An insight into Vietnam's Investment Support Fund decree

On December 31, 2024, the Vietnamese Government issued Decree No. 182/2024/ND-CP on establishment, management and usage of the Investment Support Fund - a move in response to the impact of the Global Minimum Tax (GMT). This strategic initiative underscores its commitment to fostering innovation and establishing Vietnam as a hub for cutting-edge technology, write Deloitte Vietnam analysts.

For the first time ever, Vietnam has rolled out a new groundbreaking incentive scheme, marking a significant milestone in the country's efforts to attract world-class high-tech businesses to further invest in Vietnam.

The decree establishes a framework for the Investment Support Fund (ISF), providing cash grants/subsidies to enterprises with qualified investment projects in Vietnam. Under the decree, criteria for project eligibility have been meticulously defined, ensuring alignment with economic development priorities.

The ISF shall be founded by the Government, and the Ministry of Planning and Investment is mandated to operate the fund, which will be financed from the State budget.

There are two main types of subsidy under the ISF, known as "annual expenses subsidy" and "initial investment subsidy".

For annual expenses subsidy, the fund aimed at providing annual financial support for enterprises and investment projects in the high-tech sector and research & development (R&D) centers. Meanwhile, initial investment subsidy would be available for enterprises having R&D centers in semiconductors and AI.

The determination of eligible subjects may depend on total investment scale or annual revenue resulted from the project, with further conditions specifically required on case-by-case basis.

Certain types of annual expenses that incurred during business operation are eligible for support from the ISF, such as R&D expenses, investment costs for new fixed asset, manufacturing expenses of high-tech products, etc, if certain conditions are met. The subsidy level varies, depending on the applicable subject and types of expenses to claim for subsidy.

The decree on ISF comes into effective from fiscal year 2024 and the specified timeline for annual application for subsidy is before July 10 of the year following the subsidized fiscal year.

Recommendations

As the decree comes into effect from fiscal year 2024, enterprises should promptly kick-off the process of assessment and relevant preparation to ensure their entitlement for support from the fund, as well as to be ready for the first application to be submitted in July 2025 where applicable.

Thoroughly review the applicability of ISF policies

Conduct an in-depth analysis of the new ISF policy. Evaluate the eligibility criteria and conditions to identify potential opportunities for your business to benefit from the new incentive scheme.

Identify gaps and implement improvement actions

Assess the existing qualifications against the requirements for application of the new incentive policy. Identify any gaps that may prevent eligibility, such as the absence of required certifications. We recommend businesses to take proactive measures, such as applying for High-Tech Certification where appropriate, to ensure compliance and readiness for claiming these incentives.

Claim qualified incentives

Once eligible, enterprises should prepare and submit dossiers to claim the subsidies from the ISF.

Eligible subjects and incentive scheme

Incentive regimes for the two types of subsidy, annual expenses subsidy and initial investment subsidy, are as follows: