The short answer
An Uttar Pradesh MSME exporter can recover a certification, test or inspection cost from the central TRACE scheme or from UP MDA category 9, never both for the same cost. TRACE, under DGFT Trade Notice No. 09/2026-27 dated 1 July 2026, pays up to 95% for micro and small units and 80% for medium units, in two halves. UP MDA, under Government Order No. 811/18-4-2025 dated 6 November 2025, pays 75% in one claim.
The rule that decides everything: choose the scheme before the certificate is issued, because TRACE needs its Intent to Claim filed before you obtain the certificate and the UP 120 day clock starts on the issue date.
Verified as on 8 October 2026 against DGFT Trade Notices No. 26/2025-26 and No. 09/2026-27, the DGFT TRACE Intent Claim user guide, UP Government Order No. 811/18-4-2025 and the UP Export Promotion Policy 2025-30. Written by Pratham Agarwal, Founder, Rasp International.
95%TRACE for micro and small units, Trade Notice 09/2026-27
75%UP MDA certification, GO 811 category 9
462entries on the TRACE list, Annexure I to Trade Notice 09/2026-27
120 daysUP claim window from certificate issue, GO 811 para 5(1)
Key facts at a glance
| Scheme name | Trade Regulations, Accreditation and Compliance Enablement (TRACE); UP Marketing Development Assistance (MDA) category 9, quality control certification |
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| Governing body | TRACE: Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), Export Promotion Mission Section. UP MDA: Export Promotion Bureau UP (EPB) and an Authorised Committee chaired by the Export Commissioner |
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| Parent policy | TRACE: Export Promotion Mission, Niryat Disha. UP MDA: UP Export Promotion Policy 2025-30 |
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| Legal basis | TRACE: Trade Notice No. 26/2025-26 dated 20 February 2026, amended by No. 09/2026-27 dated 1 July 2026. UP MDA: Government Order No. 811/18-4-2025 dated 6 November 2025 |
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| Who it is for | TRACE: MSMEs with an active Importer Exporter Code (IEC) not on the Denied Entity List and a valid Udyam registration. UP MDA: UP MSME exporters, manufacturer or merchant, registered with the EPB and the UP Export Promotion Council (UPEPC) at the time of the work |
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| What you get | TRACE: up to 95% (micro, small) or 80% (medium) of cost net of taxes, in two halves, cap Rs 50 lakh per IEC a year. UP MDA: 75% in one claim, inside Rs 25 lakh a year shared by all GO 811 heads |
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| Validity or deadline | TRACE: Intent to Claim before the certificate, valid 2 years. UP MDA: claim within 120 days of the certificate issue date |
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| Where you apply | TRACE: Trade Connect ePlatform (trade.gov.in). UP MDA: online, through the district portal to the EPB |
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Why we wrote this guide
On a Rs 10,00,000 certificate, TRACE can pay a micro or small unit up to Rs 9,50,000 under DGFT Trade Notice No. 09/2026-27, while UP MDA pays Rs 7,50,000 under Government Order No. 811/18-4-2025. The catch is timing: TRACE needs its Intent to Claim before the certificate is obtained (Trade Notice No. 26/2025-26, Annexure II para 3(b)), so the choice is made, or lost, when you book the audit.
Rasp International prepares and files both kinds of claim for Uttar Pradesh exporters. This guide compares them certificate by certificate, using only the trade notices, GO 811 and the state policy.
Point of no return: a certificate obtained without a TRACE Intent to Claim on file can never be claimed under TRACE (Trade Notice No. 26/2025-26, Annexure II para 3(b)). UP MDA is then the only route, and only if the unit held both EPB and UPEPC registrations at the time of the work.
What TRACE and UP MDA category 9 are
TRACE is a central reimbursement scheme that pays MSME exporters back part of their spend on testing, inspection, certification and audits for overseas markets, administered by the Export Promotion Mission Section of DGFT under the Niryat Disha arm of the Export Promotion Mission. It launched as a pilot on 20 February 2026 and was rewritten on 1 July 2026.
