Cooperative Incentive Scheme (CIS)

Cooperative Incentive Scheme (CIS)

Funds registered primary cooperatives in South Africa with non-repayable development grants.

The Cooperative Incentive Scheme (CIS) is a fully non-repayable government grant programme in South Africa, originally administered by SEDA and now managed under SEDFA following agency restructuring. The scheme provides registered primary cooperatives with a grant of up to R350,000 to acquire productive assets and strengthen cooperative operations across any economic sector. Cooperatives are not required to repay the grant under any circumstances, distinguishing CIS from blended or loan-based programmes. To qualify, an entity must be formally registered with the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) as a primary cooperative, must have a minimum of five members, and must be owned and controlled by South African nationals. The CIS is sector-agnostic, meaning cooperatives in agriculture, manufacturing, services, retail, and other industries are all eligible to apply. B-BBEE ownership requirements apply, and applicants are directed to confirm current thresholds on sedfa.org.za. The programme operates on a rolling intake basis with no fixed annual deadline, allowing cooperatives to apply throughout the year. Applications are processed through SEDFA offices nationwide.