Startup Incentives

• For start-ups that operate from privately owned premises-
• The cost towards internet connectivity, software license fees, and cloud services fee, will be reimbursed subject to an upper limit of INR 1 lakh per quarter for a period of one year. This benefit can be availed by 20 start-ups each year which shall be selected by the SPC as per its guidelines.
• For start-ups that operate from rented premises:
  • The cost towards internet connectivity, software license fees, and cloud services fee, will be reimbursed subject to an upper limit of INR 1 lakh per quarter for a period of one year. This benefit can be availed by 20 start-ups each year which shall be selected by the SPC as per its guidelines.
  • For local start-ups which operate out of rented premises, a lease rental subsidy of up to INR 20/- per square foot per month will be reimbursed quarterly for a period of up to two years. This incentive is subject to a cap of INR 3 lakh per annum and can be availed by 25 start-ups each year which shall be selected by the SPC as per its guidelines.
• A start-up can only avail the benefits either as per the clauses 1 or clause 2 at any given time.
• Under no circumstance shall the benefits under this scheme be considered an entitlement. The SPC shall reserve the sole right to accept or reject applications.

Eligibility Criteria:

• All Start-ups certified by the Start-up Promotion Cell (SPC) having a valid start-up certificate number which are not using any government developed co-working spaces/ incubators/ accelerators for their operations are eligible to apply for this scheme.
• The bank accounts of the Directors of the company should be linked to Aadhaar.
• The benefits of lease rental subsidy are applicable only for Local start-ups and only for a period of two years.
• Only expenditure incurred after notification of Goa Start-up Policy 2021, being within the validity of this policy and paid for digitally will be considered for reimbursements under this scheme. In case digital payments are not possible then it shall be up to the SPC to admit the expenditure as per its guidelines.
• Provided that for the purpose of this scheme “Local start-up ” shall mean astart-up in which at least 50% equity/share is held by one or more Goans continuously since the time of inception.
• Provided also that for the purpose of this scheme the term “Goan ”shall mean:
  • Person born in the State of Goa; or,
  • Person having domicile for 10 years or more in the State; or,
  • Spouse of a person covered under any of the conditions mentioned in (1.) and (2.), through marriages registered in Goa

• All educational institutes in Goa, affiliated to a recognized public university, can avail a one- time grant of up to INR 10 lakh towards capital expenses, for setting up of an incubator within their institute campuses. The educational institutes with existing incubation facilities can also avail the grant for capital expenses for further expansion of incubation facilities. Maximum number of institutes to avail this benefit cannot exceed 15 per year. The institutes claiming the benefits under this scheme cannot restrict the incubation facilities only to the students of their institute.
• The educational institutes with existing incubation facilities will also be provided a grant of up to INR 3 lakh per year, for a period of three years, towards operational expenses. The preference will be given to well performing applicants.
• Under no circumstance shall the benefits under this scheme be considered an entitlement. The SPC shall reserve the sole right to accept or reject applications.

Eligibility Criteria:

• All the educational institutes in Goa, affiliated to a recognized public university are eligible to apply for this scheme.
• The bank account of the Principal/ Director of the institute should be linked to Aadhaar.
• For the purpose of determining eligible expenses towards capital expenses, Accounting Standard 101 for Fixed Assets by Institute of Cost Accountants of India would be used.

• For start-ups registering patents at National and International levels, the Start-up Promotion Cell will reimburse up to 100% of the cost incurred by the start-up concerned in fees and all other costs associated with patent application, subject to a cap of INR 2 lakh for national patents and INR 5 lakh for international patents.
• This benefit can be availed by maximum 200 startups each year.
• Under no circumstance shall the benefits under this scheme be considered an entitlement. The SPC shall reserve the sole right to accept or reject applications.