UP MDA category 9 is a state reimbursement head that pays 75% of the actual cost of quality control certification to Uttar Pradesh MSME exporters, administered by the Export Promotion Bureau UP under Government Order No. 811/18-4-2025 dated 6 November 2025. Certification has no ceiling of its own (UP Export Promotion Policy 2025-30, section 8.1.1 item 6) but shares the Rs 25 lakh yearly cap with fairs, samples and publicity (GO 811 paragraph 4). Our UP MDA scheme guide covers the other heads.
Annexure I to Trade Notice No. 09/2026-27 is a list of 462 testing, inspection and certification entries that decides what TRACE pays for. Annexure VII to Trade Notice No. 26/2025-26 is a list of 1,483 six-digit tariff lines that limits what merchant exporters can claim. GO 811 prints no list; its committee decides what “quality control certification” covers.
For the full TRACE rules, read our TRACE certification reimbursement explainer and Export Promotion Mission guide. Every UP order sits in the UP export subsidy schemes hub.
Lab tests such as aflatoxin or REACH testing sit in TRACE Annexure I, while UP MDA leaves test reports to its committee.Certificate by certificate: which scheme pays more
TRACE pays more on any certificate listed in Annexure I, provided linked exports follow, while UP MDA is the only route for an unlisted one. Rasp International checked 20 common certificates and tests against all 462 Annexure I entries of Trade Notice No. 09/2026-27 on 8 October 2026.
The GO 811 column is our reading of the general words “quality control certification”; “Ask first” marks test reports, registrations and audits. Costs are illustrative round numbers net of GST. TRACE figures are maximums before any notified ceiling; UP figures sit inside the Rs 25 lakh limit and budget.
| Certificate or test | TRACE Annexure I serial | GO 811 reading | Illustrative cost (Rs, net of GST) | TRACE micro or small, up to 95% (Rs) | TRACE medium, up to 80% (Rs) | UP MDA, 75% (Rs) | Watch out for |
|---|
| ISO 9001 | 436 and 449 | Likely | 1,00,000 | 95,000 | 80,000 | 75,000 | Surveillance audit treatment unconfirmed |
| ISO 22000 | 449 | Likely | 1,50,000 | 1,42,500 | 1,20,000 | 1,12,500 | DGFT’s February list: USD 3,000 to 15,000 |
| FSSC 22000 | 453 | Likely | 2,00,000 | 1,90,000 | 1,60,000 | 1,50,000 | DGFT’s February list: Rs 2 lakh |
| BRCGS | 452 | Likely | 2,00,000 | 1,90,000 | 1,60,000 | 1,50,000 | DGFT’s February list: Rs 2 lakh |
| CE marking | 448 | Likely | 4,00,000 | 3,80,000 | 3,20,000 | 3,00,000 | Only invoiced third party costs |
| US FDA registration and testing | 447 | Ask first | 3,00,000 | 2,85,000 | 2,40,000 | 2,25,000 | Listed for food, drugs and medical devices |
| EU REACH testing | 352 | Ask first | 1,00,000 | 95,000 | 80,000 | 75,000 | Keep the buyer’s written demand |
| California Proposition 65 testing | 75 | Ask first | 40,000 | 38,000 | 32,000 | 30,000 | Listed for all consumer products |
| LFGB food contact test | 339 | Ask first | 1,50,000 | 1,42,500 | 1,20,000 | 1,12,500 | Useful for metal and glass tableware |
| USDA NOP organic | 378 | Likely | 2,00,000 | 1,90,000 | 1,60,000 | 1,50,000 | Listed for products, farms and businesses |
| EU organic regulation certificate | Not found by name | Likely | 2,00,000 | Nil unless listed | Nil unless listed | 1,50,000 | Naturland (459) and Demeter (458) are listed |
| GOTS | 115 | Likely | 1,50,000 | 1,42,500 | 1,20,000 | 1,12,500 | Listed for all organic textiles |
| OEKO-TEX Standard 100 | 353 | Likely | 1,00,000 | 95,000 | 80,000 | 75,000 | Coverage reads “Fiber” |
| SMETA (Sedex) audit | 25 | Ask first | 50,000 | 47,500 | 40,000 | 37,500 | DGFT’s February list: Rs 50,000 |
| amfori BSCI audit | 431 | Ask first | 60,000 | 57,000 | 48,000 | 45,000 | Listed for social compliance, all industries |
| SA8000 | Not found by name | Ask first | 1,50,000 | Nil unless listed | Nil unless listed | 1,12,500 | UP is the only possible route |
| Leather Working Group audit | Not found by name | Ask first | 2,00,000 | Nil unless listed | Nil unless listed | 1,50,000 | UP is the only possible route |
| BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) | 200 | Ask first | 1,00,000 | 95,000 | 80,000 | 75,000 | Prove the export market required it |
| Aflatoxin laboratory test | 423 | Ask first | 20,000 | 19,000 | 16,000 | 15,000 | Small amount for a separate filing |
| FSC forest certification | 119 | Likely | 1,00,000 | 95,000 | 80,000 | 75,000 | Useful for Saharanpur woodcraft |
Split by certificate, not by cost: both double benefit bars concern the same cost, so CE marking can go to TRACE and an unlisted SA8000 audit to UP MDA in the same year. Get the EPB’s view in writing first.
