A ministry of Information Industry central fund has so far this year awarded grants to 14 national IT projects.

The grants are released annually to support the homegrown electronics industry, and the MII announced recipients on its Website late on Wednesday.

The projects cover the 3G, Linux, FPD (flat panel display), integrated circuit and Internet security sectors.

Fund will be poured into the firms as a strategy investment, according to the MII, which didn't provide detailed figures.

The fund will range from 100 million yuan (US$13.22 million) to 200 million yuan in 2007, according to Li Ke, an analyst at Beijing-based CCID Consulting Co.

A total of 52 Chinese firms have received MII funding, including ZTE and Datang Mobile on home-grown 3G TD-SCDMA (time division-synchronous code division multiple access), BOE Technologies on FPD, Red Flag on Linux, Shanghai Pudong Software Park on outsource, Changhong and Skyworth on digital TV and Huahong on second-generation ID card chips, according to MII.

Each firm receives funding of two million or three million yuan on average, according to TD-SCDMA Forum.

The fund shows the government's support for the homegrown IT industry and encourages self-innovation.

Meanwhile, it will strengthen the investment on core technologies in China, Wang Xudong, the Minister of Information Industry, has said.