Eligibility Criteria:

• All the Start-ups certified by the Start-up Promotion Cell (SPC) having a valid start-up certificate number are eligible to apply for this scheme.
• IP that is created for a technology based service or product or uses technology for enhancing functionality or reach of an existing product or service are eligible.
• The applicant should have already filed or been granted an IP with the concerned authority.
• The applicant should have paid the mandatory government fees and attorney fees in this regard.
• Reimbursement amount will be released/ disbursed on the seniority basis/ SPC recommendation depending upon the budget allotment of the State Government.
• The reimbursement will be in the nature of a one-time payment and the applicant cannot apply under this provision more than once for the same IP application.
• If the applicant has applied for the reimbursement benefits/ grant for the same IP in any other scheme of Centre or other State Government, then the application will be rejected.
• The bank accounts of the Directors of the company should be linked to Aadhaar.
• Only expenditure incurred after notification of Goa Start-up Policy 2021 within the validity of this policy and paid for digitally would be considered. In case digital payments are not possible then it shall be up to the decision of SPC as per its due diligence to admit the expenditure. Provided that for the purpose of this scheme IPR means Intellectual Property Rights.

• In order to promote innovation amongst the Goans and local start-ups, 50% of R&D expenses, including salaries of PhD and Master Degree holders employed by start-ups will be reimbursed for a period of two years, subject to a cap of INR 5 lakh per annum but salary component must not be in excess of INR 2 lakh under this scheme.
• This benefit can be availed by maximum 100 startups each year.
• Under no circumstance shall the benefits under this scheme be considered an entitlement. The SPC shall reserve the sole right to accept or reject applications.

Eligibility Criteria:

• All the local start-ups certified by the Start-up Promotion Cell (SPC) having a valid start-up certificate number are eligible to apply for this scheme.
• This is applicable only for Goans and local start-ups.
• The bank accounts of the Directors of the company should be linked to Aadhaar.
• The employees whose salary are to be reimbursed should be hired for a period of at least 12 months.
• The employee whose salary is to be reimbursed should have a PhD or equivalent from a Government recognized institute.
• The bank accounts of said employees should be linked to Aadhaar.
• For the purpose of determining eligible expenses towards R&D Expenditure, Accounting Standard 181 on Research and Development by Institute of Cost Accountants of India would be used.
• The benefit of this scheme can be availed by the startups who are in in the R&D stage and developing technology/ products in the domains specified in the Policy.
• The start-ups will be eligible to avail the benefits of the scheme under the following conditions-
  • They should have a working prototype of the technology/ product.
  • Preference will be given to the startups who are working on a technology/ product that have successfully applied for patent or have obtained a patent.
• Only expenditure incurred after notification of Goa Start-up Policy 2021, being within the validity of this policy and paid for digitally will be considered. In case digital payments are not possible then it shall be up to the decision of SPC based on its due diligence to admit the expenditure.
• Local start-up means start-up in which at least 50% equity/share is held by one or more Goans continuously since the time of inception. Goans refers to the person s satisfying at least one of the following criteria:
  • Born in the State of Goa; or,
  • Person having domicile for 10 years or more in the State; or,
  • Spouse of a person covered under any of the conditions mentioned in (1.) and (2.), through marriages registered in Goa.
• For the purpose of this scheme "employees" shall mean PhD or equivalent employees for whom a reimbursement is being claimed.

• For start-ups hiring local talent, 50% of the salary of fresher will be reimbursed, subject to a cap of INR 15,000 per month per recruit. Freshers for the purpose of this incentive provision are defined as professionals who have completed their graduation in the last two years. A start-up can claim a salary of maximum 25 people per month for a period of 3 years. This benefit can be availed by 100 start-ups each year which shall be selected by the SPC as per its guidelines.
• For start-ups whose work force comprises of 60% of locals, up to 25% of salary of the local workforce subject to cap of INR 25 lakh per year will be reimbursed for 3 years. A start-up can claim salary of maximum 25 people. This benefit can be availed by 100 start-ups each year which shall be selected by the SPC as per its guidelines.
• Under no circumstance shall the benefits under this scheme be considered an entitlement. The SPC shall reserve the sole right to accept or reject applications.