Three patterns stand out. Annexure I covers almost every mainstream certificate, so micro and small units with exports in sight gain 20 points from TRACE. SA8000 and Leather Working Group audits were not found, leaving UP MDA as their only route. Medium units gain just 5 points and carry the export condition on half the money.
Not sure which scheme pays more for the certificate your buyer wants? Rasp International checks it against the 462 TRACE entries and GO 811, works out both amounts and files the claim in your unit’s name.
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Rasp International handles TRACE Intent to Claim filing and certification cost reimbursement.
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How TRACE compares with UP MDA category 9
TRACE pays a higher rate on a longer list but splits the money and ties half of it to exports. UP MDA category 9 pays a flat 75% in one claim, with a short filing window.
| Point | TRACE (DGFT) | UP MDA category 9 (GO 811) |
|---|
| Rate | Up to 95% micro and small, 80% medium (Trade Notice No. 09/2026-27, para 2(b)) | 75% for every MSME size (paragraph 3, category 9) |
| Rate applies to | Cost net of taxes, duties and cess, or the notified ceiling if lower | Actual cost; GST treatment not stated in the verified text |
| Annual cap | Rs 50 lakh per IEC; more case by case by the Sub-Committee | No separate certification cap; Rs 25 lakh per unit shared with all GO 811 heads (paragraph 4; policy section 8.1.1 item 6) |
| Payment | Two halves into the IEC bank account (paras 2(c) and 4(b)) | One Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), first come first served within budget |
| Export condition | Second half after linked exports and realisation; first half may be recovered | None in category 9 as verified |
| Certificates covered | The 462 Annexure I entries only | “Quality control certification”; the committee decides |
| Deadline | Claim within 2 years of the Intent to Claim; export evidence within 2 years of the first payment | 120 days from the certificate issue date (paragraph 5(1)) |
| Merchant exporters | Only Annexure VII lines, in chapters 02 to 15, 24, 41, 42 and 50 to 64 | Eligible under section 8 of the UP Export Promotion Policy 2025-30 |
| Double benefit | Declaration that the assistance was not availed or applied for under any other scheme | No similar benefit for the same purpose from any central or state scheme |
Worked comparison on one certificate
Illustrative example. A unit pays Rs 4,00,000, net of GST, for a certificate listed in Annexure I. The figures apply Trade Notice No. 09/2026-27 and GO 811 category 9, before any notified ceiling or budget limit.
| Line | Micro unit, TRACE (Rs) | Micro unit, UP MDA (Rs) | Medium unit, TRACE (Rs) | Medium unit, UP MDA (Rs) |
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| Maximum total | 3,80,000 | 3,00,000 | 3,20,000 | 3,00,000 |
| First payment | 1,90,000 after RC-1 | 3,00,000 after approval | 1,60,000 after RC-1 | 3,00,000 after approval |
| Second payment | 1,90,000 after RC-2 | None | 1,60,000 after RC-2 | None |
| No linked exports in 2 years | Second half lapses; first may be recovered | No effect | Second half lapses; first may be recovered | No effect |
For the micro unit, TRACE pays up to Rs 80,000 more, but its first payment of Rs 1,90,000 is below the single UP payment of Rs 3,00,000. For the medium unit the gain is Rs 20,000, with Rs 1,60,000 waiting on exports. A medium unit without firm orders for the certified product usually does better with UP MDA.
