BOI Competitiveness Enhancement Fund

BOI Competitiveness Enhancement Fund — Cash Subsidies

Funds Thai firms upgrading machinery, automation, and digital capacity to strengthen real-world implementation.

Thailand's Board of Investment administers the Competitiveness Enhancement Fund as the direct cash-subsidy arm of its broader competitiveness measures, disbursing grants that cover 30–50% of a company's qualifying investment or actual expenditure. The national fund totals THB 10 billion, and the per-company award is capped at THB 100 million. The program targets SMEs and strategic projects already operating in Thailand, and sits alongside a separate tax-incentive measure that offers corporate income tax (CIT) exemption of up to 200% of qualified investment as well as a productivity-enhancement CIT exemption now extended to five years at up to 100% of investment value.

Eligible expenditure categories include machinery upgrades, automation systems, digital technology adoption, energy conservation, sustainability improvements, R&D investment, domestically developed technology licensing, advanced training, and local supplier development. Both existing BOI-promoted projects whose CIT exemption has expired and non-BOI projects seeking new promotion may apply. New ventures in vocational training or education with a minimum investment of THB 1 million are also eligible. For-profit companies with operations in Thailand are the intended applicants; nonprofits, universities, and individuals are ineligible.

The fund operates on a rolling basis with no published application deadline, and applicants engage directly with the BOI office to confirm specific qualifying criteria and determine the applicable subsidy tier. Projects focused solely on R&D and technology innovation may qualify for a CIT exemption of up to 13 years under the special R&D track. Companies prioritising Thailand's 2025 focus areas — digital infrastructure, supply-chain partnerships with Thai firms, and secondary-city tourism — are likely to receive favorable consideration. Awards can be stacked with the base CIT exemption available through the General Investment Promotion program.