"Once the R & D cooperation program is approved, funding from both Sichuan Provincial Department of Science and Technology and the National Innovation Agency of Israel can be obtained." On February 26, at the Press Conference of China (Sichuan) -Israel R & D Cooperation Program, Zhang Wei, Deputy Director of Sichuan Provincial Science and Technology Department threw an "olive branch", calling for the active participation of both companies in Sichuan and Israel.

　　This is a new model of project solicitation. Sichuan and Israel jointly select scientific cooperation projects, which only define areas for cooperation without specific propositions. A project must be jointly declared by the enterprises of both Sichuan and Israel. The "Joint Commission" consisting of the Provincial Department of Science and Technology and National Innovation Agency of Israel will decide the final list.

　　The R & D cooperation projects for soliciting cover 12 key areas of economic and social development of our province, such as new energy, smart communities, environmental protection and resource protection, aiming to implement a batch of projects on technology research, technology transfer, achievement transformation and popularization and application.

　　Why this new model is adopted? Officials of the Provincial Science and Technology Department said that enterprises can get financial support from both parties, which is conducive to cooperation enterprises figuring out each other's intention of cooperation, demand and other information. The final selected R & D cooperation projects will receive financial support of 0.5-2 million yuan from the Provincial Department of Science and Technology as well as no more than 50 % of financial support fund from the R & D investment applied and approved by the National Innovation Agency of Israel.

　　The cooperative enterprises of both parties are financially supported and should be subject to management. Officials of International Cooperation Office of Provincial Department of Science and Technology revealed that projects will be subject to process management such as annual and intermediate audit. For projects available for the allocation of funds in batches, dishonest enterprises will be included in credit records. It is stipulated that, after receiving the subsidy, an enterprise should return the project fund as required when the cooperation project begin to get sales revenue.

　　Amir Laty, Consul General of Israel Consulate General in Chengdu, is very optimistic about the form of joint solicitation. Sichuan is the first province in western China to sign an agreement on cooperation of R & D and technological innovation. Last September, during the 5th China (Mianyang) Science and Technology City International Hi-Tech Expo and China (Sichuan) -Israel R & D Cooperation Program, both government departments and enterprises have enhanced their understanding and exchange.

　　The solicitation deadline of the program is June 26 this year. Sichuan Province and Israel will jointly determine the first round of supported projects in October this year, whose implementation period is no more than 3 years.