Trade related Entrepreneurship assistance & development (TREAD) for women

The Trade Related Entrepreneurship Assistance & Development Scheme for Women is run by the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises , Government of India. It was launched to promote women entrepreneurship by addressing challenges faced by women in accessing credit, information, training and markets. The scheme provides credit assistance through NGOs, training for capacity building, and grants for promoting women-led enterprises. The purpose of the scheme is to empower women in trade and entrepreneurship, and the main benefit for your enterprise is that your business can receive financial support, skill training and institutional assistance through recognised NGOs and training partners.

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

Key Features

Credit assistance to women entrepreneurs through NGOs: Women entrepreneurs do not receive direct loans from government; instead, eligible NGOs channel credit to them through banks. This ensures handholding, monitoring and proper utilisation of funds by women-led enterprises.
Government grant up to 30% of the loan amount: The Government provides a grant of up to 30% of the total loan sanctioned by lending institutions. The remaining 70% is financed by the banks. This reduces the repayment burden on women entrepreneurs and makes credit more accessible.
Training and capacity-building support for women: The scheme includes entrepreneurship development programmes (EDPs), skill training, business counselling and trade-related guidance designed specifically for women. These programmes help women build managerial and entrepreneurial capabilities.
Grants to NGOs, training institutions and state agencies: Recognised NGOs and institutions receive grant support to conduct training, seminars, exhibitions and counselling programmes for women participants. This ensures sustained outreach and support across various regions.
Support for women-led micro and small enterprises across India: The scheme encourages women-led units in both rural and urban areas. It covers small trading, manufacturing and service-related enterprises, helping women become financially independent and business-ready.

Financial Assistance

Component	Assistance Provided	Detailed Explanation with Example
Credit Assistance to Women	Up to 30% grant of the total project loan amount	If a woman entrepreneur receives a ₹5 lakh loan through a participating NGO, the government provides ₹1.5 lakh (30%) as grant, reducing her repayment liability to only ₹3.5 lakh.
NGO Support for Lending	NGOs receive grant support to cover 30% of credit sanctioned to women	Example: If an NGO facilitates ₹50 lakh credit to a group of women entrepreneurs, the government provides ₹15 lakh as back-end grant to support credit delivery.
Training Programmes	Up to ₹1 lakh per programme for conducting EDPs	If an NGO trains 50 women in entrepreneurship and trade skills, the government reimburses training costs up to ₹1 lakh.
Promotional Activities	Grant up to ₹5 lakh per organisation	State agencies or NGOs may receive up to ₹5 lakh to conduct trade fairs, exhibitions, marketing events and awareness seminars for women.
Capacity Building Institutions	Funding as per approved project plan	Institutions receiving approval may use funds for training modules, trainers, materials and outreach activities to support women entrepreneurs.

Eligibility Criteria

Who can apply:

Women entrepreneurs aged 18 years and above.
Registered NGOs with at least 3 years of experience in entrepreneurship development.
NGOs must demonstrate strong financial and managerial capability.
Training institutions, state agencies and voluntary organisations working for women’s development.
Women-led micro and small enterprises involved in manufacturing, services or trade.

Who cannot apply:

Unregistered NGOs or organisations with weak financial records.
Women entrepreneurs not linked to NGO-led credit channels.
Activities not related to business, trade or entrepreneurship development.
Enterprises involved in illegal or hazardous activities not approved under MSME norms.

Documents Required

Aadhaar & PAN of the woman entrepreneur
Business proposal/project report
Bank account details
KYC and financial details
MSME/Udyam registration (if applicable)
NGO registration certificate (for NGO applicants)
Audited financials of NGO for last 3 years
Training proposal (if applying for training grants)

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: NGOs and women entrepreneurs seeking structured support and quicker process.

Option 2: Official Route

An eligible NGO identifies beneficiaries (women) and submits a credit-proposal with bank sanction for women non-farm activity.
The Bank approves the loan to NGO for onward lending to women; the NGO applies to MoMSME/Office of DC(MSME) for the Government Grant up to 30%.
The NGO also arranges training/counselling for women via approved institutes — batch size minimum 20 participants.
The government grant is released to the NGO’s account after sanction; it is routed via the bank branch that disburses the loan.

Option 3: Training/Survey Component
Training institutions (EDIs/MSME-DIs) may apply to MoMSME for grants (up to ₹1 lakh per programme) for training women entrepreneurs or up to ₹5 lakh for field surveys/ research on women’s enterprise.