The short answer
Under category 7 of Government Order 811/18-4-2025 dated 6 November 2025, a micro, small or medium enterprise (MSME) exporter in Uttar Pradesh (UP) may be able to claim back 75 percent of its actual spending on website development, up to Rs 1 lakh, within 120 days of the website development date. The exporter claims, not the web designer. Your quote, invoice and handover note are the evidence for the website subsidy, so they decide whether the claim moves cleanly.
The rule that decides everything: the unit must be registered with the Export Promotion Bureau UP and the UP Export Promotion Council (UPEPC) at the time of the work (paragraphs 2 and 10), so see both certificates before you take an advance.
Verified as on 19 October 2026 against Government Order No. 811/18-4-2025 dated 6 November 2025 (Hindi original), Government Order No. 874/18-4-2025 dated 3 December 2025, section 8.1.1 of the UP Export Promotion Policy 2025-30 and the Export Promotion Bureau UP registration instructions. Written by Pratham Agarwal, Founder, Rasp International.
75%of actual spending by the exporter unit, Government Order 811, category 7
Rs 1 lakhcap for website, catalogue, digital content and ads together, Government Order 811, category 7
120 daysto file from the website development date, Government Order 811, paragraph 5(1)
Rs 25 lakhper unit per financial year across all heads, Government Order 811, paragraph 4
Key facts for web designers and agencies
| Scheme | Quick Export Development Incentive Scheme, often called UP Marketing Development Assistance (MDA); category 7 covers websites |
|---|
| Governing body | MSME and Export Promotion Department, Government of Uttar Pradesh; an Authorised Committee decides claims (paragraph 6) |
|---|
| Parent policy | UP Export Promotion Policy 2025-30, Government Order No. 684/18-4-2025/18-4099/31/2025 dated 3 September 2025 |
|---|
| Legal basis | Government Order No. 811/18-4-2025 dated 6 November 2025, paragraph 3, category 7 |
|---|
| Who claims | MSME exporter units of Uttar Pradesh registered with the Bureau and UPEPC at the time of the work (paragraphs 2 and 10), never the agency |
|---|
| What the exporter may get | 75 percent of actual spending, up to Rs 1 lakh for the publicity row, subject to approval and budget (paragraphs 3 and 7) |
|---|
| Deadline | 120 days from the website development date (paragraph 5(1)) |
|---|
| Where the exporter applies | Online; examined first at the District Industries Centre, then by the Export Promotion Bureau UP (paragraph 5) |
|---|
| Your role | Supplier; your papers prove the spending and the start date |
|---|
If you are the exporter: this post is for the person who builds the site. Exporters should start with our full guide to export websites and the UP website claim, with worked examples and the claim route.
Why we wrote this for the people who build the sites
Government Order 811 says it exists to build the marketing capacity of the state’s exporters and their awareness of global markets. For a small unit, the website is often the first marketing asset, and the person who builds it writes the papers the claim rests on: the quote, the invoice and the go-live record (proof of the publish date). None can be fixed months later without a fresh document.
Rasp International was founded in 2019, is ISO 9001:2015 certified and has served 500+ exporters since 2019. We file claims in the client unit’s name, and in a website claim the agency’s invoice is the paper that shows the spending.
What category 7 of Government Order 811 covers
Category 7 of Government Order 811 is a reimbursement head that pays an Uttar Pradesh MSME exporter 75 percent of what the unit spends on publicising its export products, up to Rs 1 lakh, run by the Export Promotion Bureau UP under the UP Export Promotion Policy 2025-30. It lists foreign press advertising, catalogue printing, website development, digital cataloguing, digital content development, digital marketing and social media advertising.
Three phrases matter to a web designer. The assistance is 75 percent “of the actual expenditure incurred by the exporter unit”. The row is headed “for publicity of export products”. And paragraph 5(1) starts the 120 days from “the date of website development”, not from your quote or advance. Our UP MDA scheme guide covers all nine categories and the Rs 25 lakh yearly ceiling in paragraph 4.
