Eligibility

• Any agency /organization engaged in consumer welfare activities for at least a period of three years after registration under the Companies Act, 1956, (1 of 1956) or under any other law for the time being in force, including village/mandal/samiti level cooperatives of consumers especially Women, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, or
• Any industry as defined in the Industrial Disputes Act 1947 (14 of 1947) recommended by the Bureau to be engaged for a period of 5 years in viable and useful research activity which had made, or is likely to make, significant contribution in formulation of standard mark of the products of mass consumption, or
• State Governments, and
  having Audited accounts for the three years preceding the year when its proposal is under the consideration of the Standing Committee.
  Note - 1: - Preference will be given to:-
  • Organizations having an all India character and having reputation, capacity, experience, skilled staff and standing, AND
  • Organizations working for empowerment of rural consumers and having larger participation of women and socially marginalized segments. AND
  • Projects which are innovative, and focus on institutionalizing arrangements and is likely to have lasting impact for consumer welfare
• An Industry or an Association of Industries as defined under Industrial Disputes Act 1947 which has been engaged in viable and fruitful research activities for a period of 10 years, which has made or is likely to make significant contribution in formulation of standard mark of products of mass consumption.
• Central and State Govt. Departments/ Organizations/ Undertakings /consumers.
• Consumer Organisations for taking up Class action suits instituted to pursue common interest of consumers or a group of consumers against providers of goods or services.
• Proposals which have a national level outreach and impact, and are innovative in raising consumer empowerment/awareness and are replicable.

Items that qualify for assistance

Recurring and Non-recurring expenses will be decided as per the individual Schemes. However generally the following items may qualify for assistance:-

• Purchase of hardware/ soft ware /equipments/ internet services/ (for activities other than short duration studies);
• Purchase of minimum furniture (for activity other than short duration studies);
• Charges for delivery of services;
• Other charges as may be considered necessary by the Standing Committee for the proper running of the programme/ project ;
• In special circumstances, Construction / purchase of office space or building by the Central/State / PSU. This will be subject to the conditions that the State Government/PSU as the case may be will share a part of the cost either by providing land for the building free of cost or meeting 30% of the cost of the building. However the Standing Committee may decide the quantum of assistance of fund needed on a case to case basis.
• Grants in aid towards administrative expenditure will not be allowed to VCOs.
  This condition will not be applicable in the case of proposals for setting up Chairs and Centres of excellence in Indian Universities, National Law Colleges, IIMs and IITs etc.

Extent of Assistance

The quantum of assistance for a project shall normally not exceed Rs.3 crores. However the Standing Committee may sanction higher amounts in exceptional circumstances for reasons to be recorded in writing for such an exception.

A grantee shall ordinarily be required to meet 20 % of the cost of the project through its own resources of which at least 10% will be in cash. However, the Standing Committee may for reasons to be recorded in writing, waive this condition partially or wholly. Assistance will normally be for three years and in rare cases extendable by one or two more years, where after it will be expected to have become self-sustaining. It shall be the responsibility of project holder to arrange for the running and maintenance of the project after cessation of assistance from CWF.

The project proposal should invariably indicate how the Organisation proposes to run the project activities in the post grant period and source of income.

No assistance will be given to proposals coming from States that are given Corpus Fund to set up State Consumer Welfare Fund unless the project focus has a national /regional level outreach.