Lease Rental Rebate Scheme for Goan Diaspora

Lease Rental Rebate Scheme for Goan Diaspora gives IT businesses a reimbursement of their lease rentals. Managed by the Department of Information Technology, Electronics and Communications, Government of Goa, it helps with infrastructure costs to bring more investment into the state.

The scheme is part of the Goa IT Policy and still accepts applications online through the official Goa portal. Eligible IT units can claim back a large part of their office rent for the first two years of operations.

Lease Rental Rebate Scheme for Goan Diaspora - Introduction

Launched in 2018, the scheme is one of the Information Technology Policy Schemes of the Government of Goa. It sees Goa as a good location for IT units and a preferred place for their investment and growth. The scheme gives a 100% reimbursement of lease rentals for the first six months of operations to help the Goan diaspora set up and expand their business units in the state.

Key Information

Benefits

Eligible units get the following money support for their office space:

• A 100% reimbursement of lease rentals for the first 6 months of operations.
• After that, a reimbursement of ₹35 per sq. ft. or 80% of the total lease rentals, whichever is lower, for a maximum period of 2 years.
• Payments are worked out on a pro-rata basis based on the share of employees of Goan origin or Goan graduates: 50% for up to 30% of employees, 75% for 30% to 60%, and 100% for more than 60%.

Note: benefits are subject to availability of funds, and the scheme rules are not binding assurances from the government if support is stopped due to budget exhaustion.

Eligibility

To be eligible, an applicant must meet these requirements:

• The unit must be registered and operational in Goa for at least one year, and must have used the same office space for over one year.
• The company may be a proprietorship, partnership, Private Limited, Public Limited, or LLP, and the head or majority stakeholder must belong to the Goan diaspora.
• The unit must employ at least 15 staff members, with at least 60% of those employees being of Goan origin and on the company rolls for at least one year.
• Bank accounts of the unit and its directors or partners must be linked to Aadhaar, and Udyog Aadhaar registration is required to claim benefits.

Exclusions

Units receiving financial incentives for the same purpose under any other Government of Goa policy are not eligible for this scheme. Only expenses during the policy period are covered, and units are reviewed every year to check if they still qualify.

Application Process

Applications are now filed online. You first register on the Startup Goa portal and then complete the form on the Goa Online portal. Follow these steps to apply:

STEP 1 - Register yourself on startup.goa.gov.in and log in with your details.

STEP 2 - Fill in the application form for Lease Rental Rebate Scheme for Goan Diaspora.

STEP 3 - Upload all the required documents on the portal.

STEP 4 - Pay the convenience fees as applicable. The payment receipt can be downloaded from your inbox.

STEP 5 - Note down the acknowledgement number for status tracking.

STEP 6 - The department checks your application and may mark it back for document compliance if needed, else it processes the application.

You can track the status by going to Menu, then Tracking, then Track Status, and entering the acknowledgement number along with the required details.

Documents

Applicants must provide the following documents with their application:

• Incorporation certificate and new unit registration documents.
• PAN, Aadhaar, and GST TIN copies, along with the Memorandum and Articles of Association.
• Proof of commencement of operations, such as the first bill generated.
• Occupancy certificate from the developer or local authority for the office space.
• Lease deed or rental agreement, proof of rent payment, and Udyog Aadhaar registration.
• Employee details showing the percentage of employees of Goan origin.

References

For the full scheme rules, see the Scheme Guidelines PDF on the Goa government website.

For official scheme details and the apply link, visit the Goa UDP scheme page.

To register and apply, use the Startup Goa official portal.

FAQ's

What is the minimum operational requirement for the office space?

The IT unit must have been operational from the specific office space for at least one year before the application date.

Are employees from outside Goa counted for the incentive?

Incentives are calculated based on the percentage of employees of Goan origin or Goan graduates; those who are not of Goan origin do not count toward the pro-rata incentive trigger.

Is there compensation for delayed disbursements?

No, the scheme rules do not provide for compensation in the event of delayed payments.

What is the maximum total duration for the lease rental reimbursement?

While the first 6 months are fully reimbursed, subsequent support (at ₹35 per sq. ft. or 80% of rent) is provided for a maximum of 2 years.