EDB proposes financial assistance scheme to boost SME export competitiveness

• Up to Rs. 300,000 reimbursement for certification and consultancy costs
• Covers many sectors including food and beverage, ICT/BPM, Ayurveda, and manufacturing

By Shannine Daniel

A new financial assistance scheme to support small and medium exporters and export-oriented small and medium enterprises (SMEs) has been proposed by the Export Development Board. 

Under this scheme, small and medium scale businesses will be able to obtain the standards and certifications required to access international markets, the EDB revealed in a recent social media update.

With this scheme, the EDB hopes to enhance the competitiveness of export-oriented SMEs, and generate direct and indirect export income within the next three years. 

Small and medium-scale exporters and export-oriented SMEs registered under the EDB New Exporter Development Programme will be eligible.

Product sectors eligible include: Processed food and beverages, spices and concentrates, fisheries, electrical and electronic components, Ayurveda sector, specifically indigenous medicinal products, personal protective equipment, life style products, chemical based products, and the ICT/BPM sector.

Moreover, the EDB will reimburse eligible beneficiaries for the certification costs and consultancy fees incurred in obtaining the standards and/or certifications, up to a maximum of Rs. 0.3 million for each company.

This shall include certifications such as RoHS, REACH, PAH, ISO 9001, ISO 50001, ISO 14001, ISO 22000/HACCP, GAP, GMP, Organic, Halal, BRC, Kosher, and other product-specific certifications required to meet international standards.  Eligible certifications for the ICT/BPM sector include, but are not limited to, ISO 9001, ISO/IEC 27001, SOC 2, GDPR Compliance, ISO 20000, and PCI-DSS. 

Reimbursement will be done upon submission of relevant supporting documents, including a copy of the certificate obtained, as well as original invoices, receipts, bank statements any other supporting documents requested by the EDB.

The assistance scheme shall remain in operation for one year with effect from the final date for application submissions. 

Eligible companies can obtain assistance for standards and/or certifications from an internationally recognised accreditation service provider within this one-year period. 

Applicants who wish to apply for the scheme are requested to submit the completed application form with the relevant documents to the Director of the EDB’s Regional Development Division on or before 7 April 2026. 

Applications are available on the EDB website’s Announcements page and can also be obtained from the Regional Development Division office and the EDB’s provincial offices in Kandy, Kurunegala, Matara and Jaffna. 

Shortlisted applications will be evaluated by an EDB-appointed panel and recommendations for assistance will be made after an interview.  The recommended assistance will be approved by the EDB’s Chairman/Chief Executive Officer. 

More details on the assistance scheme can be found in the guidelines available on the EDB’s website.