offers targeted support including financial incentives, housing, schooling, and healthcare. Founders of top-winning enterprises gain fast-track eligibility for this initiative, while other award-winning founders receive Talent Security Cards.

Full-Lifecycle Financial Services: Addressing funding challenges, a "government-guided, market-operated" financial system is established. Beijing Bank's Yonghe Cultural Finance Branch will create tailored financial solutions for winners, with fast-track approval. Connections with investors like Plum Venture Capital and Huamin Investment provide further funding opportunities. The competition encourages financiers to recommend projects for establishing in the sub-center, creating a seamless "pitch-to-funding-to-incubation" pipeline to boost success rates.

Real-World Tech Application Scenarios: Based on scenarios identified by Universal and Phoenix Digital Technology, the competition will connect projects with specific venues. This promotes practical innovation, helping cultural-tech firms deploy solutions in urban renewal, industrial upgrade, and cultural consumption. Top projects will be prioritized for the sub-center's "Urban Tech" initiatives, such as digital exhibits for Universal Phase II or smart tourism in Green Heart Park.

Grand Canal IP Resource Bank: An IP repository will be created from high-quality submissions, providing core material for developing canal-themed tourism products and digital collectibles. This supports building a "Cultural Industry Demonstration Matrix," making the competition a testbed for innovating with Grand Canal culture. Resources from local museums, theaters, and bookstores will offer participants display space and joint marketing opportunities.

III. Competition Tracks

Aligned with national strategies and regional goals, the tracks focus on: transforming traditional culture via the Grand Canal Cultural Belt; fostering new consumption models for Beijing's role as an international consumption hub; and deepening culture-tech fusion based on the sub-center's industrial定位. They aim to nurture digital culture, immersive experiences, and canal IP operations, creating a cycle where "tech empowers culture, culture drives consumption, and consumption fuels industry."

01 Culture & Media Track
Focuses on advanced audiovisual tech and creative content. Projects should combine cultural elements with media technology through innovative storytelling or expression, including works, services, or platforms.

02 Culture & Technology Track
Targets new infrastructure, technologies, equipment, scenarios, and business models that advance the cultural sector. Projects must demonstrate the integration of digital or other new technologies with cultural creativity.

03 Grand Canal Creative Track
Centers on the Grand Canal Cultural Belt, seeking culturally distinctive, artistically valuable, and commercially viable projects based on Canal cultural IP.

IV. Schedule

Registration: September - November 2025

Judging & Selection: November - December 2025

Post-Competition Support: December 2025 - January 2026

V. Organizers

Hosts: Publicity Department of the CPC Tongzhou District Committee, Tongzhou District Talent Work Bureau

Co-organizer: Tongzhou District Human Resources and Social Security Bureau

Executor: Tongzhou Cultural Industry Service Platform

Supporting Organizations: China Private Cultural Industry Chamber of Commerce; Tongzhou District Cultural Industry Park Association; Beijing Digital Creative Industry Association; Zhongguancun Digital Media Industry Alliance; Beijing Tongzhou Culture and Tourism Association; Plum Venture Capital; Huamin Equity Investment Fund Management Co., Ltd.; Modou Investment; Beijing Bank Yonghe Cultural & Creative Sub-branch; Super Mart Creative; Beijing Cultural Industry Investment and Financing Association; Beijing Film, Television & Copyright Culture & Art Promotion Association; China Cultural Promotion Association

VI. Registration & Contact

Scan the QR code below to register.

WeChat Contact:
Feel free to add the competition staff on WeChat for inquiries about registration and the latest updates.

Phone/WeChat: +86 18516888337 (same as WeChat account)

VII. Eligibility Criteria

The competition primarily targets enterprises or projects related to the cultural industry. Eligible entities meeting the following criteria are welcome to apply:

The participating entity must be a registered enterprise or institution in China.

Core business activities must align with the competition’s thematic focus.

Projects must demonstrate originality, innovation, and uniqueness.

Submissions should exhibit strong creative and cultural attributes, complying with national laws, regulations, and relevant industry policies.

Early-stage projects may participate as teams.

Other officially stipulated requirements.

Note: Projects that participated in previous editions of the competition but did not receive awards are eligible to reapply.