Department of Information Technology,  Electronics and Communications Government of Goa
DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Schemes
Department of IT along with Government of Goa has notified the “IT Policy” in August, 2018.
CapitalInvestment Subsidy Scheme
All New Units developing office spaces will be eligible for a capital investment subsidy up to 20% on the capital investments made during the tenure of the Scheme.
An additional 10% subsidy on the capital investments made will be provided in case of establishment of Mega Business Units.
All Existing Units, which qualify as Mega Units are also eligible for capital investment subsidy up to 20% of the capital investment incurred in the last 3 years prior to the date of notification of this policy.
An additional 10% subsidy on the capital investments will be provided for the establishment of office spaces for the industries identified as key focus areas for the Government.
Registration & Stamp Duty Subsidy Scheme
All New and Existing Units shall be eligible for reimbursement of the stamp duty, such that the registration and stamp duty charges will not exceed INR 100/- and the
excess amount paid to the authorities concerned will be reimbursed
Power Subsidy Scheme
All Units operating in Goa will be provided 20% subsidy on power bills (on the power charges, excluding any duty and taxes,
but not on the total bill), subject to a maximum of INR 5 lakh per annum per Unit whichever is lower.
Solar Power Subsidy Scheme
All Units operating in Goa running on 100% solar energy will be eligible for a reimbursement of 10% of
their capital cost of the installation of Solar Power Generation Unit subject to a maximum subsidy of INR 50 lakh.
Internet Subsidy Scheme
All New & Existing units can avail a 25% reimbursement on high speed bandwidth, subject to a maximum of INR 5 lakh per annum
whichever is lower.
Salary Subsidy Scheme
All New and Existing Units can avail a salary subsidy for Fresher’s recruited during the operation period of the Policy.
The subsidy would be provided as a matching grant to salary paid to Fresher’s up to INR 10,000 per Fresher per month (INR 12,500 for female Fresher) for a period of 2
continuous years of operation post the notification of this policy.
Campus Recruitment Assistance Scheme
A recruitment assistance of INR 10,000 per Fresher will be provided to the Existing and New units that recruit through Campus recruitment from the educational institutes located in Goa.
Patent Filing Reimbursement Scheme
All New and Existing Units located within Goa shall be eligible for a total reimbursement of up to INR 25 lakh per unit for the expenses incurred towards filing of patents during the policy period. This incentive shall be provided in the form of reimbursement of up to INR 2.5 lakh for every successful domestic patent, and up to INR 5 lakh for every successful international patent.
Quality Certification Reimbursement Scheme
All New and Existing Units shall be eligible for a reimbursement of the cost of industry standard quality certification. This incentive may be claimed only once for any number of certifications acquired during the policy period. The maximum amount that may be availed under this reimbursement is capped at INR 5 lakh per unit.
Market Support Scheme for Smaller Business Units
A reimbursement of 50% of the exhibition rental cost for will be provided for participating in national/ international exhibitions, limited to 9 square metres of space, subject to approval by the Government.
Performance Linked Grant Scheme for Smaller Business Units
Smaller Business Units that record a growth of 15% y-o-y turnover for a period of any three consecutive years during the operation of the policy, will be provided a performance grant of 5% of the reported net income subject to a total cap of INR 25 lakh.
Interest Subsidy Scheme for Smaller Business Units
For Smaller Business Units, interest subsidy on working capital loan will be provided, subject to a maximum of INR 5 lakh per annum, for a period of 3 years.
Lease Rental Rebate Scheme for Goan Diaspora
A 100% reimbursement of the lease rentals will be provided for a period of first 6 months of operations. Further, a reimbursement of INR 35 per sq. ft. or 80% of the total lease rentals; whichever is lower; will be provided up to a maximum period of 2 years.
Capital Investment Subsidy Scheme for Goan Diaspora
All New Units developing office spaces will be eligible for a capital investment subsidy up to 20% on the capital investments made during the tenure of the Scheme.
An additional 10% subsidy on the capital investments made will be provided in case of establishment of Mega Business Units.
All Existing Units, which qualify as Mega Units are also eligible for capital investment subsidy up to 20% of the capital investment incurred in the last 3 years prior to the date of notification of this policy.
An additional 10% subsidy on the capital investments will be provided for the establishment of office spaces for the industries identified as key focus areas for the Government.
An additional 10% investment subsidy on the capital investments shall be provided in case of units are owned by the Goan Diaspora.
Certification Program for Goan IT Professionals
Goan IT Professionals can avail reimbursement up to 50% of the expenditure incurred for obtaining certifications for improving their employability.
These Certifications should be by vendors or by Authorised Training Partners of the Vendors. Department of IT would come up with the list of courses/ certifications (which would be updated from time to time) which can be considered for reimbursement under this scheme.