Eligibility Criteria:

• All the Start-ups certified by the Start-up Promotion Cell (SPC) having a valid start-up certificate number are eligible to apply for this scheme.
• The employees should be hired for a period of at least 12 months.
• For availing the benefit under clause 1, the employee/s whose salary is being claimed for reimbursement must be an IT professional/s.
• The bank accounts of employees should be linked to Aadhaar.
• The bank accounts of the Directors of the company should be linked to Aadhaar.
• Only expenditure incurred after notification of Goa Start-up Policy 2021, being within the validity of this policy and paid for digitally will be considered for reimbursements under this scheme. In case digital payments are not possible then it shall be up to the decision of SPC as per its due diligence to admit the expenditure.
• Provided that "employees" shall mean all employees for whom a reimbursement is being claimed.
• Provided further that fresher"s" shall mean IT professionals who have completed their graduation within the stipulated period of study and not more than two years have elapsed since the completion of study.
• Provided further that "IT professional" shall mean any person directly involved in developing any Information Technology enabled product/s or service/s.
• Provided further that the term "Local" refers to a person satisfying at least one of the following criteria:
  • Person born in the State of Goa; or,
  • Person having domicile for 10 years or more in the State; or,
  • Spouse of a person covered under any of the conditions mentioned in (1.) and (2.), through marriages registered in Goa.

• Start-ups with a promising idea can get a one-time grant of up-to INR 10 lakh, as determined by the Start-up Promotion Cell (SPC).
• This incentive can be availed by 100 start-ups each year which will be selected by the SPC as per its due diligence and guidelines.
• Under no circumstance shall the benefits under this scheme be considered an entitlement. The SPC shall reserve the sole right to accept or reject applications.

Eligibility Criteria:

• All the Start-ups certified by the Start-up Promotion Cell (SPC) having a valid start-up certificate number are eligible to apply for this scheme.
• The bank accounts of the Directors of the company should be linked to Aadhaar.

• Startup Promotion Cell (SPC) will reimburse 50% of the fees up to INR 50,000/- (Fifty Thousand Only) to the students who have successfully completed an SPC approved technical skill training program in any of the domains mentioned in the Goa Start-up Policy 2021 and outlined in Annexure 2 to this scheme document, attended in a Goan educational institute.
• The benefits of this scheme can be availed by up to 1000 students per year. However, this cap can be reviewed and revised based on the need in future.
• A student can avail the benefits of this scheme for any two courses in a year.
• Under no circumstance shall the benefits under this scheme be considered an entitlement. The SPC shall reserve the sole right to accept or reject applications. Provided that for the purpose of this scheme "Goan educational institute" means an institute registered or operating in Goa. Provided also that for the purpose of this scheme the term "student" refers to a person satisfying at least one of the following criteria:
  • Person born in the State of Goa and studying in Goa or outside Goa; or,
  • Person having domicile for 10 years or more in the State and studying in Goa or outside Goa; or,
  • Person who is not a State domicile but is studying in the educational institutes in the State.

Eligibility Criteria:

• The educational institute must be incorporated in Goa or have a registered place of business in Goa.
• The technical skill training program must be approved by SPC and should fall under any of the technical domains mentioned in Goa Start-up Policy 2021 and outlined in Annexure 2 to this scheme document.
• Students, who are currently pursuing their graduation or are within two years from receiving their graduate degree within the original stipulated period of study, can enroll for these programs.
• Only expenditure incurred after notification of Goa Start-up Policy 2021, being within the validity of this policy and paid for digitally will be considered for reimbursements under this scheme. In case digital payments are not possible, then it shall be up to the decision of SPC as per its due diligence to admit the expenditure.

• Retail educational institutes that impart programming and technical skills will be encouraged to establish learning centres in Goa. Institutes listed by the start-up promotion cell and providing courses at pre-fixed rates, will be provided following benefits:
  • Internet subsidy (up to INR 5 lakh per year) for two years
  • Power subsidy (up to INR 1 lakh per year) for two years
  • 25% capital investments reimbursement up to INR 5.0 lakh (on all capital procurement for a period of two years)
  • 10% salary cost subsidy up to INR 3 lakh for a period of two years
• The maximum benefits aggregating all the benefits in this scheme should not exceed INR 10 lakh per year.
• The benefits to this scheme can only be availed by up to 10 institutes per year offering courses under the technical areas/ sectors outlined in Annexure 2.
• Under no circumstance shall the benefits under this scheme be considered an entitlement. The SPC shall reserve the sole right to accept or reject applications.
• The eligibility and disbursement of incentives shall be reviewed at the end of each year based on the performance of the institute.
• Provided that for the purpose of this scheme "capital procurement" shall mean money spent on purchase of capital goods such as computer hardware, networking devices, and ICT for the institute.
• Provided that for the purpose of this scheme "retail educational institute" shall mean a learning center located in Goa listed by the SPC as such for the purpose of Goa Start-up Policy 2021.

