The most frequently asked question when applying for High and New Technology Enterprise (HNTE) certification is "can trademarks earn bonus points?" The answer is a clear no — the original text of the Guidelines for the Administration of HNTE Certification (国科发火〔2016〕195号) excludes trademarks from the IP evaluation. What really needs planning is: which types of IP, in what quantities and by what means of acquisition, will capture the full 30 points.
1. Direct Answer: Trademarks Do Not Count Toward HNTE IP Scores
The certification is based on the Measures for the Administration of High and New Technology Enterprise Certification (国科发火〔2016〕32号) and the Guidelines for the Administration of HNTE Certification (国科发火〔2016〕195号, effective January 1, 2016, repealing the former 国科发火〔2008〕362号).
The Guidelines adopt a categorized evaluation of IP, with the original text stating: invention patents (including defense patents), new plant varieties, national-level crop varieties, national new drugs, national first-class protected traditional Chinese medicine varieties, and integrated circuit layout-design exclusive rights are evaluated as Class I; utility model patents, design patents, software copyrights, etc. (excluding trademarks) are evaluated as Class II.
Those three words in parentheses — "excluding trademarks" — are the entire answer. However valuable a trademark is, it is not an option on this scoring table. Note that this categorization applies only to "types of IP used for scoring" and has nothing to do with the legal effect of trademarks themselves — a trademark remains the core tool for brand protection, platform onboarding, and franchise recruitment; it just cannot be used to pad the HNTE IP score.
2. How the IP Score Is Actually Calculated
The "IP" item is worth 30 points in the innovation capability evaluation, scored on five dimensions:
| Dimension | Maximum points |
|---|---|
| Technological advancement | 8 |
| Core supporting role for main products (services) | 8 |
| Quantity of IP | 8 |
| Means of IP acquisition | 6 |
| Bonus item (participating in drafting national or industry standards, testing methods, or technical specifications certified by the state) | 2 |
Quantity is scored by tier: 1 or more Class I IP earns 7–8 points; 5 or more Class II earns 5–6 points; 3–4 Class II earns 3–4 points; 1–2 Class II earns 1–2 points; 0 earns 0. For means of acquisition: independent R&D earns 1–6 points; only assignment, gift, or merger/acquisition earns 1–3 points. Even if the 2-point bonus is fully captured, the total "IP" score may not exceed 30 points.
3. Hard Limits That Are Easy to Trip
- Class II IP can be used only once: Class II IP may be used only once when applying for HNTE certification; repeated applications cannot score repeatedly.
- The same technical achievement is not double-counted: where the same technical achievement is used to apply for multiple Class II IP rights, only 1 item is counted.
- Ownership must match the entity: the IP rights holder must match the company name stated on the business license.
- Multiple rights holders: where IP has multiple rights holders, only one rights holder may use it in the application, and a commitment letter from the other enterprises that they will not use the IP to apply for HNTE certification must be provided.
- Validity determination: based on having obtained the authorization certificate or notice of authorization before the application for certification, with payment receipts provided.
- Pass mark: the four indicators of the innovation capability evaluation total 100 points, and a comprehensive score above 70 points meets the certification requirement. The four indicators are IP, technological achievement transformation capability, R&D organization and management level, and enterprise growth; acceptance and review verify materials item by item against this set of indicators.
4. So What Use Is a Trademark in the Application?
It should not be forced in, but there is no need to deliberately avoid it either:
- It does not enter the IP scoring table: this is an exclusion at the rule level, not a matter of review preference, so stacking trademark certificates into the IP section as "independent IP" is an ineffective move.
- It can serve as commercial corroboration of achievement transformation: in the "technological achievement transformation capability" section, brand identifiers are objectively present commercial traces within sales contracts, product photos, and testing and certification materials submitted. The role of such materials is to corroborate that products have achieved sales and transformation — not to score points for the trademark itself. Writing it as "trademarks can earn points for the enterprise" is inaccurate.
- Overall business foundation of the enterprise: the other HNTE conditions (years of operation, R&D expense ratio, ratio of scientific and technical personnel, ratio of high-tech product revenue) depend on genuine operating data; the market performance of a brand affects revenue scale, but it is a separate line from the IP score.
5. Practical Recommendations
- Prioritize accumulating Class I: invention patents offer the greatest room for explaining "technological advancement" and "core supporting role," are not subject to the "usable only once" limitation (no such statement for Class I), and are the best long-term value.
- Software copyrights are the most cost-effective Class II: fast and cheap to obtain, but mind the quantity tiers — 5 or more are needed to enter the 5–6 point tier, and they must not be repeated splits of the same technical achievement.
- Independent R&D over assignment: the means of acquisition directly affects the 6-point tier; pure assignment, gift, or M&A caps at 3 points — do not buy what you can apply for yourself.
- Check ownership and payment receipts in advance: before applying for certification, confirm certificates, notices of authorization, and payment receipts are complete; where there are multiple rights holders, prepare commitment letters in advance; validity is determined by having obtained authorization before the application with payment proof available — last-minute supplementation is often too late.
- Do not spend on trademarks to pad scores: register trademarks as needed, but for brand protection and platform qualifications, not for HNTE bonus points.
6. Summary
HNTE certification looks at "technology," not "brand": in the Class I / Class II categorized evaluation, trademarks are expressly excluded. The right move is to use the right types of invention patents, utility models, design patents, and software copyrights, in sufficient quantity and by the right means of acquisition, to capture the 30 points. The rules cited in this guide are current as of 2026; defer to the latest requirements of the science and technology authorities.
7. Where to Get It Done
For the specific procedures involved in the above matters, book software copyright registration with MyTMBee, where a registered trademark agent provides end-to-end assistance.