When the bill beats the UP cap: illustrative example. On a Rs 40,00,000 programme, TRACE can pay a small unit up to Rs 38,00,000 inside its Rs 50 lakh ceiling. GO 811 paragraph 4 stops at Rs 25 lakh, reached only if the unit claims nothing else that year, which leaves nothing for the UP trade fair subsidy.
What changed in TRACE on 1 July 2026
Trade Notice No. 09/2026-27 dated 1 July 2026 moved the comparison in five ways.
| Parameter | Before (Trade Notice No. 26/2025-26) | Now (Trade Notice No. 09/2026-27) | Effect on the choice |
|---|
| Rate | Up to 60%; 75% Priority Positive List, printed with no entries | Up to 95% micro and small, 80% medium | Before July, UP’s 75% usually won |
| Annual cap | Rs 25 lakh per IEC | Rs 50 lakh per IEC | TRACE absorbs bigger programmes |
| Payment | One reimbursement | Two halves, RC-1 and RC-2 | UP pays more up front |
| Export link | None | Second half after linked exports; first may be recovered | Uncertain exports favour UP |
| List | 35 entries | 462 entries | Far more certificates qualify |
Where the official papers disagree
Three gaps inside DGFT’s own TRACE papers, and one common misreading, change how you should file. The trade notice or Government Order always wins over a summary or a form screen.
The user guide describes a certificate already obtained
Trade Notice No. 26/2025-26, Annexure II para 3(b), puts the Intent to Claim before you obtain the certificate. DGFT’s user guide for the form (January 2026) describes the certificate as obtained and asks for the fee paid. Follow the trade notice: file first and enter the quoted fee.
The certificate list has an Others option
The user guide lets you pick “Others” when a certificate is missing from the drop-down. Annexure II para 1(b) still pays only for listed certificates, so “Others” records a need. It does not make the certificate payable.
An export link the framework ruled out
Annexure I of Trade Notice No. 26/2025-26 says TRACE confers no entitlement linked to export performance, yet Trade Notice No. 09/2026-27 pays the second half only after linked exports. Plan for the strict version, because it governs the money.
The misreport: 75% from UP and the rest from TRACE
No top-up is possible. The TRACE declaration in Trade Notice No. 26/2025-26, Annexure IV, covers any state scheme where the assistance was “availed or applied for”, and GO 811 bars any full or partial similar benefit. Misuse under GO 811 means recovery as arrears of land revenue and blacklisting.
How to verify and what to keep: search Annexure I of Trade Notice No. 09/2026-27 for your exact certificate name. Keep a dated screenshot of the Trade Connect drop-down, the Intent to Claim acknowledgement dated before the certificate, your EPB and UPEPC registration dates and any written reply from the EPB or epm-dgft@gov.in.
Who can use TRACE and who can use UP MDA
TRACE is open to MSMEs across India, while UP MDA category 9 is open only to registered Uttar Pradesh MSME exporters. A UP unit that passes both tests can choose per certificate.
Who qualifies
- TRACE: an active IEC not on the Denied Entity List and a valid Udyam registration (Trade Notice No. 26/2025-26, Annexure II para 1(a)).
- TRACE: a certificate listed in Annexure I, for work on or after 20 February 2026 (para 1(d)).
- TRACE: a clean record under the Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act 1992, the Customs Act 1962 and the other Acts in the declaration.
- TRACE: a unit that outgrew its MSME category, for three years (para 2(h)).
- UP MDA: a UP MSME exporter, manufacturer or merchant (policy section 8), registered with the EPB and UPEPC at the time of the work. Our EPB and UPEPC registration guide explains both.
Who is not eligible
- Anyone who has taken, or for TRACE even applied for, the other scheme for the same cost.
- TRACE: a certificate obtained before the Intent to Claim, or work before 20 February 2026.
- TRACE: deemed exports and supplies to Special Economic Zones (para 2(e)).
- TRACE: merchant exporters outside Annexure VII, which leaves out glass, brass, woodwork, furniture and ceramics.