Eligibility Criteria:

• All the educational institutes listed by the Start-up Promotion Cell (SPC) having a valid Startup Cell Registration Number are eligible to apply for this scheme.
• The applicant institute/offered course must have at least one established learning centre in Goa be recognized by an authorized Government body such as AICTE, UGC, NBA, etc. as applicable.
• Preference will be given to institutes with tie-ups with OEMs.
• The bank accounts of employees should be linked to Aadhaar.
• The bank accounts of the Directors of the institute should be linked to Aadhaar.
• Only expenditure incurred from one year before the notification of Goa Start-up Policy 2021, being within the validity of this policy and paid for digitally would be considered for reimbursement under this scheme. In case digital payments are not possible then it shall be up to the decision of SPC as per its due diligence to admit the expenditure.

• The Start-up Promotion Cell (SPC) shall run a technology fellowship program to identify technology educators in technical educational institutes in Goa who are keen to further their expertise in the following areas:
  • Internet of things
  • Artificial intelligence
  • Machine Learning
  • Interaction Design
  • Big Data Analytics
  • Robotics
  • 3-D Printing
  • Data Science
  • Drones
  • Virtual Reality/Augmented Reality/Merged Reality
  • Others (subject to approval from SPC)
• The selected educators/fellows would be sent to Centres of Excellence within the country and abroad to undertake summer school and short term training programs to further their learning in their area of specialization.
• For the purpose of this fellowship, the SPC shall identify and enlist institutes/universities and their programs/courses.
• The Department of IT will endeavor to set-up Centres of Excellence/ Advanced Maker Labs, in the technologies outlined above, in select technical educational institutes. Such selected educators/fellows will be required to function as Master Trainers/Principal Mentors to students and student start-ups that would be incubated in such facilities.
• Such selected educators/fellows will submit a work plan to execute the statement of purpose.
• The educators/fellows upon selection would receive an educational grant of INR 10 lakh per year, for a period of five years.
• The benefit of this scheme can be availed by up to ten educators/ fellows per year with one person in each focus area, who will be selected by the SPC as per its guidelines.
• In case such educators/fellows generate and get any business and value driven patents registered, in her/his area of specialization, either through individual research or in collaboration with students, such fellows shall be eligible to receive a patent specific grant of up to INR 15 lakh, subject to certification by the Start-up Promotion Cell (SPC).
• Under no circumstance shall the benefits under this scheme be considered an entitlement. The SPC shall reserve the sole right to accept or reject applications.

Eligibility Criteria:

• All technology educators in technical educational institutes in Goa.

• For start-ups which have successfully entered the production/service delivery phase, and want to trademark their company name and logo, 50% of the cost of trade-mark registration of their company name and logo will be reimbursed up to INR 25,000/-.
• The benefits of this scheme can be availed by up to 200 applicants per year which shall be selected by the SPC as per its guidelines.
• Under no circumstance shall the benefits under this scheme be considered an entitlement. The SPC shall reserve the sole right to accept/reject applications.

Eligibility Criteria:

• All the Start-ups certified by the Start-up Promotion Cell (SPC) having a valid start-up certificate number are eligible to apply for this scheme.
• The bank accounts of the Directors of the company should be linked to Aadhaar.
• The start-up must have successfully registered its trademark.
• Only expenditure incurred after notification of Goa Start-up Policy 2021, being within the validity of this policy and paid for digitally would be considered for reimbursement under this scheme. In case digital payments are not possible then it shall be up to the decision of SPC based on its due diligence to admit the expenditure.