Ministry of Industry and Information Technology: Exploring ways to increase procurement of large models, agents, tokens, etc. through models such as first purchase and first use, risk compensation, etc.

Zhitong Finance App learned that the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology issued a notice to launch a special action to cultivate artificial intelligence application service providers. Among them, it is mentioned to promote large-scale applications. Guide service providers to package and construct modular and standardized solution product packages around high-frequency, just-in-demand, and reusable businesses to form a batch of “small, quick and easy” artificial intelligence product services. Relying on platforms such as industry alliances, industry associations, open source communities, etc., targeted supply and demand matchmaking activities are carried out by industry to promote service providers. The organization opens up a number of real scenarios, actively introduces service providers to carry out implementation practices, promotes technology research and transformation of service providers, creates benchmark solutions, and forms driving effects. Explore ways to increase procurement of large models, agents, tokens and other services through models such as first purchase and first use, risk compensation, etc., and enhance the intellectual quality and efficiency of industrial use models. Regions that are in a position to do so have established and perfected a comprehensive “overseas” service system, and relied on cooperative mechanism platforms such as the Belt and Road Initiative, the BRICS, and China-ASEAN to promote the implementation of high-quality artificial intelligence application projects overseas.

By the end of 2026, the number of service providers in the national service provider resource pool will exceed 2,000, forming a multi-level echelon with reasonable structure, orderly division of labor, and collaborative innovation, and the ability to deliver complex scenarios has been significantly enhanced. By the end of 2027, the number of service providers in the national service provider resource pool will be no less than 3,000, supporting the formation of an artificial intelligence application service ecosystem with full element collaboration, full chain integration, and full scenario coverage.

The original text is as follows:

Notice of the General Office of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology on launching a special action to cultivate artificial intelligence application service providers

Ministry of Industry and Information Technology Letter [2026] No. 414

The competent departments of industry and information technology in each province, autonomous region, municipality directly under the Central Government and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps:

An artificial intelligence application service provider (hereinafter referred to as a service provider) refers to an enterprise or organization that provides services such as consulting, planning, delivery and implementation, operation management, and security governance of artificial intelligence solutions around the intelligent needs of user units. In order to thoroughly implement the decisions and arrangements of the Party Central Committee and the State Council and implement the work arrangements related to “cultivating artificial intelligence application service providers” and “building an artificial intelligence application service chain” in the “Opinions of the State Council on Further Implementing the “Artificial Intelligence +” Action, special actions to cultivate AI application service providers are now being organized and carried out. The relevant matters are notified as follows:

I. Action goals

Using special actions as a guide, establish a resource pool for service providers, target and enhance the technical innovation, integrated delivery, and safety compliance capabilities of service providers, and forge a team of artificial intelligence application service providers who understand industry pain points, understand technical mechanisms, know safety risks, and are good at delivery and operation. By the end of 2026, the number of service providers in the national service provider resource pool will exceed 2,000, forming a multi-level echelon with reasonable structure, orderly division of labor, and collaborative innovation, and the ability to deliver complex scenarios has been significantly enhanced. By the end of 2027, the number of service providers in the national service provider resource pool will be no less than 3,000, supporting the formation of an artificial intelligence application service ecosystem with full element collaboration, full chain integration, and full scenario coverage.

II. Key tasks

Task 1: Establish a service provider resource pool. Regional organizations map out the situation of service providers in the region (including local central enterprises) and establish service provider files (Annex 1). By the end of 2027, the number of enterprises in the regional service provider resource pool should be no less than 100 in the provinces under the National Artificial Intelligence Industry Innovation and Application Pilot Zone. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology compiles information on service provider resource pools in various regions, forms a national service provider resource pool according to relevant standards, and publishes them in due course.