- TRACE: a failed test, because payment needs the cleared outcome (para 2(g)).
- UP MDA: a unit registered with the EPB or UPEPC only after booking or paying.
Edge cases and the paragraph that decides each
Each of these four situations turns on one paragraph.
A certificate obtained before 1 July 2026
Revised TRACE rates apply only to certificates obtained after the notification (Trade Notice No. 26/2025-26, Annexure II para 2(f)), so a June 2026 certificate sits at up to 60%, below the 75% of GO 811. UP may still be open: a certificate issued on 25 June 2026 reaches day 120 on 23 October 2026.
You filed a TRACE Intent to Claim and now prefer UP MDA
Under para 5(a), an Intent to Claim with no claim within 2 years lapses and bars TRACE claims for the next financial year, and a UP claim on the same cost blocks the TRACE declaration. No withdrawal facility is described, so ask DGFT in writing first and never file spare Intents to Claim.
You moved from small to medium during the year
Para 2(h) keeps a graduating unit eligible for TRACE for three years, citing Ministry of MSME Notification S.O. 4926(E) dated 18 October 2022. The rate is unclear, because the form copies your MSME type from the IEC. UP MDA pays 75% to every size.
Your certificate needs an annual surveillance audit
TRACE counts recurring compliance costs as eligible (para 1(b)(ii)). GO 811 starts its 120 days at the certificate issue date (paragraph 5(1)), and a surveillance audit may not issue a new certificate. Confirm renewals with both bodies before budgeting.
Rasp International handles TRACE Intent to Claim filing and certification cost reimbursement.
Talk to our team for a free assessment. 20+ years of Bharat EXIM expertise.
How to claim, stage by stage
The Intent to Claim is a first stage online form that records the certificate, agency, market and fee before the certificate is obtained. TRACE then needs two more filings and UP MDA needs one, but both routes are settled before the certificate exists. Our TRACE application filing guide walks through every TRACE screen.
Stage 1: before you apply
- Get the requirement in writing. TRACE RC-1 needs evidence that the buyer or regulator demanded the certificate.
- Find the Annexure I serial number. No entry means no TRACE money.
- Check your MSME type in the IEC profile. The Intent to Claim copies it and cannot edit it.
- Confirm both UP registrations, then choose. Record one scheme per certificate in writing before you sign with the certifying body.
Stage 2: filing
- TRACE Intent to Claim. On the Trade Connect ePlatform, open My Dashboard, TRACE, Apply for Intent, enter the certificate, agency, purpose, country of export and fee with and without taxes, then sign with a digital signature or Aadhaar e-sign.
- TRACE RC-1. After the certificate, upload it with the invoice, payment proof and evidence of the requirement for the first 50%.
- TRACE RC-2. After linked exports, upload export evidence and proof of realisation for the second 50%.
- UP MDA claim. File within 120 days of the certificate issue date (GO 811 paragraph 5(1)). You then have 15 days to correct your own mistakes.
Stage 3: after filing
TRACE claims are consolidated quarterly and paid into the IEC bank account, and every applicant faces post-disbursement verification (Trade Notice No. 26/2025-26, Annexure II paras 4 and 5(b)). No processing time is printed.
A GO 811 claim spends up to 21 days with the Deputy Commissioner Industry, then the EPB takes it up within 15 days for the Authorised Committee. An incomplete claim gets 15 days for missing records or is cancelled.
| Illustrative date | Event | What it triggers |
|---|
| 1 November 2026 | EPB and UPEPC registrations confirmed | UP MDA route stays open |
| 20 November 2026 | TRACE Intent to Claim signed | Claim due before 20 November 2028 |
| 25 November 2026 | Audit booked and paid | Work starts with both routes open |
| 15 December 2026 | Certificate issued | RC-1 can be filed; if UP is chosen instead, day 120 is 14 April 2027 |
| 31 March 2027 | First TRACE half received | Linked export evidence due before 31 March 2029 |
The lapse penalty
TRACE has two lapses: an unused Intent to Claim after 2 years, which also blocks the next financial year, and a first instalment with no linked exports after 2 years, which ends the second and may be recovered (Trade Notice No. 09/2026-27, para 5(a)). GO 811 paragraph 5(1) gives 120 days and the verified text offers no route for a late claim. Our UP export subsidy deadlines calendar lists every UP window.