Special Incentive Allowance Scheme
New and Existing Units would be provided with the following special incentive allowance once at the end of every three year period
Smaller Business Units: INR 50 lakh
Other Business Units: INR 1 crore
Mega Business Units: INR 2 crore
Department of ITE&C along with Government of Goa has notified the Startup Policy 2021.
There are 9 schemes that have been formulated as per the incentives proposed in the Start-up Policy, 2021. The broad benefits of the schemes are as follows:
Start-ups will be reimbursed a fixed amount for the seats occupied by them at co-working spaces/ incubators/ accelerators listed by the SITPC. The benefits at the co-working spaces can be availed maximum for a period of two years per startup, at incubators can be availed maximum for a period of 1 year per startup and at accelerators will be for a period of 3 months per startup.
The startup will be reimbursed 50% per seat cost offered by the co-working spaces listed by the SITPC or a maximum benefit of INR 3000 per seat and can claim this benefit for a maximum cap of 8 seats only.
The startup will be reimbursed 50% per seat cost offered by the incubators listed by the SITPC or a maximum benefit of INR 5000 per seat and can claim this benefit for a maximum cap of 8 seats only.
The startup will be reimbursed 50% per seat cost offered by accelerators listed by the SITPC or a maximum benefit of INR 6000 per seat and can claim this benefit for a maximum cap of 8 seats only.
The reimbursement in this scheme can be claimed on any of the plans offered by the co-working spaces/ incubators/ accelerators listed by the SITPC.
A total of 100 seats in co-working, 50 seats each in incubator and accelerator will be subsidized under this scheme each year.
For certain deserving startups determined through the internal guidelines of the SITPC, the SITPC may choose to reimburse up to 100% of the amount paid to co-working / incubator / accelerator by the startups.
Under no circumstance shall the benefits under this scheme be considered an entitlement. The SITPC shall reserve the sole right to accept or reject applications.
Eligibility
Start-ups certified by the Start-up Information Technology Promotion Cell (SITPC) are eligible for the benefits of subsidized seats offered by the co-working spaces/ incubators/ accelerators listed by the SITPC.
All the startups have to pay digitally to co-working spaces/ incubators/ accelerators listed by the SITPC. In case digital payments are not possible then it shall be up to the decision of SITPC as per its guidelines to admit the expenditure.
The bank accounts of the start-ups should be linked to Aadhaar.
Reimbursement of Expenses for Startups Operating from Leased/ Privately Owned Premises Scheme
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 SITPC 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 SITPC 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 SITPC as per its guidelines.
A start-up can only avail the benefits either as per clause 3.1 or clause 3.2 at any given time.
Under no circumstance shall the benefits under this scheme be considered an entitlement. The SITPC shall reserve the sole right to accept or reject applications.
Eligibility
All Start-ups certified by the Startup IT Promotion Cell (SITPC) 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 SITPC to admit the expenditure as per its guidelines.
Provided that for the purpose of this scheme 'Local start-up' shall mean a start-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:
1. Person born in the State of Goa; or,
2. Person having domicile for 10 years or more in the State; or,
3. Spouse of a person covered under any of the conditions mentioned in (1.) and (2.), through marriages registered in Goa
Grant for Incubation Centers within Educational Institutes Scheme
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 Start-up Information Technology Promotion Cell (SITPC) shall reserve the sole right to accept or reject applications.
Eligibility
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 10* for Fixed Assets by Institute of Cost Accountants of India would be used. * http://www.mca.gov.in/Ministry/notification/pdf/AS_10.pdf
Skill Development Promotion Scheme
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 SITPC 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 SITPC as such for the purpose of Goa Start-up Policy 2021.
Eligibility
All the educational institutes listed by the Startup IT Promotion Cell(SITPC) 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 SITPC as per its due diligence to admit the expenditure.
Trademark Reimbursement Scheme
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 SITPC as per its discretion and guidelines.
Under no circumstance shall the benefits under this scheme be considered an entitlement. The SITPC shall reserve the sole right to accept/reject applications.
Eligibility
All the Start-ups certified by the Startup IT Promotion Cell (SITPC) 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 SITPC based on its due diligence to admit the expenditure.
IPR Reimbursement Scheme
For start-ups registering national and international IP, the Startup IT Promotion Cell (SITPC) will reimburse up to 100% of the cost incurred by the start-up in fees and all other costs associated with IP application, if the IP is registered or not registered, subject to a cap of INR 2 lakh for national IP and INR 5 lakh for international IP.
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 SITPC shall reserve the sole right to accept or reject applications.
Eligibility
All the Start-ups certified by the IT Promotion Cell (SITPC) 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 paid the mandatory government fees and attorney fees in this regard.
