SME Grants
Non-repayable business grants are a type of development funding offered by the South African government to support the growth of small and micro businesses (SMEs). DTC can assist with the necessary developments and provide access to SME Grants from across the country.
Agro-Processing Support Scheme (APSS)
Agro-processing refers to the manufacturing sub-sector that beneficiates primary materials and intermediate goods from agricultural, fisheries and forestry based sectors. The scheme targets businesses in food and beverage value addition and processing, furniture manufacturing, fibre processing, feed production, and fertiliser production.
Black Industrialists Scheme (BIS)
Grant programme of the Black Industrialists Policy aims to unlock the industrial potential of predominantly black-owned and black-managed businesses in the South Africa economy.
Business and Arts South Africa Supporting Grant Programme
The Grant Programme Incentivises business sponsorship of the arts, through the provision of additional funds to a sponsored arts organisation.
Co-operatives Incentive Scheme (CIS) – Department of Small Business Development (DSBD)
A 100% non-repayable business grant to improve the viability and competitiveness of co-operative enterprises. It assists to lower cooperatives’ cost of doing business through an incentive that supports Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment.
Clothing and Textile Competitiveness Improvement Programme (CIP)
Programmes makes available non-repayable business grants allocated for the formation of clusters of either similar manufacturing entities or a value chain cluster, comprising e.g. manufacturers, suppliers and retailers.
Infrastructure Investment Programme for South Africa (IIPSA) – Development Bank of South Africa (DBSA)
Provides innovative financing, involving the combining of EU grants together with loans from participating Development Finance Institutions.
Export Marketing and Investment Assistance (EMIA)
The scheme develops export markets for South African products and services and to recruit new foreign direct investment in the country.
Pre-commercialisation Support Fund – Technology Innovation Agency (TIA)
The Grant enables innovators to evaluate, demonstrate and advance the value proposition and commercial potential of their research outputs.
Tourism Transformation Fund – National Empowerment Fund (NEF)
Funding earmarked to transform the tourism sector. To qualify enterprises must provide services to tourists as its direct clients. The enterprise must be at least majority (51%) black-owned. The grant portion of the funding is capped at R5-million per successful applicant.
National Youth Development Agency (NYDA)
Support for young entrepreneurs in the form of non-repayable business grants and non- financial business development support. The programme aims to enable youth entrepreneurs to establish or grow their businesses.
Youth Pipeline Development Programme – Industrial Development Corporation (IDC)
A part of the IDC Special Scheme business support and grant funding programme. This grant assists potential applicants to improve the readiness of their proposal.
Support Programme for Industrial Innovation (SPII)
he SPII is a support programme of the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition. Furthermore, the Industrial Development Corporation manages the programme. The SPII promotes technology development within South African industry. In addition, it provides financial assistance for developing innovative products and processes.
Moreover, the programme focuses specifically on the development phase. This phase begins after basic research concludes. It continues until a pre-production prototype is completed. Therefore, SPII plays a critical role in moving innovation towards commercial readiness.
Manufacturing Competitiveness Enhancement Programme (MCEP)
The Manufacturing Competitiveness Enhancement Programme (MCEP) is one of the key action programmes of the Industrial Policy Action Plan (IPAP) 2012/13 – 2014/15. It provides enhanced manufacturing support aimed at encouraging manufacturers to upgrade their production facilities in a manner that sustains employment and maximises value-addition in the short to medium term. The MCEP comprises two sub-programmes: the Production Incentive (PI) and the Industrial Financing Loan Facilities which will be managed by the dti and the Industrial Development Corporation respectively.
Seed Fund – TIA
The purpose of this fund is to increase the rate of commercialisation of viable intellectual property. In particular, it supports South African technologies emerging from higher education institutions. Furthermore, the fund enables the transformation of research outputs into market-ready solutions.
As a result, innovators gain access to resources that help bridge the gap between research and commercial application. In addition, this initiative strengthens collaboration between academia and industry. Consequently, it promotes innovation, supports economic growth, and enhances the global competitiveness of South African technologies.
Sector Specific Assistance Scheme (SSAS)
This scheme compensates for costs associated with approved activities aimed at developing South African emerging exporters. In particular, it supports businesses that participate in trade-related events to expand their market reach. Furthermore, the programme provides financial assistance to qualifying emerging exporters for both physical and digital event participation.
As a result, businesses can showcase their products and services to wider audiences. In addition, this support helps exporters build international networks and increase visibility in competitive markets. Moreover, the scheme strengthens export readiness and promotes sustainable trade growth.
Seda Technology Programme (STP)
The SME grant programme provides non-repayable funding to eligible businesses. In addition, entrepreneurs gain access to essential support services that strengthen operational capacity. These services include incubation, quality and standards assistance, as well as technology transfer support. Furthermore, such interventions help businesses improve competitiveness and long-term sustainability.
As part of the Government’s broader strategy, small enterprise support initiatives were consolidated from April 2006 onwards. Consequently, multiple programmes were integrated into a single framework to improve efficiency and coordination. This integration brought together the activities of the Godisa Trust, the National Technology Transfer Centre (NTTC), and the business incubators previously managed by the dti. In addition, it included the Technology Advisory Centre (TAC), the Technology for Women in Business (TWIB) programme, and support services from the South African Quality Institute.
The resulting structure operates under the Small Enterprise Development Agency through the sedaTechnology Programme (STP). Moreover, this programme enhances access to technology-driven support and promotes innovation within the SME sector. As a result, businesses benefit from streamlined assistance, improved service delivery, and greater access to funding and development opportunities.
Contact us for more information on SME Grants.