The fast track
TRACE may prioritise certificates generated or validated through the Bharat Aayat Niryat Lab or Quality Setu platform (para 4(c)). GO 811, like the other UP orders, gives payment priority to units that join fairs or events sponsored by the state or held through the EPB or UPEPC. Neither scheme extends a deadline.
Sector use cases for Uttar Pradesh
Every case below is an illustrative example with round numbers, not a client, worked at the rates in Trade Notice No. 09/2026-27 and GO 811 category 9.
Engineering and metalware: Moradabad and Noida
A micro Moradabad tableware maker pays Rs 1,50,000 for an LFGB food contact test (serial 339): up to Rs 1,42,500 from TRACE in halves of Rs 71,250, or Rs 1,12,500 from UP MDA if the committee accepts a test report. Noida machinery makers face the same choice on CE marking (serial 448). The pitfall: Annexure VII has no base metal lines, so a merchant exporter of brass ware must use UP MDA.
CE marking sits at serial 448 of Annexure I, so an engineering unit can claim it under TRACE or UP MDA, never both.Textiles and carpets: Bhadohi and Varanasi
A small Bhadohi carpet maker pays Rs 1,00,000 for OEKO-TEX Standard 100 testing (serial 353): up to Rs 95,000 from TRACE or Rs 75,000 from UP MDA. Carpets (chapter 57) are in Annexure VII, so merchants can use TRACE too; our Bhadohi export subsidy guide lists other local claims. The pitfall: the OEKO-TEX coverage reads “Fiber”, and GoodWeave was not found in Annexure I.
Handicrafts: Firozabad glass
A micro Firozabad glassware maker pays Rs 60,000 for California Proposition 65 testing (serial 75): up to Rs 57,000 from TRACE or Rs 45,000 from UP MDA. The pitfall: glass (chapter 70) and Saharanpur woodwork (chapter 44) are missing from Annexure VII, so merchant exporters of both must use UP MDA.
Food and agriculture
A medium processor pays Rs 2,00,000 for BRCGS (serial 452), DGFT’s February indicative cost: up to Rs 1,60,000 from TRACE in halves of Rs 80,000, or Rs 1,50,000 at once from UP MDA. The pitfall: the gain is Rs 10,000 while Rs 80,000 waits for exports, so UP MDA is safer if orders depend on the certificate.
Leather and footwear: Agra and Kanpur
A small Agra footwear maker pays Rs 80,000 for EU REACH testing (serial 352): up to Rs 76,000 from TRACE or Rs 60,000 from UP MDA. Safety footwear can also claim CE marking, listed for PPE. The pitfall: a Leather Working Group audit for a Kanpur tannery was not found in Annexure I, so only UP MDA can pay for it.
Cautionary tale: the audit paid for a week too early
Illustrative composite. A small Kanpur leather goods unit pays Rs 60,000 for an amfori BSCI audit (serial 431) on 1 August 2026, planning a UP claim. Its EPB registration arrives on 8 August, and the report issues on 10 September with no TRACE Intent to Claim on file.
Both routes are now closed: TRACE because nothing was filed first, UP because the unit did not hold both registrations at the time of the work. The point of no return was 1 August, and it cost up to Rs 57,000. Read why you should register before you spend on any UP subsidy.
How Rasp International handles it
Rasp International runs certification claims as a sequence, because most losses come from order, not paperwork. We file in your unit’s name or guide your team.
- Certificate mapping. Each certificate your buyers want gets its Annexure I serial. Unlisted means nil from TRACE.
- Category check. We read the MSME type in your IEC and Udyam records. It sets 95% or 80%.
- Registration dates. We check EPB and UPEPC dates against the booking date. A late registration closes UP for good.
- Scheme choice in writing. Both amounts, cap headroom and export risk, per certificate. The choice cannot be undone.
- Filing. The Intent to Claim before the certificate, or the UP claim inside 120 days. Government fees we pay are recovered at actual on a separate debit note.
