Identify the particular PSTS route first
As checked on 7 November 2026, the ITC's PSTS-ITF page describes support for prototypes, samples and public-sector trials arising from completed ITF R&D projects undertaken by R&D Centres or designated local public research institutes. The applicant, parent project and rights to its deliverables require review against the full rules. Having a working prototype does not, by itself, put every startup within this route.
The page currently links to the April 2026 application guide, covering ITSP and MHKTCFS projects. An applicant that does not own the parent project's IP must provide the relevant owner's consent letter. That is not a statement that any outside team with a letter automatically meets all eligibility conditions. Do not import conditions from another PSTS route, a park membership or an ordinary product pilot.
Keep three relationships distinct
The following is an editorial coordination framework, not an official form or approval finding for a project.
| Relationship to resolve | Evidence to retain | Conclusion not established by that alone |
|---|---|---|
| Parent ITF project and results | Project reference, completion status, deliverables and rights basis | A technology presentation establishes eligibility |
| Public-sector trial | Authorised support or consent, scope, period, participation and feedback | Trial consent is a purchase commitment |
| Prototype and trial equipment | Approved purpose, quantity, location, owner of each task and disposal plan | Materials become freely saleable when testing ends |
| Separate commercial transaction | Actual contract, delivery, payment and appropriate professional checks | Funding approval is customer revenue |
The public sector is not confined to government departments: the official page also gives public bodies, non-profit trade associations and charitable organisations as examples. Confirm a particular host's status with the scheme rather than relying on its name. Link the trial to the original deliverables so that support for one research result is not silently applied to another product configuration.
Make the host's support operationally meaningful
Part B of the guide calls for an authorised support or consent letter addressing scope, duration, involvement or support, and an undertaking to provide user feedback. Part C also calls for consultation on trial location, timing, milestones and expected results. A signed attachment should not replace preparation for the actual deployment.
For the engineering handover, we suggest identifying who receives which version, who can pause a faulty trial, how feedback is recorded, who can change the configuration, and how materials will be reconciled at the end. Where safety or data is involved, the responsible specialists must check the actual requirements separately. This article supplies no product-safety or personal-data compliance conclusion. Our guide to moving from pilots to repeat deployment offers a separate operating framework, not official PSTS requirements.
The material conditions have a defined scope and period
Part C I.3 restricts prototypes, samples and equipment acquired for the trial to the original purposes approved by ITC during the project. Proceeds generated from those materials during that period, whether or not they have been used, must be reported promptly and returned to the Government. This is not a blanket statement about revenue from every other product the company sells. Identify the actual project materials accurately.
The proposed post-completion disposal arrangements must be set out in the application. Generally, participating public-sector organisations should retain and use the materials. If the applicant intends to retain and use them within two years after completion, the guide treats research institutes and company applicants differently. The former involves written notification with the host's consent; the latter requires ITC's written consent and information including purpose, justification, custody arrangements and evidence of the host's agreement. Proceeds a company applicant obtains from using or disposing of the relevant materials within that two-year period must also be reported and returned.
“The customer agreed to keep it” is therefore not a substitute for the approved arrangement. Nor does project completion automatically remove all restrictions. Check individual disposal, proceeds and agreement questions with the scheme and appropriate professionals before selling, giving away or redeploying the materials.
Funding amount and cash availability are different questions
The guide generally limits support to 50% of the original R&D project's actual cost, with an exceptional approval provision. The parent-cost definition is separate; this is not a universal reimbursement percentage of the new trial budget. Company applicants should not treat the entire approved amount as cash available before work begins. Part C II.8 describes two instalments: the first involves management accounts or reports confirming expenditure exceeding 50% of approved project cost; the balance requires, among other conditions, ITC's acceptance of audited project accounts.
Plan actual supplier payments and working capital before relying on support. Application, approval, a project agreement, expenditure, accounts submission and disbursement are different events. This article does not calculate an individual award, reimbursement date or accounting treatment.
Where Jimhang Capital can join the discussion
Jimhang Capital, founded by Justin Zhan, publicly describes connecting founders with Greater Bay Area supply-chain resources. Teams can outline the research result, proposed trial configuration and engineering or handover question without confidential information, then contact justin@jimscapital.cn. Any resource-connection support is scoped separately.
This is not an official PSTS application or procurement channel. It implies no official appointment, participation in a funded project, or guarantee of funding, orders or trial results. Clear boundaries around materials, responsibilities and evidence provide a sounder starting point for commercialisation discussions.
Editorial analysis as of 7 November 2026, limited to PSTS-ITF and the checked guide. Not a new funding round, individual legal advice or procurement guarantee.