A qualitative national initiative aimed at stimulating the growth of micro, small, and medium enterprises by refunding paid government fees, in accordance with specific terms and criteria. This contributes to improving operational efficiency, ensuring the continuity of economic activities, and enabling entrepreneurs to expand locally and enter new markets with confidence and stability.

The initiative aims to facilitate the establishment of start-up enterprises and enhance their sustainability by reducing their financial burdens during the early years of establishment, and by increasing their contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

The initiative starts on 01/01/2024 and continues until the end of 2028. Registration will close by the end of 2026. Disbursement of refunded amounts will begin in 2025 and will continue in periodic installments until an official decision is issued to conclude the initiative or until the end of 2028, whichever comes first.

Micro, small, and medium enterprises that meet the terms and conditions of the Initiative.

You can submit the application through the Istirdad Initiative webpage without the need to contact the Initiative partners.

An eligible enterprise that meets the requirements stipulated in the regulations is entitled to the refund of the following amounts:

• Publication of the company’s Articles of Association (one-time fee).
• Issuance and renewal of the enterprise’s Commercial Registration.
• Conversion of a sole proprietorship into a company.
• Membership and renewal fees of the Chamber of Commerce.
• Municipal licenses for practicing the enterprise’s business activity.
• Saudi Post subscription fees for the enterprise.
• Registration of one trademark for the enterprise.
• 80% of the fee for expatriate workers (excluding dependents), up to a maximum of (30 workers), in accordance with the labor quota weighting criteria for refunded workforce.
• Issuance and renewal of licenses for economic activities.
• Registration of one patent.

The enterprise must meet the following eligibility requirements: it must have a valid Commercial Registration, a valid Enterprise Size Certificate, and a valid license to practice the activity where applicable. The enterprise must be wholly owned by Saudi nationals, except for activities classified under categories (A) and (B) in Appendix (1) of the regulation. It must not have exceeded three years since the start of commercial activity, and the activity start date must not be before 01/01/2024, with the first employee registration considered as the reference for commencement. The enterprise must comply with the Saudization (Nitaqat Muneer) ratios set by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development. Additionally, ownership held by micro, small, and medium enterprises or individuals must not be less than 60% of the total company ownership.

It means that no more than three years have passed since the enterprise began conducting its commercial activity, and the commencement date of commercial activity must not be قبل 01/01/2024. The registration of the first employee is considered the reference point for determining the start of business activity.

You can verify your enterprise’s Nitaqat range by visiting the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development website or the Qiwa platform.

The amount will be refunded to the enterprise’s registered IBAN in the Initiative portal through the applicant, regardless of the IBAN used for payment.

Up to a maximum of 30 workers.

It is not eligible for support due to non-compliance with the Initiative’s requirements.

Up to a maximum of 15 workers.

Yes

There may be several reasons, including logging into the platform using a national ID that is not registered as the owner of the Commercial Registration, or the presence of regulatory restrictions preventing the CR from appearing, such as a court order suspending the services of the applying enterprise or one of its branches.

Yes, provided that the requirements specified in the regulation are met and the amounts fall within the scope of refundable fees.

One of the requirements for accepting the refund application is the submission of a valid Enterprise Size Certificate, which must be active during the enterprise’s eligibility period.

The certificate can be requested and issued through the official website of the Small and Medium Enterprises General Authority (Monshaat) to verify and obtain the Enterprise Size Certificate.

If the enterprise is not fully owned by Saudi nationals, refunds shall apply only to enterprises whose activities fall under Categories (A) and (B) specified in Appendix (No. 1: Activity Classifications) of the regulation, unless the allocated budget has been exhausted.

Yes, and it is considered to have achieved the required Saudization (Nitaqat) ratio.

Yes, provided that the branch Commercial Registration (CR) meets all the eligibility requirements specified in the regulation.

Yes, provided that the transferred Commercial Registration (CR) meets the eligibility requirements specified in the regulation, including that the first employee was registered under the CR prior to its transfer.

Yes, provided that the enterprise meets the eligibility requirements specified in the regulation.

The maximum eligible refund limit is adjusted in accordance with the new activity classification, and any difference is calculated accordingly if the activity is changed during the eligible period.

The enterprise’s bank account details are updated, and the payment is then reprocessed accordingly.

Yes, the applicant is informed via the Initiative’s webpage.

The application can be tracked through the Initiative’s webpage.

Communication is conducted through the customer service of the Small and Medium Enterprises General Authority (Monshaat).

The “Application Registered” status indicates that the application has been successfully submitted, and a final review will be conducted prior to the disbursement stage to verify eligibility.

It is important to note that the enterprise must continue to meet all eligibility requirements during this stage up to the refund disbursement date.

During the disbursement phase, compliance with the conditions will be reassessed. If the enterprise is found to be non-compliant, the application status will be changed to “Not Eligible.”