- The clock calendar. Intent to Claim expiry, UP day 120 and the export evidence date, diarised per certificate. A missed date is money gone.
- The linked export file. Shipping bills, invoices and realisation evidence mapped to the certificate from day one. It protects both TRACE halves.
Steps 6 and 7 decide whether TRACE pays in full. Units with several certificates a year often use our export compliance retainer.
Honest limits
Three things neither TRACE nor UP MDA category 9 will do:
- Pay before you do. Both reimburse after you pay, and TRACE returns only half at the certificate stage.
- Pay one cost twice. No mix of TRACE and GO 811 covers more than one scheme’s share of an invoice.
- Promise a date. TRACE consolidates quarterly with no day count; GO 811 pays within budget with no payment date.
Not yet confirmed
- The TRACE “notified ceiling” per certificate: Annexure I prints none. Check the Trade Connect form or write to epm-dgft@gov.in.
- Whether a TRACE Intent to Claim can be withdrawn without the para 5(a) bar. Ask DGFT in writing.
- How renewals and surveillance audits are treated under either scheme. Ask DGFT and the EPB.
- Whether GO 811 “actual cost” includes GST. Ask the EPB.
- Which test reports, registrations and social audits the UP committee accepts. Ask the EPB for its current list.
- Whether the GO 811 “same purpose” bar runs per certificate or across all certification. Get the EPB’s answer in writing.
- Whether 95% continues for a unit protected under para 2(h) after it becomes medium. Ask DGFT.
Frequently asked questions
Can I claim TRACE and UP MDA for the same certificate?
No. The TRACE declaration in Trade Notice No. 26/2025-26 covers any state scheme where the assistance was availed or applied for, and GO 811 bars any similar benefit. Each certificate goes to one scheme; different certificates can usually go to different ones. Confirm with the EPB.
What is the TRACE reimbursement percentage for micro and small units?
Under DGFT Trade Notice No. 09/2026-27 dated 1 July 2026, micro and small enterprises get up to 95% of the cost net of taxes, or the notified ceiling if lower. Medium enterprises get up to 80%, within Rs 50 lakh per IEC a year.
How much does UP MDA pay for export certification?
Category 9 of Government Order No. 811/18-4-2025 pays 75% of the actual cost for every MSME size. Section 8.1.1 of the UP Export Promotion Policy 2025-30 sets no separate certification cap, so up to Rs 25 lakh a year is possible if nothing else is claimed.
Is TRACE or UP MDA better for a medium enterprise?
The gap is narrow. TRACE pays up to 80% under Trade Notice No. 09/2026-27 and UP MDA pays 75% under GO 811. On a Rs 4,00,000 certificate that is Rs 3,20,000 against Rs 3,00,000, but half the TRACE amount waits for linked exports. Uncertain exports favour UP MDA.
Is ISO 9001 covered under the TRACE scheme?
Yes. ISO 9001 appears at serial 436 of Annexure I to DGFT Trade Notice No. 09/2026-27, and again in the combined ISO entry at serial 449. A micro or small unit can get up to 95% of the cost net of taxes, a medium unit up to 80%.
When do I have to file the TRACE intent to claim?
Trade Notice No. 26/2025-26, Annexure II para 3(b), says the Intent to Claim is filed before you obtain the certificate, test report or compliance document. The safe practice is to file it before you sign with the certifying body. It then stays valid for two years.
What is the last date to claim certification under UP MDA?
Under Government Order No. 811/18-4-2025 dated 6 November 2025, paragraph 5(1), the claim is due within 120 days of the certificate issue date. For a certificate issued on 15 December 2026, day 120 falls on 14 April 2027. File well before that date.
How does the TRACE money reach my bank account?
TRACE pays into the bank account specified in your IEC, in two instalments, after claims are consolidated quarterly (Trade Notice No. 09/2026-27, para 4(b)). UP MDA pays by Direct Benefit Transfer after the Authorised Committee approves, first come first served within the year’s budget under GO 811.
Is certification subsidy taxable for exporters in India?
Neither the TRACE trade notices nor GO 811 say how the reimbursement is taxed, and we found no clarification specific to these schemes. Not confirmed as on 8 October 2026. Ask your chartered accountant how to book the receipt against the certification expense before you file your return.
