ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA TO AVAIL MDA BY PARTICIPATING IN THE COUNCIL’S LED ACTIVITIES.

1

Applicants should have 12 months complete membership with the Council on the day of submission of MDA application with the concerned EPCs etc. and filing of returns with concerned EPC/organisation regularly.

2

Exporting companies with an F.O.B. value of exports of upto Rs. 30 crores in the preceding year will be eligible for MDA assistance for participation in trade delegation / BSMs / Fairs / Exhibitions abroad to explore new markets for export of their specific product(s) and commodities from India in the initial phase. No such ceiling is applicable for participation in Focus LAC region.

CONSEQUENT UPON RECEIVING FRESH GUIDELINE FROM MINISTRY OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY REGARDING REIMBURSEMENT OF MDA UNDER THEIR SCHEME & AS PER DECISION OF COMMITTEE OF ADMINISTRATION (COA) OF EXPORT PROMOTION COUNCIL FOR HANDICRAFTS (EPCH) THE REIMBURSEMENT OF MDA TO INDIVIDUAL EXPORTER FOR PARTICIPATIONS W.E.F. 01.06.2011 WOULD BE MADE TO THOSE HAVING AT LEAST MINIMUM EXPORT PERFORMANCE OF RS 5 LAKH IN PREVIOUS YEAR OR CUMULATIVE EXPORT PERFORMANCE OF RS 15 LAKH IN THE PRECEDING 3 YEARS FROM THE YEAR IN WHICH MDA GRANT HAS BEEN APPROVED.

 (Also please note that as per circular No. 8/2/2010- E&MDA dt 15/06/2010 of Ministry of Commerce & Industry that it would not be appropriate to provide assistance to exporters with Nil exports in the preceeding year).

3

Assistance would be permissible on travel expenses by Air, in Economy Excursion class fair and/or charges of the built up furnished stall. This would, however be subject to an upper ceiling mentioned in the table per tour.

Sl.

No.

Area / Sector

No. of visits

Maximum Financial ceiling per events

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

1.

Focus LAC

1

Rs. 2,50,000/-

2.

FOCUS AFRICA (including WANA Countries)

1

Rs. 2,00,000/-

3.

FOCUS CIS

1

Rs. 2,00,000/-

4.

FOCUS ASEAN+2

1

Rs. 2,00,000/-

5.

General Areas

1

Rs. 1,50,000/- *

Handicrafts has been considered one of the priority sectors alongwith an having large employment generation potential, therefore, applicants of EPC handicrafts would be admissible with the assistance of *Rs. 2,00,000/- for each participation in the General Area. These exporters availing of assistance under this provision would, however, be in addition to these participations, eligible for only any two Focus Area participations.

For EPC etc. led Trade Delegations / BSMs only air-fare by Economy Excursion class upto a maximum of Rs. 70,000 (Rs. 1,00,000 in case of Focus LAC) shall be permissible. For participation in Trade Fairs/Exhibitions reimbursement shall be permissible subject to ceilings mentioned in the column 4 in the above table.

4

Assistance shall be permissible to one regular employee / director / partner / proprietor of the company Assistance would not be available to exporters of foreign nationality or holding foreign passport.

5

Intimation application i.e. Annexure-IV must be received in the concerned EPC etc. with a minimum of 14 days clear advance notice excluding the date of receipt of application in the office of the concerned organisation and the date of departure from the country. Intimation and the application must be sent electronically by email also.

6

The company shall not be under investigation / charged / prosecuted / debarred / black listed under the Foreign trade Policy of India or any other law relating to export & import business.

7

To avail the reimbursement, the following documents are required:

a)	Prescribed Claim form duly completed and authenticated in annexure – VI.
b)	Bill for payment and Pre-Receipt duly signed stamped with Rs. 1 Revenue Stamp.
c)	Undertaking & declaration on company letterhead duly signed and stamped.
d)	Legible photocopy of passport highlighting the entries about departure from and arrival in India and also the countries visited. In case passport does not have the arrival / departure dates regarding country visited, some documentary evidence such as Hotel Bill, Boarding Pass, Lodging pass etc.
e)	Original Air Tickets (Jacket used during the journey:- It Air ticket / Jacket is lost, a legible photocopy of the same alongwith a certificate from the Airlines indicating following may be sent: -
	→	Name of the traveler;
	→	Ticket number;
	→	Flight No.;
	→	Date of Departure from India;
	→	Sectors / countries visited;
	→	Class in which traveled;
	→	Fare of economy excursion class for the sector / countries visited;
	→	Audited export turnover for the last financial year;
	→	Self certified FOB value export figures during the last three financial years; yearwise;
	→	Details of past activities for the same event with MDA grant;
	→	Brief report on the activity (ies) undertaken and achievements;
	→	Certificate from travel agent certifying the class of travel in Economy Excursion Class.
	→	Evidence of payment made for the stall sent in the form of Receipt from the authority or bank advice duly self-certified.
	→	The company shall not have been charged / prosecuted / debarred / blacklisted under investigation under export and import policy of GOI or any other laws framed by the Govt. of India relating to export & import business.

8	FIEO / ITPO ELIGIBLE AS GRANTANCE ORGANISATIONS: -
	As per Ministry of Commerce & Industry, GOI order vide letter no. 2/1/2004-E&MDA(Part) dated 26^th November, 2007, FIEO and ITPO are eligible grantee organisation for the purpose of reimbursement of MDA grant to the exporters who are also members of the other EPCs etc. and participating in the events organized / sponsored by FIEO / ITPO. However, for this purpose FIEO & ITPO will obtain a no objection certificate in the prescribed proforma from the concerned EPCs of which the exporters are members.
9	A maximum of three participations in a particular trade fair / exhibition would be eligible for MDA assistance and exporting companies after availing assistance three times including past cases for a particular fair / exhibition, have to participate in that Fair, if any, on self-finance basis.
For more details please visit to EPCH site i.e. www.epch.in “Marketing Development Assistance” – MDA Guidelines revised w.e.f. 01-06-2013.