Task 2: Improve the level of service supply. Organizational service providers take the lead in forming “artificial intelligence application service teams” such as modulus resonance and computational collaboration to create integrated solutions with upstream and downstream units. Coordinate and make good use of innovation carriers such as national artificial intelligence application pilot bases and technology-based enterprise incubators in the region to provide service providers with basic conditions such as technical research and development, testing and verification, and pilot maturation, accelerate solution innovation, and support the “specialized, special and new” development and growth of service providers. Support service providers to focus on key technical problems such as software and hardware adaptation and multi-model collaboration to carry out targeted research. Service providers are encouraged to improve their integrated application capabilities for basic software and hardware products such as safe and reliable operating systems, databases, and artificial intelligence training and inference chips. Promptly push security risk information and risk events for various artificial intelligence software and hardware products to service providers. Guide service providers to embed management requirements such as network security, data security, ethical governance, and business compliance into the entire R&D, deployment, and application process, and change passive response to active prevention and control.

Task 3: Promote large-scale applications. Guide service providers to package and construct modular and standardized solution product packages around high-frequency, just-in-demand, and reusable businesses to form a batch of “small, quick and easy” artificial intelligence product services. Relying on platforms such as industry alliances, industry associations, open source communities, etc., targeted supply and demand matchmaking activities are carried out by industry to promote service providers. The organization opens up a number of real scenarios, actively introduces service providers to carry out implementation practices, promotes technology research and transformation of service providers, creates benchmark solutions, and forms driving effects. Explore ways to increase procurement of large models, agents, tokens and other services through models such as first purchase and first use, risk compensation, etc., and enhance the intellectual quality and efficiency of industrial use models. Regions that are in a position to do so have established and perfected a comprehensive “overseas” service system, and relied on cooperative mechanism platforms such as the Belt and Road Initiative, the BRICS, and China-ASEAN to promote the implementation of high-quality artificial intelligence application projects overseas.

Task 4: Strengthen the support and guarantee of service providers. Support service providers to strengthen connections with national computing power network hubs, national computing power interconnection nodes, Chinese computing power platforms, etc., and make good use of policy tools such as “computing power vouchers” to reduce computing power costs. Optimize intelligent programming tools to improve software supply capacity. Relying on the results of scenarios, data, models, agents, etc. formed from actions such as “module-digital resonance” and “industrial data foundation building”, we open up call interfaces or provide trial channels for service providers. Encourage universities, vocational colleges and leading service providers to jointly build training bases to cultivate complex application talents who “understand business, understand models, know safety, and can deliver” in batches. Service providers are encouraged to set up front-line deployment engineer (FDE) teams to take root at the user site and ensure the implementation of the scenario.

III. Organization of work

(1) Summarize service provider files in each region to form a regional service provider resource pool (Annex 2), submit resource pool information to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (Department of Science and Technology) by December 1, 2026 in accordance with relevant submission requirements (Annex 3), and regularly update the content of the service provider resource pool.

(2) Each region organizes service providers to establish an “Artificial Intelligence Application Service Group” and submit the service group information (Annex 4) along with the resource pool information. In principle, each region submits no less than 10 service groups. Each service group should be led by 1 service provider and at least 2 upstream and downstream units should participate jointly.

(3) The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology will establish a normalized tracking and evaluation mechanism, organize industry experts to carry out on-site guidance, dynamically grasp work progress and stage results, and coordinate to overcome difficulties and blockages in the promotion process. Each region summarizes the completion of various tasks and submits a summary report by December 1, 2027 (Annex 4). The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology organizes an evaluation of the overall implementation situation and sorts out and summarizes the results of a series of tasks such as benchmark service providers, solutions, and service teams.

IV. Organizational Guarantee

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology will strengthen overall guidance, promptly study and resolve major issues and key issues in the promotion of the special action, provide preferential support in relevant policies and projects to regions where the implementation of the special action has been effective, and step up efforts to apply and promote the results. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology will establish an online platform for AI application service providers in due course to share and use information well. Encourage industry and information technology authorities in various regions to strengthen policy support and provide service providers with corresponding supporting resources.

This article was selected from the “Ministry of Industry and Information Technology” official website, Zhitong Finance Editor: Liu Jiayin.