What happens if my certification claim is rejected?
Neither the TRACE trade notices nor GO 811 set out an appeal route. For TRACE, ask DGFT’s Export Promotion Mission Section in writing what can be corrected within the Intent to Claim validity. For UP MDA, the Authorised Committee interprets the order. Help depends on the case.
How long should I keep certification claim records?
TRACE makes every applicant subject to post-disbursement verification (Trade Notice No. 26/2025-26, Annexure II para 5(b)) but sets no retention period, and GO 811 sets none. Keep the certificate, invoices, payment proof and export evidence as long as your books of account, and longer while RC-2 is open.
Can I correct a mistake after filing the claim?
Under GO 811 you get 15 days from the application date to correct your own mistakes, and 15 days to upload records if the claim is reverted as incomplete. The TRACE guidelines describe no amendment facility after signing, so check every field before you submit.
What if I miss the 120 day deadline under UP MDA?
GO 811 paragraph 5(1) requires the claim within 120 days of the certificate issue date, and the verified text gives no route for a late claim. After day 120, UP MDA is closed, and TRACE is closed too if no Intent to Claim came first.
Can a merchant exporter claim TRACE for handicrafts?
Only for tariff lines in Annexure VII of Trade Notice No. 26/2025-26, whose 1,483 six-digit lines cover chapters 02 to 15, 24, 41, 42 and 50 to 64. Glass, brass, woodwork and furniture are absent, so those merchants should use UP MDA, which section 8 of the UP Export Promotion Policy 2025-30 opens to them.
Do I need a consultant to claim TRACE or UP MDA?
No. An exporter can file TRACE on the Trade Connect ePlatform with its own DGFT login and UP MDA through the district portal. A consultant such as Rasp International helps most with several certificates, a unit near the GO 811 cap or an RC-2 export file.
Your checklist for this week
- List every certificate, test and audit you expect to pay for in the next twelve months, with its Annexure I serial number.
- Check the MSME type in your IEC profile and Udyam certificate, because it decides 95% or 80% under TRACE.
- Confirm your EPB and UPEPC registrations are active before you book any audit or test.
- Decide one scheme per certificate in writing before it is issued, and diary the TRACE two year dates or the UP day 120.
About Rasp International
Rasp International is an ISO 9001:2015 certified EXIM and DGFT consultancy in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, with a family legacy in international trade since 2005 and more than 500 exporters served. We file claims end to end in the client unit’s name, or guide teams who file themselves. Portal logins stay with both client and our team, every client signs a confidentiality agreement and documents sit in encrypted storage. Government fees are recovered at actual on a separate debit note; our professional fee is a separate GST invoice. Logistics run through a pan-India network of licensed customs brokers, freight forwarders and courier partners.
Sources
- Tier 1. DGFT Trade Notice No. 26/2025-26 dated 20 February 2026, TRACE guidelines with Annexures I to VII, Directorate General of Foreign Trade: official PDF.
- Tier 1. DGFT Trade Notice No. 09/2026-27 dated 1 July 2026, amendments to the TRACE guidelines with the 462 entry Annexure I, Directorate General of Foreign Trade: official PDF.
- Tier 1. DGFT TRACE page with the link to apply: dgft.gov.in.
- Tier 1. Government Order No. 811/18-4-2025 dated 6 November 2025 (MDA), MSME and Export Promotion Department, Government of Uttar Pradesh, in Hindi: UPEPC government orders page; UP orders can also be checked on the Shasanadesh portal.
- Tier 1. Government of Uttar Pradesh, UP Export Promotion Policy 2025-30, English text, sections 8 and 8.1.1: official PDF on invest.up.gov.in.
- Tier 2. DGFT user guide for the TRACE Intent Claim Form, version 1.1, January 2026: official PDF on content.trade.gov.in.
- Rasp International analysis, 8 October 2026: serial search of all 462 Annexure I entries and chapter count of the 1,483 Annexure VII tariff lines. Not a DGFT breakdown.
This is general guidance. Rules change. Check the current order or notification, or speak to us, before you act.
Related: UP MDA scheme guide | TRACE application filing guide | All UP export subsidy schemes
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