Changsha county hopes to further boost the startup economy in rural areas by introducing supportive policies and creating a strong network of services.

The county is particularly focused on startups engaged in fresh and exciting ways with agriculture. The policy corresponds to the mass spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation that is widely encouraged throughout China.

Since Changsha county initiated its effort to stimulate entrepreneurship and innovation last year, 1,782 projects have earned a local government subsidy. The projects have employed 8,826 people in innovative and entrepreneurial enterprises.

The county has pledged to financially assist well-run startups, especially those that embrace agriculture and maintain a strong innovative spirit in areas of production and promotion.

"To encourage startups to develop their businesses in the countryside, it is essential to equip them with strong platforms and good services," said an official from the administration committee of the county's modern agriculture demonstration zone.

The move will include building a network of three county-level centers and ten town-level platforms to provide services, training and the opportunity to exhibit. In addition, five business incubators, spaces designed to promote the success of entrepreneurial businesses, will also be established.

The county's service centers will commit to finding more innovative enterprises and providing one-to-one services for a select group of key startups. The training center will be founded on the current Jiwangyuan training base for entrepreneur in Lukou town. The exhibition center, based in the Songya Lake area, aims to offer a collective exhibition platform for startups.

The ten town-level platforms are located mainly in the northern agricultural area of the county, which has a comparatively weak industrial base compared to the south.

County government will upgrade five start-up incubators in the area, including the Zhongzhi New City project of Sany Group, to extend the local industrial chain and generate a greater number of innovative projects.

Furthermore, in cooperation with local industrial planning, the county will establish a project bank to subsidize key innovative projects. Priority will be granted to projects featuring independent innovation, those involving the application of advanced agricultural equipment and practical technology, as well as Internet Plus enterprises.

Industrial and commercial projects that qualify must have previously made yearly investments of at least 2 million yuan ($300,000). The annual input threshold for agricultural projects is 1 million yuan and half a million yuan for cooperatives or family farms. The qualification will also be granted to startup platformss with an annual investment of over 300,000 yuan. Small and medium-sized agricultural projects with an annual investment of 100,000 yuan will also be eligible.