Your quote and invoice, line by line
Each row is a line on your paper, with the source.
| On your paper | What to show | Why, with the source |
|---|
| Bill-to name | The unit’s legal name and address, as on its Bureau and UPEPC certificates | “Actual expenditure incurred by the exporter unit”, Government Order 811, category 7 |
| Quote date | On or after both registration dates | Registration “at the time of the work”, paragraphs 2 and 10 |
| Advance | After both registrations, from the unit’s own bank account, never a director’s personal account | Spending by the unit, category 7; assistance paid into the beneficiary’s bank account, paragraph 7 |
| Main line | “Website development” in those words, with a one-line scope | Named in category 7; claims outside the categories go up with a recommendation to reject, paragraph 5(6) |
| Scope | Export product pages, specifications, packing and an enquiry form for overseas buyers | Category 7 is “for publicity of export products”, paragraphs 2.2 and 3 |
| Tax | Taxable value on one line, Goods and Services Tax (GST) on another | The order does not say whether GST is part of the actual spending, and in the claims we file the 75 percent is worked out on the amount before GST |
| Digital catalogue | Its own line, named “digital cataloguing” | Listed in category 7, inside the same Rs 1 lakh |
| Photography or written content | Its own line, under its real name | “Digital content development” is listed but not defined; the Authorised Committee interprets the order, paragraph 12 |
| Social media ads and digital marketing | Separate invoices, one per period | In category 7, but paragraph 5(1) gives them no start date |
| Hosting and domain | A separate line | Category 7 names website development only; hosting and domain charges were accepted in claims we have filed |
| Maintenance and monthly fees | A separate invoice for each month after go-live | Not named in category 7; monthly fees were accepted in claims we have filed |
| Logo and branding | A separate invoice | Not named in category 7 |
| Marketplace store setup | Off the website invoice | First year platform fees fall under Government Order 874/18-4-2025 dated 3 December 2025 |
| Registrations | Help with the Importer Exporter Code (IEC), Udyam, Bureau, UPEPC or GST kept off every publicity invoice | None of them is publicity under category 7 |
| Go-live record | A dated handover note with the live web address and dated screenshots | The 120 days run from “the date of website development”, paragraph 5(1) |
| Final invoice date | The go-live date | Paragraph 5(1) does not say which paper proves the development date |
| Price | The real price: no “less subsidy” line, no padding and no cash back | A reimbursement within budget, paragraph 7; false or hidden facts mean recovery and blacklisting, paragraph 11 |
| Same work, second scheme | Never reissue it for another scheme | No similar benefit for the same purpose from any central or state scheme, paragraph 8 |
What our filed claims show: in claims Rasp International has filed under category 7 of Government Order 811, hosting, domain, redesign and monthly fee charges were accepted. The Authorised Committee still decides each claim, subject to approval and budget, so this is no promise for the next one.
Rasp International handles export compliance and incentives.
Talk to our team for a free assessment. 500+ exporters served since 2019.
Category 7 compared with the marketplace order agencies confuse it with
Agencies that build sites often set up marketplace stores too. Those jobs sit in two orders with different rules, and our guide to the UP online marketplace subsidy covers Government Order 874.
| Point | Government Order 811, category 7 | Government Order 874 | Source |
|---|
| Pays for | Websites, catalogues, digital content, digital marketing and ads | First year onboarding fees on one international e-commerce platform | Both orders |
| Share and cap | 75 percent, up to Rs 1 lakh | 75 percent, up to Rs 3 lakh per unit per year | Both orders |
| Who bills the cost | The developer, agency, printer or publisher | The platform itself | Government Order 874, Annexure I |
| Tax | The order is silent; claims we file use the amount before GST | Total exclusive of taxes | Government Order 874, Annexure I |
| Clock | 120 days from the website development date | One year active on the platform, then 90 days to file | Government Order 811, paragraph 5(1); Government Order 874 |
| Extra conditions | Bureau and UPEPC registration at the time of the work | Also the unit’s first such platform, at least one export consignment through it and a platform notified by the Authorised Committee | Both orders |
| First check | District Industries Centre, within 21 days | Export Promotion Bureau UP directly | Government Order 811, paragraph 5(3); Government Order 874 |
| Your service fee | Your invoice is the spending | Your setup fee is not a platform fee | Government Order 874, Annexure I |
What most people get wrong about the website claim
“The client gets the site for a quarter of the price.” The unit pays the full invoice first. The 75 percent comes later, after approval, first come, first served and within the year’s budget (paragraph 7). “Free after subsidy” describes a payment the order never promises.