Reimbursement amount will be released/ disbursed on the seniority basis/ SITPC 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 SITPC as per its due diligence to admit the expenditure.
Seed Capital Scheme
Start-ups with a promising idea can get a one-time grant of up-to INR 10 lakh, as determined by the Start-up Information Technology Promotion Cell (SITPC).
This incentive can be availed by 100 start-ups each year which will be selected by the SITPC as per its due diligence and guidelines.
Under no circumstance shall the benefits under this scheme be considered an entitlement. The SITPC shall reserve the sole right to accept or reject applications.
Eligibility
All the Start-ups certified by the Start-up Information Technology Promotion Cell (SITPC) 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.
Salary Reimbursement Scheme
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. A start-up can claim 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 SITPC as per its guidelines.
For start-ups whose work force comprises of 60% of locals, up to 25% of salary of the local work force 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 SITPC as per its guidelines.
Under no circumstance shall the benefits under this scheme be considered an entitlement. The SITPC shall reserve the sole right to accept or reject applications.
Eligibility
All the Start-ups certified by the Startup IT Promotion Cell(SITPC)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 a 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 Policy2021, 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 SITPC 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 freshers mean Graduates and Postgraduate professionals who have completed their graduation within the stipulated period of study, and not more than 2 years have elapsed since the completion of the graduation & post-graduation courses respectively.
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 (10) and (11), through marriages registered in Goa.
R&D Reimbursement Scheme
In order to promote innovation amongst the Goans and local start-ups, 50% of R&D expenses, including salaries of PhD holders 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 SITPC shall reserve the sole right to accept or reject applications.
Eligibility
All the local start-ups certified by the Startup IT Promotion Cell (SITPC) 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 Master Degrees 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 18 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 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 SITPC 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 persons 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 above, through marriages registered in Goa.
For the purpose of this scheme employees shall mean PhD or Master Degree or equivalent employees for whom a reimbursement is being claimed.
The Government of Goa has formulated a scheme “Empower ST/SC Communities using ICT tools” that offers IT Training programmes free of cost to Schedule Tribe (ST)/Schedule Caste (SC) Communities.
The objective of the Scheme is :
o To provide basic computer skills to the local youth, housewives and other citizens.
o To provide various Job oriented IT Training course including training for BPO Operations/ Call Center Executives.
o To provide structural training programmes depending on the needs.
o To make at least one person in each families in the State as an IT Literate.
This scheme is implemented through the IT Knowledge Centres (ITKCs) located at various areas in the State. M/s Info Tech Corporations of Goa Ltd is the implementing agency of these ITKCs.
For more details please visit https://infotech.goa.gov.in/itkc.html
The Capacity Building scheme addresses the critical ‘Human Resource Development’ and ‘Training’ components of National e-Governance Plan (NeGP)
Under this scheme various workshops/training programmes are organized for the State Government Officials.
Recently workshop on “Orientation programme on Technology in Governance” was held through online mode.
Eligibility Criteria:
The student should be born is the State of Goa.
The student must belong to ST or SC community.
The student is required to pass class X examination of Goa Board in first attempt.
The student has to score at least 70 per cent (aggregate) in class X examination of Goa Board
The student should be schooling in the taluka in which he/she is considered meritorious.
In case of a male student, he should feature in the Top 5 among the Class X male (ST/SC) students of the taluka.
In case of a female student, he should feature in the Top 5 among the Class X female (ST/SC) students of the taluka.
Procedure to apply for scheme:
Students fulfilling the eligibility criteria may apply for the scheme by filling the prescribed online application form using https://merit.goa.gov.in
For technical support write to topper.helpdesk@gmail.com or call 9607963089/9607963098
Documents to be submitted with online application:
Birth certificate of the applicant issued by the competent authority of Government of Goa.
Mark Sheet issued by the Goa Board of Secondary & Higher Secondary Education.
Consent of Parent in prescribed format. Photo ID proof of applicant (Aadhaar Card/School ID card etc.)
ID Proof of Parent displaying signature (PAN Card/Passport/Driving License etc.)
An attested copy of Caste Certificate issued by the competent authority of Government of Goa
Procedure for scrutiny:
Applicants having their applications completed in all respect will only be considered for the scheme.
The complete application will be reviewed by the scrutinizing committee of Info Tech Corporation of Goa Ltd.
Start and last date for applying for the scheme will be announced by ITG every year.
PMGDISHA aims to provide quality technical and digital training- both theoretically and practically- to the large number of youths from the backward or rural areas to make them equally digitally educated
It has a network of helping hands who work together to provide to the underprivileged sections of the society, to spread digital empowerment amongst marginalised communities and Panchayati constituencies, and to educate at least one person from each authorised household.
The target for Goa is to digitally literate 40000 citizens under this scheme.
As of now there are 129 registered centres in Goa.