Assistance for trade fairs

The “Assistance for Trade Fairs” scheme is administered by the Government of Tamil Nadu (via the MSME / Industries Department) as part of its marketing & promotional support for MSMEs. Its purpose is to encourage micro, small and medium enterprises to participate in domestic and international trade fairs/exhibitions, promote their products, find buyers, and thereby enhance market access. Your business can benefit by claiming reimbursement or subsidy of costs incurred for participation, thereby reducing your marketing burden and expanding outreach.

Key Features
Financial Assistance
Eligibility Criteria
Documents Required
Application Process for the Scheme

Key Features

Subsidy / reimbursement of stall charges, entry fees and participation costs: Under the scheme, eligible MSMEs can get financial help for major costs involved in trade fair participation such as renting exhibition hall space, stall charges, registration or entry fees. These reduce your out-of-pocket expenditure when you exhibit your products.
Applicable for both domestic and international fairs: While the core support covers trade fairs/exhibitions generally, some parts of the scheme as reported allow for both domestic and international events. So your enterprise can look beyond state boundaries for market expansion.
Higher subsidy/support for micro/small enterprises and special categories: Micro enterprises, small enterprises (especially in “special category” e.g., women/SC/ST) get higher reimbursement percentage or full subsidy compared to general category small/medium enterprises.
Fixed maximum subsidy caps per event or component: There are ceiling amounts for what can be reimbursed under the scheme e.g., maximum subsidy for hall rent in Chennai up to ₹7.5 lakh per event (as per scheme compendium) for trade-fair related assistance.
Application and claim on reimbursement basis after participation: The scheme operates on a post-event reimbursement basis: you participate in the trade fair, incur costs, then submit your claim with supporting documents to the nodal agency in Tamil Nadu. Verification follows and then subsidy is disbursed.

Financial Assistance

Component	Assistance Provided	Detailed Explanation & Example
Stall/hall rent or space rent cost	Subsidy up to ceiling (e.g., maximum of ₹ 7.5 lakh per event in Chennai)	Example: If your unit exhibits in Chennai, and the hall rent cost is ₹10 lakh, you may be reimbursed up to the ceiling (₹7.5 lakh) under the scheme.
Entry / registration fees & participation cost	Reimbursement of 75-100% of entry or registration cost depending on category	Example: If your cost of entry fee is ₹50,000, and your unit qualifies as a micro enterprise or special category, you may get 100% reimbursement (₹50,000) or for general small enterprise 75% (₹37,500) under scheme.

Eligibility Criteria

Who can apply:

Registered MSME units in Tamil Nadu (manufacturing or eligible service units) listed under the state MSME policy.
Units selected or planning to participate in approved trade fairs/exhibitions (domestic or international) with valid event invitation/fair details.
Units that incur costs (stall rental, travel, accommodation, entry fee) and submit proof of payment as per guidelines.

Who cannot apply:

Enterprises not registered in Tamil Nadu or not recognised as MSME in the state.
Units participating in trade fairs without approval or outside the scheme’s defined list of events.
Units that fail to submit required documents, or incur ineligible costs (e.g., purely entertainment/travel unrelated to exhibition).
Units that do not meet the stipulated timelines for application/claim (if specified in the notification).

Documents Required

Valid MSME registration certificate of the unit.
Declaration that the unit is registered and operating in Tamil Nadu.
Event/trade fair invitation or approval letter (domestic or international).
Invoice/receipt of hall/stall rental charges.
Travel/accommodation/entry fee receipts (if these cost components are eligible)
Bank account details of the loanee/enterprise for subsidy credit.
Post-event participation certificate or attendance proof (if required).
Any scheme-specific undertaking, attendance form, certificate of participation.

Application Process for the Scheme

Option 1: Apply with Bullit (Recommended)

Click here to start with guided support. Our team verifies eligibility, compiles documents, and handles application & follow-ups on your behalf. You can monitor progress while focusing on operations.
Recommended for: Lean teams. Designed to save you time and effort. Access expert help from start to finish.

Option 2: Government Portal / Online Application

Visit the Tamil Nadu MSME Single Window Portal or the MSME scheme-booklet page.
Login or register your enterprise with the portal.
Navigate to the section “Assistance for Trade Fairs / Exhibitions” and select the application form.
Fill out the form: provide unit details, event/fair name, cost estimate, stall/hall rental details, travel/accommodation if applicable.
Upload required documents (MSME registration, fair invitation, invoice/receipt of rental/travel/accommodation, etc.).
Submit the form and wait for approval. After event participation and submission of proof of incurred expenditure, claim reimbursement per scheme guidelines.

Option 3: District-level Submission

Proceed to your local District Industries Centre (DIC) or nodal office under the MSME department.
Collect the physical application form or submit through hybrid mode.
Submit completed form with attachments and follow up for sanction and subsidy disbursement.

Power Combos with The Scheme