“The 120 days start when we finish.” Paragraph 5(1) counts from “the date of website development” without defining it. An invoice dated at the project start creates a second, earlier start date.
“Registration can follow the advance.” Paragraphs 2 and 10 require both registrations at the time of the work. Our post on registering before you spend explains why.
The documents leave gaps too. Paragraph 5(1) gives no start date for digital marketing, ads or digital content. The Rs 1 lakh carries no “per year” in the order or in section 8.1.1 of the UP Export Promotion Policy 2025-30, while samples say “per exporter per year” in both. Government Order 874 asks for fees exclusive of taxes; Government Order 811 is silent on GST.
Who claims and who does not
- An MSME exporter unit of Uttar Pradesh (paragraph 2).
- Registered with the Bureau and UPEPC at the time of the work (paragraphs 2 and 10).
- The unit itself paid for website work that publicises its export products (category 7).
- The web designer, agency or freelancer.
- A unit that registered after the work began.
- A unit that took a similar benefit for the same work under another central or state scheme (paragraph 8).
- Spending that is not export publicity, such as a domestic shop site.
For what foreign buyers expect, see our notes on export focused website development. Once the site is live, an eligible exporter can also send buyers to a Source from India microsite on DGFT Trade Connect.
Edge cases agencies run into
A project that runs past 31 March
The Export Promotion Bureau UP registration instructions say a registration is valid to 31 March of the financial year it is filed in, and the unit stays eligible for Bureau schemes only if it renews by 30 June. For a build that goes live after March, ask the client to renew first. Whether work between 1 April and the renewal counts is not stated: check with the Export Promotion Bureau UP.
A phased build with a late go-live
Paragraph 5(1) counts from the website development date but does not say which paper proves it. Raise the final invoice on the go-live date and record the go-live in a dated note, so the dates match. If they cannot match, count the 120 days of paragraph 5(1) from the earlier one.
A monthly digital marketing retainer
Category 7 covers digital marketing, but paragraph 5(1) gives it no start date. Monthly fees were accepted in claims we have filed. Invoice each month of the retainer (a fixed monthly fee) separately and keep the website build out. The order does not say when the 120 days of paragraph 5(1) start for each month: check with the Export Promotion Bureau UP.
A freelancer with no GST registration
Government Order 811 does not ask for the developer’s GST number, only for actual spending by the unit. Whether the district accepts a bill with no GST number is not stated: check with the District Industries Centre.
Rasp International handles export compliance and incentives.
Talk to our team for a free assessment. 500+ exporters served since 2019.
Steps from quote to claim
- Check the registrations. See both certificates and note their dates. If either is missing, send the client to our guide to Bureau and UPEPC registration.
- Write a split quote. Website development, digital cataloguing, hosting, maintenance and ads on separate lines, each shown before GST.
- Take the advance correctly. After both registrations, from the unit’s own account, with your quote number in the transfer.
- Build for foreign buyers. Export product pages, specifications, packing and an overseas enquiry form.
- Hand over with a date. A note with the go-live date, live web address, dated screenshots, domain record and admin login.
- Invoice on the go-live date. Taxable value and GST apart, with the advance shown as received.
- Give the client the last date. As we count it, the day after go-live is day 1, so a site live on 12 January 2027 must be claimed by 12 May 2027 under paragraph 5(1).
- Stay reachable for queries. If the district marks the claim incomplete, the unit has 15 days to upload records or the claim is cancelled automatically (paragraph 5(4)).
The lapse rule: a claim filed after the 120 days is outside paragraph 5(1), with no revival route in the order. Fast track: none for filing. Paragraph 9 gives payment priority to units that join international level fairs and events in India sponsored by the state or held through the Bureau and UPEPC.
Five kinds of firms this affects
- Freelance web designers: you set the invoice date and go-live record.
- Digital marketing agencies: ads share the website’s Rs 1 lakh under category 7.
- Catalogue designers and printers: the printing invoice date starts the 120 days under paragraph 5(1).
- E-commerce setup consultants: platform fees belong to Government Order 874, not your invoice.
- Photographers and content writers: “digital content development” is listed but undefined, so name your work plainly.
