Single Point Registration Scheme (SPRS)

What is the Single Point Registration Scheme?

The Single Point Registration Scheme (SPRS) is a registration operated by the National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC), a public sector enterprise under the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises. SPRS enrols Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) so that they can claim the purchase and price preferences reserved for small units under the Government of India's Public Procurement Policy for Micro and Small Enterprises, notified under the MSMED Act, 2006.

According to the NSIC portal, a single SPRS registration lets an MSE participate in government tenders across all central ministries, departments and central public sector undertakings without registering separately with each buyer; hence the name "single point". The scheme is a facilitation and preference mechanism, not a cash grant: it lowers the cost and the entry barriers of selling to the government.

Who is eligible for SPRS?

You can register if:

• Your enterprise is a Micro or Small Enterprise with a valid Udyam Registration.
• You are engaged in manufacturing or in providing services with value addition.
• Your unit has completed the required technical inspection by an NSIC-empanelled agency.

You cannot register if:

• You are a trader: units engaged purely in trading, without manufacturing or value addition, are not eligible.
• You are a Medium enterprise — SPRS is reserved for Micro and Small units.
• Your line of business is excluded, for example the manufacture of medicines and drugs (other than Ayurvedic, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathic products).
• The enterprise is blacklisted, or its proprietor/partner has a relevant criminal conviction.

A unit that has been in commercial production for less than one year cannot get a full registration but can apply for a Provisional Registration Certificate with a monetary ceiling of Rs 5 lakh, valid for one year.

What benefits does SPRS provide?

According to NSIC, an SPRS-registered MSE is entitled to:

• Tender sets free of cost for tenders floated by government buyers.
• Exemption from Earnest Money Deposit (EMD) on those tenders.
• Price preference under the Public Procurement Policy: where an MSE's quote is within a price band of L1 + 15%, it may be allowed to supply up to 25% of the tendered quantity by matching the L1 (lowest) price.
• Being counted toward the 25% annual procurement target that every central ministry, department and CPSU must source from MSEs, of which sub-targets are reserved for SC/ST-owned and women-owned enterprises.
• Access to the list of items reserved for exclusive purchase from the small enterprise sector.

The registration does not put money into the enterprise's account; its value is in cheaper, easier and preferential access to the government market.

What documents are required for SPRS?

How to apply for SPRS

1. Go to the online portal www.nsicspronline.com and create an account for your enterprise.
2. Fill in the application with your Udyam Registration number, item list, machinery details and turnover data.
3. Upload the required documents and pay the registration fee online, the fee is fixed by turnover slab, with concessions for SC/ST-owned units and North Eastern Region units.
4. Allow the NSIC-empanelled inspection agency to inspect your unit and verify manufacturing/service capability; pay the applicable inspection charge to that agency.
5. After a satisfactory inspection, NSIC issues the SPRS certificate listing your monetary limit and the registered items.
6. Apply for renewal before the two-year validity ends: NSIC accepts renewal up to six months in advance and gives a concession for early renewal.

How much does SPRS cost and how long is it valid?

The SPRS registration fee is charged on a turnover-slab basis plus GST, so a larger enterprise pays more than a very small one. SC/ST-owned enterprises pay a nominal fee, and units in the North Eastern Region get a percentage concession. A separate inspection charge is payable to the technical agency that inspects the unit. The certificate is valid for two years and must then be renewed.

Help and where to apply

SPRS is administered through NSIC's network of branch and zonal offices. The online application, fee payment and status tracking are all handled at nsicspronline.com, and applicants can locate the servicing branch through the branch locator on nsic.co.in. Because SPRS confers procurement preferences rather than cash, there is no beneficiary helpline of the PM-KISAN type; queries are handled by the NSIC branch that processes the registration.