Quality Certification Reimbursement Scheme — Up to ₹5L for Goa IT Units

Run by the Department of Information Technology, Government of Goa, this scheme has been in place since 2018 as one strand of the state's Information Technology Policy. Its purpose is simple: an IT unit operating in Goa that spends money obtaining a recognised quality or product certificate can have a large part of that cost returned to it.

The thinking behind the scheme is that quality marks help local IT businesses win bigger clients, meet regulatory expectations and compete beyond the state. Certifications named under the policy include ISO, HACCP, BIS, WHO-GMP, ZED, TS, COPC, eSCM and Hallmark, together with any other standard that the government recognises. By absorbing part of the certification bill, Goa hopes to strengthen the quality of its IT ecosystem and make the state more attractive for technology investment and expansion.

Support is capped at ₹5,00,000 per unit and is structured as a reimbursement rather than an upfront grant — the unit first incurs the certification expenditure and then claims it back. There is no closing date; the window stays open and applications can be filed quarterly, half-yearly or once a year, whichever suits the unit's certification cycle. The incentive can be claimed once for any number of certifications obtained during the policy period, subject to the overall ceiling and to how much budget is available.

• Reimbursement of up to ₹5,00,000 per IT unit
• Open to new and existing IT units operating in Goa
• Covers ISO, HACCP, BIS, WHO-GMP, ZED, TS, COPC, eSCM, Hallmark and other recognised certificates
• Rolling window — apply quarterly, half-yearly or annually after incurring the expense
• Non-dilutive state subsidy: no equity and no repayment
• Applications filed online through the Goa Online portal

The scheme is open to information technology units that operate in Goa — both units setting up for the first time and units that have already been running in the state.

• Location: the unit's operations must be based in Goa.
• Entity type: the applicant must be a proprietorship firm, a private limited company, a public limited company, a registered partnership firm, or a limited liability partnership.
• Aadhaar linkage: the bank accounts of the unit and/or of its partners or directors must be linked to Aadhaar.
• Spend on a qualifying certificate: the unit must have incurred expenditure on a quality or product-specific certificate such as ISO, HACCP, BIS, WHO-GMP, ZED, TS, COPC, eSCM or Hallmark, or on another standard recognised by the government.

No minimum turnover, age of business or founder qualification is laid down in the scheme rules.

Quality Certification Reimbursement Scheme — Up to ₹5L for Goa IT Units is open to startups at any stage. It is open to startups registered anywhere in India.

Quality Certification Reimbursement Scheme — Up to ₹5L for Goa IT Units accepts applications on a rolling basis — there is no fixed cut-off date, so eligible startups can apply at any time. Because rolling programmes can pause without notice, confirm the window is still open on the official site before you start.

An eligible IT unit in Goa can recover up to ₹5,00,000 of what it paid to obtain a recognised quality or product certification.

• The money is a reimbursement, so the unit meets the certification cost first and is paid back afterwards.
• The certifications that count include ISO, HACCP, BIS, WHO-GMP, ZED, TS, COPC, eSCM and Hallmark, plus other standards the government recognises.
• The claim can be made once and can cover any number of certifications obtained during the policy period, provided the total stays within the ₹5,00,000 ceiling.
• Payouts are subject to the budget available under the scheme.

Because this is a state subsidy, no equity is taken in the applicant's business and nothing has to be repaid. The benefit is purely financial relief on a compliance and quality-assurance expense that the unit would otherwise carry on its own.

Quality Certification Reimbursement Scheme — Up to ₹5L for Goa IT Units is offered by Department of Information Technology, Government of Goa, a government body. As a government-backed subsidy, it is publicly funded and open to eligible startups across India.

Every application is checked on two levels before any money moves.

• Scrutiny (within 30 days): the application is examined against a checklist within 30 days of being received. This stage looks at whether the unit meets the eligibility conditions and whether the supporting documents are complete and in order.
• Empowered Committee approval (within 60 days): the scrutinised application is then placed before an Empowered Committee, which is expected to decide within 60 days of receipt.
• Final decision and disbursement (within 90 days): the outcome is normally communicated within 90 days of the application being received — either a sanction order releasing the reimbursement, or a letter regretting the application. Disbursement follows the sanction.

Because the assessment hinges on eligibility and documentation, units should make sure the certification proof, expenditure records and Aadhaar-linked bank details are all uploaded correctly at the time of submission.

Before you apply to Quality Certification Reimbursement Scheme — Up to ₹5L for Goa IT Units, keep the following documents ready:

• A pitch deck or short business plan describing the problem, product and traction
• Company registration documents and PAN
• Founder identification (PAN / Aadhaar) and brief profiles
• Recent financial statements or projections
• Product details — a demo, prototype or working link if available

Exact requirements are confirmed on the official application portal — treat this as a preparation checklist.

Quality Certification Reimbursement Scheme — Up to ₹5L for Goa IT Units is best suited for startups in India seeking non-dilutive funding of ₹5L. If that describes your startup, review the eligibility criteria above before applying.