Special Incentive Allowance Scheme — Up to ₹2 Cr for Goa IT Units — Frequently Asked Questions

The amount depends on the size category of your unit. Smaller Business Units can receive up to ₹50 lakh, Other Business Units up to ₹1 crore, and Mega Business Units up to ₹2 crore. The figure is a ceiling, and payment is also subject to annual evaluation and the department's budgetary allocation.

Your unit must be an IT business operating in Goa, and it can be either newly set up or already running. It also needs to be a registered entity — a proprietorship firm, private limited company, public limited company, registered partnership firm, or LLP — with the bank accounts of the unit, its partners or its directors linked to Aadhaar.

No. The scheme runs on a rolling basis with no fixed last date. Applicants are allowed to apply quarterly, half-yearly or yearly, after the relevant expenditure has been incurred.

Across a three-year period, your unit must show annual growth of 20% or more, Goan residents forming at least 75% of your workforce, women forming at least 60% of the workforce, certification for every Goan employee, and at least one quality certification. These are checked over the full three-year window rather than at a single point in time.

It is released once at the close of each three-year period, not every year. After a sanction order is issued, the funds are disbursed within 90 days.

No. This is a cash subsidy from the Goa government, not an investment, so it is non-dilutive — the department does not take a stake in your business in return for the allowance.

The first-level scrutiny against the checklist is done within 30 days of your application being received. It then goes to the Empowered Committee, which usually takes up to 60 days from the date of receipt. You are then issued either a sanction order or a regret letter, and sanctioned amounts are paid within 90 days.

Yes. Every unit is evaluated annually at the close of each fiscal year to confirm it still meets the criteria and continues to qualify for the subsidy under the scheme.

Applications are made online through the Goa Online portal at goaonline.gov.in. You register with your email and mobile number using OTP verification, create a login name and password, accept the declaration and terms, and log in. From the top ribbon select Services, then IT Services, and click the scheme name to open the application form. Fill in all mandatory fields, upload the required documents and submit — you will receive a unique registration number for future reference. Detailed scheme provisions are set out in the government's IT Policy Schemes document at https://www.goa.gov.in/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/ITPolicySchemes2018.pdf.

No. DPIIT (Startup India) recognition is not listed as a mandatory requirement for Special Incentive Allowance Scheme — Up to ₹2 Cr for Goa IT Units, though having it can strengthen your application and unlock other benefits.

Special Incentive Allowance Scheme — Up to ₹2 Cr for Goa IT Units is offered by Department of Information Technology, Government of Goa, a government body. It is provided as non-dilutive funding.