Market Support Scheme, Goa — 50% Exhibition Rent Reimbursement — Frequently Asked Questions

It returns 50% of what you spend on renting exhibition space, with the covered area capped at 9 square metres. If you book a larger stall, only that 9 square metre portion is taken into account when the reimbursement is worked out.

It is a subsidy, paid out as a cash reimbursement. You are not borrowing, so nothing has to be repaid, and the Goa government does not take any equity or ownership share in your company in exchange.

Your IT unit must operate in Goa, and it must be one of the following entity types: a proprietorship firm, a private limited company, a public limited company, a registered partnership firm, or a limited liability partnership. Both newly started units and long-established ones can apply.

Yes. Pre-approval from the Committee is a hard requirement for claiming the reimbursement later, and the application for it must be submitted 60 days before the exhibition you intend to attend. Attending the event first and applying afterwards makes you ineligible for the money.

The entire process runs on the Goa Online portal (goaonline.gov.in). Register with your email ID and mobile number using OTP verification, then log in. From the top ribbon choose 'Services', then 'IT Services', and select the Market Support Scheme for Smaller Business Units. Fill in every mandatory field, upload the required documents and submit; the portal then issues a registration number that you should note down for later use.

Counting from the date your application is received: initial scrutiny takes up to 30 days, the Empowered Committee's decision generally arrives around the 60-day mark, and the sanction order or regret letter along with the actual disbursement happens within about 90 days.

You may claim on a quarterly, half-yearly or annual basis — whichever suits your bookkeeping — as long as the exhibition expenditure has already been incurred at the time you apply.

Applications run on a rolling basis with no fixed closing window. The only deadline that matters is the pre-approval requirement: your application has to reach the department 60 days before the exhibition you want to attend.

No. DPIIT (Startup India) recognition is not listed as a mandatory requirement for Market Support Scheme, Goa — 50% Exhibition Rent Reimbursement, though having it can strengthen your application and unlock other benefits.

Market Support Scheme, Goa — 50% Exhibition Rent Reimbursement is offered by Department of Information Technology, Government of Goa, a government body. It is provided as non-dilutive funding.

Apply directly through the official application link on this page. Review the eligibility criteria and prepare your startup documents before you begin.