Conditions for granting a Certificate of Science and Technology Enterprise

The Government has just issued Decree No. 268/2025/ND-CP detailing and guiding a number of articles of the Law on Science, Technology and Innovation on innovation; encouraging scientific, technological and innovation activities in enterprises; recognizing innovation centers, supporting creative startups; recognizing creative individuals and startups; infrastructure, networks and creative startup ecosystems.

Camera production at Sunny Opotech Vietnam Co., Ltd. in Yen Binh Industrial Park. Illustration photo: Hoang Nguyen/VNA

Decree No. 268/2025/ND-CP stipulates that enterprises that meet the prescribed conditions are granted a Certificate of Science and Technology Enterprise by a competent state management agency.

The Decree stipulates that enterprises are granted a Certificate of Science and Technology Enterprise when they fully meet general conditions and specific conditions according to the scale of the enterprise.

Enterprise size is determined according to the provisions of law on support for small and medium enterprises.

General conditions are: Established and operating under the Law on Enterprises; creating scientific, technological and innovative products from one of the results of scientific research, technological development and innovation that is legally owned or used (including: Patents; utility solutions; industrial designs; semiconductor integrated circuit layout designs protected in Vietnam; computer programs that have been granted a certificate of copyright registration; new livestock breeds; new plant varieties; new aquatic breeds; new forestry tree varieties; protected or recognized technical advances; results of scientific research, technological development and innovation that have been accepted or confirmed, recognized according to the provisions of law; technology transferred under a technology transfer contract that has been registered according to the provisions of law on technology transfer).

Special conditions for large enterprises: Must have total expenditure for scientific research, technology development and innovation activities reaching at least 2% of average net revenue in 3 consecutive fiscal years or from 200 billion VND/year or more in 3 consecutive fiscal years; in case the enterprise has been operating for less than 03 years, the average is calculated over the entire operating time since its establishment, but not less than 1 full fiscal year.

Have a research and development department with at least 10 employees with university degrees or higher, of which at least 5 are Vietnamese.

Scientific, technological and innovative products account for at least 30% of total revenue or reach VND 90 billion/year or more in 3 consecutive fiscal years; in case the enterprise has been operating for less than 3 years, the average is calculated over the entire operating period since its establishment, but not less than 1 full fiscal year.

Scientific, technological and innovative products bring one of the following effects: Exported to foreign markets; created from technology in the List of technologies encouraged for transfer according to legal regulations; won national or international awards for quality or environment.

Conditions for medium-sized enterprises: Must have total expenditure for scientific research, technology development and innovation activities reaching at least 2% of average net revenue in 03 consecutive fiscal years; in case the enterprise has been operating for less than 3 years, the average is calculated over the entire operating period since its establishment, but not less than 1 full fiscal year.

Have a research and development department with at least 5 employees with university degrees or higher, including Vietnamese employees.

Scientific, technological and innovative products account for at least 20% of total revenue in the last 3 consecutive fiscal years; in case the enterprise has been operating for less than 3 years, the average is calculated over the entire operating period since its establishment, but not less than 1 full fiscal year.

Conditions for small and micro enterprises: Total expenditure for scientific research, technology development and innovation must reach at least 2% of average net revenue in 3 consecutive fiscal years; in case the enterprise has been operating for less than 3 years, the average is calculated over the entire operating period since its establishment, but not less than 1 full fiscal year.

Have at least 2 human resources working in science, technology and innovation, including Vietnamese human resources, or hire 2 or more experts from research facilities, training facilities, and scientific and technological organizations.

There is at least 1 scientific, technological and innovative product being commercialized.

Enterprises that meet the above conditions shall submit a set of documents requesting a Certificate of Science and Technology Enterprise to the competent authority. The documents are submitted through the public service system as prescribed.

The application for a Certificate of Science and Technology Enterprise includes: Original application for a Certificate of Science and Technology Enterprise; copy of the recognition document of the competent state management agency for the results of scientific research, technology development and innovation (certificate of registration of technology transfer; certificate of intellectual property protection; decision to recognize or self-declare new plant varieties, livestock breeds, aquatic breeds, forestry tree varieties according to the provisions of specialized laws; decision to recognize technical advances; Decision to recognize the results of performing scientific, technological and innovation tasks using the state budget or Certificate of registration of results of performing scientific, technological and innovation tasks using the state budget; Certificate of confirmation of results of performing scientific, technological and innovation tasks not using the state budget; other confirmation and recognition documents of equivalent legal value); Original copy of the production and business plan of the science and technology enterprise proving compliance with the prescribed conditions.

According to regulations, the People's Committee of the province where the enterprise has its head office is the competent authority to receive dossiers, appraise and grant Certificates of Science and Technology Enterprises, grant changes to content, reissue, revoke, and cancel the validity of Certificates of Science and Technology Enterprises.

The Provincial People's Committee is responsible for notifying relevant agencies about the issuance, change, re-issuance, revocation and cancellation of the Certificate of Science and Technology Enterprise regarding the implementation of preferential and support policies for science and technology enterprises.

Periodically, the Provincial People's Committee is responsible for updating data on the issuance, change, re-issuance, revocation, and cancellation of Science and Technology Enterprise Certificates to the National Digital Platform for Science, Technology, and Innovation Management.

The certificate of science and technology enterprise is valid nationwide in paper or electronic form; is the basis for implementing investment incentives and other preferential and support policies of the State for science and technology enterprises; is the basis for enterprises to carry out scientific, technological and innovation activities in accordance with the provisions of law.

The above regulations take effect from October 14, 2025.

The above regulations are necessary to fully institutionalize the new provisions of the Law on Science, Technology and Innovation in 2025, and at the same time overcome the lack of synchronization and fragmentation in management and support for science and technology enterprises. The above regulations will create a unified and synchronous legal corridor, ensuring transparency, feasibility, and suitability to practical requirements; simplify procedures, strongly shift from pre-control to post-control, increase the application of digital technology in management; and at the same time thoroughly decentralize to localities. This is an important basis to improve policy effectiveness, promote the quantity and quality of science and technology enterprises.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/chinh-sach-va-cuoc-song/dieu-kien-cap-giay-chung-nhan-doanh-nghiep-khoa-hoc-va-cong-nghe-20251020152751742.htm