Illustrative composite: the quote that lost part of the claim
An illustrative composite of common quoting habits, not a client case, with round numbers. A brassware exporter in western Uttar Pradesh got a one-line quote: “Export digital package: website, catalogue, logo, marketplace store setup and registration help, Rs 1,25,000 inclusive of GST”. On 5 November 2026 a director paid Rs 50,000 from a personal account, and the agency invoiced the full amount that day. The unit held its Bureau registration, but its UPEPC registration came only on 20 November 2026. The site went live on 12 January 2027.
| Point | First quote | Fixed version |
|---|
| Dates | Full invoice on 5 November 2026, at the project start | Quote on 25 November 2026; final invoice on 12 January 2027, the go-live date |
| Advance | Rs 50,000 from a director’s account, before the UPEPC registration | Rs 40,000 from the unit’s account, after both registrations |
| Website lines | One all-in line | Website development Rs 72,000 and digital cataloguing Rs 8,000 |
| Tax | Inclusive of GST | Taxable value Rs 80,000, GST on its own line |
| Other work | Logo, marketplace setup and registration help inside | Logo on a separate invoice; marketplace setup and registration help removed |
| Go-live proof | None | Dated handover note and screenshots |
| Exporter expected | 75 percent of Rs 1,25,000: Rs 93,750 | 75 percent of Rs 80,000: Rs 60,000 |
| Papers support | No clean base, part paid personally, advance before registration | Rs 60,000 may be claimed, subject to approval and budget |
| Last date, as we count it | 5 March 2027 or 12 May 2027, depending on the date used | 12 May 2027 |
The point of no return was 5 November 2026: money left a personal account before the UPEPC registration existed, and no later invoice can change that. The gap between Rs 93,750 and Rs 60,000 was never claimable, as we read category 7: it was GST and work that is not website development. The first quote put the Rs 60,000 itself at risk.
How Rasp International helps
Rasp International files UP subsidy claims on the client’s behalf, in the client unit’s name, and gives an authority letter only when a client asks. The client and our team both hold the portal logins, kept safe and confidential. A non-disclosure agreement (NDA) and a service level agreement (SLA) are signed with every client. In Rasp International’s experience, the Export Promotion Bureau UP has been helpful and responsive. Web designers can now refer their UP exporter clients to us through our partner page.
Honest limits
- A clean invoice does not make a claim approved. The Authorised Committee decides first come, first served, within the year’s budget (paragraph 7).
- Good paperwork cannot stretch the Rs 1 lakh in category 7, or bring registrations or marketplace fees into it.
- No paper written later can fix a registration date that came after the work.
What Is Not Yet Notified, Checked on 19 October 2026
The UPEPC government orders page listed no amendment to Government Order 811 on 19 October 2026. Still open:
- Which paper proves the website development date when invoice and go-live differ. Check with the Export Promotion Bureau UP.
- When the 120 days of paragraph 5(1) start for digital marketing, social media ads and digital content. Check with the Export Promotion Bureau UP.
- Whether the Rs 1 lakh in category 7 is a yearly limit. Check with the Export Promotion Bureau UP.
- Whether a developer’s bill with no GST number is accepted. Check with the District Industries Centre.
- Whether work between 1 April and the Bureau renewal counts as registered work. Check with the Export Promotion Bureau UP.
Frequently asked questions
Can a web designer claim the UP website subsidy?
No. Government Order 811 pays MSME exporter units of Uttar Pradesh registered with the Export Promotion Bureau UP and UPEPC, plus approved organisers for the fair categories. The web designer is the supplier, but the quote, invoice and handover note become the exporter’s evidence.
Whose name should be on the website invoice?
The exporter unit’s legal name and address, as on its Bureau and UPEPC certificates. Category 7 of Government Order 811 pays 75 percent of actual spending by the exporter unit. An invoice in a director’s own name does not show that the unit spent the money.
Should my invoice show GST separately for the website claim?
Yes. Show the taxable value and GST on separate lines. The order does not say whether GST is part of the actual spending, and in the claims we file the 75 percent is worked out on the amount before GST. An all-inclusive figure hides that base.
Which date starts the 120 days for a website claim?
Paragraph 5(1) of Government Order 811 counts 120 days from the website development date, and for printed catalogues from the printing invoice date. It does not say which paper proves the development date, so invoice on the go-live date and keep a dated handover note.
Can hosting and domain charges go in the website development line?
