Esterdad Government Fee Reimbursement Initiative

Estrdad Government Fee Refund Initiative

Funds Saudi startups by refunding selected government fees and patent-registration costs.

The Estrdad Government Fee Refund Initiative is a Monsha'at programme for young Saudi micro, small, and medium enterprises. The official Saudi Press Agency release says Monsha'at launched the second edition with a total value of SAR1.5 billion to refund selected government fees and financial costs for startups during their first three years.

This is a reimbursement instrument rather than a project grant. Covered categories include 80% of expatriate fees, articles of association publication, commercial registration, municipality licence, Saudi Post and chamber subscriptions, trademark registration, economic activity licences, and patent registration. The patent-registration addition is the main technology-relevant element: deep-tech startups can use the scheme to reduce early IP and compliance costs, but it does not fund R&D work packages directly.

Eligibility is limited to micro, small, or medium enterprises that have been in business for no more than three years and started activity no earlier than January 1, 2024. Companies must meet localization requirements, and the release says micro, small, or medium enterprises or individuals must hold at least 60% of company ownership. It also says the enterprise must be fully Saudi-owned, subject only to activity-specific exceptions under the initiative terms.

Registration runs from launch until the end of 2026. Eligible SMEs receive periodic disbursements after qualification, and disbursement continues until the end of 2028. The source says detailed conditions are published on the Estrdad webpage, but the portal was not reliably reachable during this refresh, so applicants should verify current documents and refund categories before relying on the programme.