Testing Fee Reimbursement Scheme

What is the Testing Fee Reimbursement Scheme?

Testing Fee Reimbursement Scheme is a support component of the National SC-ST Hub (NSSH), a scheme of the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises implemented by the National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC). According to the National SC-ST Hub portal, the scheme reimburses 80% of the testing fee or Rs 1,00,000 (excluding GST and other applicable taxes), whichever is lower, in a financial year to a Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe owned micro or small enterprise (MSE).

The reimbursement covers testing services availed from a NABL/BIS-accredited laboratory, or a laboratory of any Central or State Government department or Public Sector Undertaking, and the licence or certification given by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). The purpose is to lower the cost of quality certification for SC/ST enterprises so their products can meet the standards buyers and public-procurement agencies expect.

Testing Fee Reimbursement Scheme is one of several reimbursement components of the National SC-ST Hub, which also includes bank loan processing reimbursement, bank guarantee charges reimbursement and export promotion council membership reimbursement. All are aimed at increasing the participation of SC/ST enterprises in public procurement under the government's 4% procurement mandate.

Who is eligible for the Testing Fee Reimbursement Scheme?

You can apply if:

• Your enterprise is a micro or small enterprise with a valid Udyam Registration.
• The enterprise is owned by SC or ST entrepreneurs. For a proprietorship, the proprietor must belong to SC/ST. For a partnership, LLP or private limited company, more than 51% of the shareholding must be held by SC/ST entrepreneurs.
• You have actually paid a testing fee to a NABL/BIS-accredited laboratory, a Central/State/PSU laboratory, or BIS for a licence or certification, and hold the receipt, GST invoice and test report.

You cannot apply if:

• Your enterprise is not owned by SC/ST entrepreneurs, or SC/ST shareholding is 51% or less.
• The enterprise is not registered on Udyam as a micro or small enterprise.
• Testing was done at a laboratory that is not accredited by NABL/BIS and is not a Central/State/PSU laboratory.

Reimbursement is capped per financial year. If you have already drawn assistance under the scheme in the same financial year, you must declare it, and the earlier amount is taken into account against the cap.

What documents are required?

How to apply for the Testing Fee Reimbursement Scheme

1. Go to the National SC-ST Hub portal at scsthub.in and register or log in to the Application Centre.
2. Select the Testing Fee Reimbursement Scheme and choose Show Interest / Apply Online.
3. Fill in the application form with your enterprise details, Udyam Registration number and bank details.
4. Upload the required documents: caste certificate(s), PAN, the testing laboratory's payment receipt and GST invoice, the test report and a cancelled cheque.
5. Submit the application. NSSH offices verify the claim and the reimbursement is transferred to the enterprise's bank account through PFMS.

How much benefit does the scheme provide?

The scheme reimburses 80% of the testing fee, subject to a maximum of Rs 1,00,000 (excluding GST and other applicable taxes), in a financial year. Whichever of these two is lower is what is paid. For example, on a testing fee of Rs 50,000 the reimbursement is 80% — Rs 40,000 to while on a testing fee of Rs 2,00,000 the reimbursement is capped at Rs 1,00,000 rather than 80%.

The benefit is paid as a reimbursement, so the enterprise must first pay the testing laboratory in full and then claim. GST and other applicable taxes are excluded from the reimbursable amount.

Help and contact

• National SC-ST Hub / NSIC toll-free: 1800-11-1954
• Phone: 011-26926275
• Email: scsthub@nsic.co.in
• Portal: scsthub.in

Because this is a niche reimbursement for SC/ST enterprises that undertake product testing, applicants should keep every original invoice and test report, since the claim is verified document by document before payment.

How to check your application status

The Testing Fee Reimbursement Scheme is processed entirely through the National SC-ST Hub (NSSH) Application Centre at scsthub.in, so the status of a claim is tracked there rather than through any separate portal.

1. Log in to scsthub.in with the same credentials used to submit the application.
2. Go to the Application Centre or "My Applications" section of the dashboard, where every scheme applied for is listed with its current stage, such as submitted, under verification, sent for approval, or payment released.
3. Open the specific Testing Fee Reimbursement Scheme application to see any remarks left by the verifying NSSH office, including a request for a missing or unclear document.
4. If the portal shows no update for several weeks, or a remark is unclear, call the NSIC/NSSH toll-free number 1800-11-1954, or the landline 011-26926275, and quote the application reference number generated at the time of submission.
5. A query can also be sent to scsthub@nsic.co.in with the application number, enterprise name and Udyam Registration number, since the helpline desk generally asks for these details before it can trace a file.
6. Once a claim is approved, the reimbursement is credited through PFMS (Public Financial Management System) directly to the bank account whose cancelled cheque was submitted with the application; the same bank statement is the confirmation of final payment, since PFMS does not send its own separate portal notification for this scheme.

Because NSSH offices verify claims document by document, applicants should expect the status to remain at the verification stage for some time whenever a physical original of an invoice or test report has been requested but not yet couriered or handed over; keeping a scanned and physical copy ready in advance shortens this wait.

Common reasons for rejection

• SC/ST ownership not clearly established. If the enterprise is a partnership, LLP or private limited company, and the partnership deed or Memorandum and Articles of Association does not spell out that SC/ST entrepreneurs hold more than 51% of the shareholding, the claim is rejected. Fix: get the constitution document updated or notarised so the SC/ST shareholding percentage is explicit before applying, and submit caste certificates for every SC/ST partner or director named in it.
• Caste certificate missing for a partner or director. Some applicants submit the proprietor's or one director's caste certificate only, leaving other SC/ST shareholders undocumented. Fix: attach a valid caste certificate for every person whose shareholding is being counted toward the 51% threshold.
• Testing done at a non-accredited laboratory. The scheme reimburses only testing at a NABL/BIS-accredited lab, or a laboratory of a Central/State Government department or a Public Sector Undertaking, or a BIS licence/certification fee. A claim for testing done at a private, non-accredited lab is rejected outright. Fix: confirm the laboratory's NABL or BIS accreditation status before paying for the test, not after.
• Invoice, receipt or test report does not match the enterprise. If the GST invoice or payment receipt is in the name of an individual or a different entity rather than the Udyam-registered enterprise claiming reimbursement, the claim is turned down. Fix: ensure the testing lab issues the invoice and receipt to the exact registered name of the enterprise as it appears on the Udyam Registration certificate.
• Payment not traceable to the enterprise's bank account. The scheme expects the testing charges to have been debited from the current account whose cancelled cheque is submitted. A cash payment, or payment from a personal account not linked to the enterprise, is a common ground for rejection. Fix: route the testing fee payment through the enterprise's own current account, and submit a cancelled cheque of that same account.
• Reimbursement cap or prior claim not disclosed. Since the 80% or Rs 1,00,000 cap applies per enterprise per financial year, a claim that omits an earlier reimbursement already drawn in the same year, or one that seeks more than the balance left under the cap, is either reduced or rejected. Fix: declare any assistance already availed under this scheme in the same financial year at the time of applying.
• Udyam Registration invalid, cancelled, or for the wrong enterprise category. If the Udyam Registration has lapsed, is under a different PAN than the one applying, or classifies the unit outside the micro/small category, the application does not clear eligibility screening. Fix: verify the Udyam Registration is active and correctly categorised before submission, and update it on the Udyam portal if any detail has changed.
• Incomplete or unsigned test report. A test report that is not stamped and signed by the testing laboratory, or is a partial extract rather than the complete report, is treated as insufficient proof and sent back. Fix: request the complete, duly stamped and signed test report from the laboratory before uploading it to the application.