Keep them on a separate line from website development. Category 7 of Government Order 811 does not list hosting or a domain by name, but in claims we have filed, hosting and domain charges were accepted. Each claim is still decided by the Authorised Committee, subject to approval and budget.
Can social media ads go on the same invoice as the website?
Bill them separately. Ads and digital marketing sit in category 7 and share the same Rs 1 lakh, but paragraph 5(1) of Government Order 811 gives a start date only for websites and printed catalogues. Separate invoices dated for each period keep the website claim clean.
Is marketplace store setup part of the website claim?
No. First year fees charged by an international e-commerce platform fall under Government Order 874/18-4-2025, which pays 75 percent up to Rs 3 lakh on one platform. Your own setup fee is neither a platform fee nor website development, so keep it off the website invoice.
Can the client pay me from a director’s personal account?
Avoid it. Category 7 of Government Order 811 pays on actual expenditure incurred by the exporter unit, and paragraph 7 pays the assistance into the beneficiary’s bank account. Ask for every payment, including the advance, from the unit’s own current account.
Can I take an advance before the client registers with the Bureau and UPEPC?
No. Paragraphs 2 and 10 of Government Order 811 require registration with both bodies at the time of the work, and the order does not define that time. An advance paid earlier can place the work before the registration. See both certificates first, then accept the order.
Can I advertise a website that is free after the UP subsidy?
No. Government Order 811 pays a reimbursement after the Authorised Committee approves a claim, first come, first served and only within the year’s budget (paragraph 7). A claim can be refused. Promise the website you build, and describe the claim as possible, never certain.
What happens if an invoice is inflated so the client gets the full cost back?
Paragraph 11 of Government Order 811 says that if assistance is misused or facts are knowingly false or hidden, the whole amount is recovered from the unit like revenue dues and the unit is blacklisted from government financial assistance. Bill the real price only.
Does the website have to be about export products?
Yes, as the order is worded. Category 7 of Government Order 811 is headed “for publicity of export products”, and paragraph 2.2 repeats that purpose. Build pages a foreign buyer can use. A shop for the domestic market alone does not fit that heading.
Is a website redesign covered under Government Order 811?
The order speaks of website development and does not mention redesigns, but in claims we have filed, redesign charges were accepted. Describe the real work on the invoice, such as new export product pages or a full rebuild. The Authorised Committee still decides each claim, subject to approval and budget.
What should my handover note to the exporter contain?
The go-live date, the live web address, dated screenshots, the domain record in the unit’s name, the admin login and the catalogue file. Paragraph 5(1) of Government Order 811 starts the 120 days from the website development date, and this note records that date.
Does the exporter need a consultant to file the website claim?
No. An eligible unit can file online itself. A consultant helps most before the quote is accepted, while registration dates, invoice lines and the payment route can still be set right. If the exporter prefers, a consultant can file the claim in the unit’s own name.
Your checklist for this week
- Ask each Uttar Pradesh client for both registration certificates and note the dates.
- Split your quote template into website development, digital cataloguing, hosting, maintenance and ads.
- Add taxable value, GST and payment reference lines to your invoice template.
- Create a dated handover note template with go-live date and screenshots.
Sources
- Tier 1. Government Order No. 811/18-4-2025 dated 6 November 2025, Quick Export Development Incentive Scheme, Government of Uttar Pradesh, paragraphs 2 to 13 and category 7, Hindi original read on 19 October 2026: UPEPC government orders page.
- Tier 1. Government Order No. 874/18-4-2025 dated 3 December 2025, E-commerce Onboarding Assistance Scheme, Annexure I, same page.
- Tier 1. Government Order No. 684/18-4-2025/18-4099/31/2025 dated 3 September 2025, UP Export Promotion Policy 2025-30, section 8.1.1, English text on invest.up.gov.in (the Hindi text prevails).
- Tier 2. Export Promotion Bureau UP, online registration instructions, read on 19 October 2026.
- Our own filed claims under category 7 (hosting, domain, redesign and monthly fees accepted; no amounts or client names) and our practice on GST and the day count. Not a government summary.
This is general guidance. Rules change. Check the current notification or order, or speak to us, before you act.
Related: Export website guide for UP exporters | UP MDA scheme, all nine categories | Register first, spend later
Free: First Export Checklist
23 steps every Bharat exporter must complete before their first shipment. Built from our EXIM work with Indian exporters.
Download Free PDF