Official rolling application notice · India-wide · Checked 19 October 2026
Eligible Indian NGOs and community-based organisations may seek support for running Garima Greh shelter homes for transgender persons under the Government of India’s SMILE Scheme. An official Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment memorandum dated 3 September 2025 provides for the e-Anudaan portal to remain open throughout the year for new and existing Garima Greh projects across all States and Union Territories.
The scheme guidelines set out a ₹36,46,500 (₹36.465 lakh) project-cost norm for a 25-resident home, including recurring expenses and one-time setup costs. This is a costing framework, not a cash grant guaranteed to every eligible NGO. Applications, appraisal and sanction are subject to the Ministry’s rules.
Deadline clarification: The official 2025 memorandum provides a year-round application arrangement; it does not announce a December 2026 closing date. The public NGO login is accessible, but NGOGrant has not entered an applicant account to confirm which scheme-specific submission forms are currently enabled.
Garima Greh grant under the SMILE Scheme: key details
| Government department | Department of Social Justice and Empowerment, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India |
|---|---|
| Scheme | SMILE — Comprehensive Rehabilitation for Welfare of Transgender Persons, Garima Greh component |
| Programme type | Central government grant-in-aid for eligible organisations operating residential shelter homes; official year-round application arrangement |
| Funding norm | ₹36.465 lakh, comprising ₹5.025 lakh non-recurring and ₹31.44 lakh recurring costs for a prescribed 25-resident project. Actual sanction may differ. |
| Geographic coverage | All States and Union Territories under the September 2025 memorandum; assessment of local need and approval still apply. |
| Potential applicants | Eligible registered NGOs, CBOs, societies, public charitable trusts and other organisations meeting the current Garima Greh rules. The 2025 invitation specified a minimum of two years’ registration and two years’ relevant social-sector experience. |
| Application status | Rolling application arrangement officially announced; current form availability must be checked by the applicant after secure login. |
| Published deadline | No fixed closing date in the September 2025 year-round memorandum. No December 2026 deadline independently verified. |
| Submission | Official e-Anudaan NGO portal. |
| Official notice | 3 September 2025 memorandum: opening throughout the year. |
The Ministry’s signed office memorandum and Garima Greh scheme guidelines are the primary sources. Applicants should rely on revised government instructions where these replace older scheme provisions.
What does Garima Greh provide?
Garima Greh is a residential support programme for transgender persons. The model aims to provide a safe place to stay while residents access food, basic healthcare, counselling, education, skills and support towards independent livelihoods. A shelter home must serve its intended beneficiaries with dignity, privacy, non-discrimination and appropriate safeguards.
The scheme is not an unrestricted grant for general NGO administration. Proposed expenditures must relate to the approved shelter-home programme and its prescribed costs.
Who can apply for Garima Greh?
Government invitations identify eligible community-based organisations, NGOs, trusts and charitable institutions. The formal 2025 application notice states that an implementing organisation should have at least two years of registration and at least two years of experience in the social sector at application.
For practical screening, the applicant should be able to demonstrate:
- Legal status: a valid registration certificate, constitution, governing-body details and organisational PAN.
- Government portal readiness: an NGO DARPAN Unique ID, updated organisation details and e-Anudaan access. The portal states that DARPAN registration comes first.
- Relevant experience: verifiable records of social-sector work, and ideally experience in transgender welfare, inclusive residential care or a closely related service.
- Operational ability: appropriate premises, staffing, financial management, welfare safeguards, monitoring and accountability arrangements.
- Programme fit: a clear reason why the proposed location needs a Garima Greh and how the applicant would run it according to government norms.
Important: This is a government grant-in-aid route, not a corporate CSR RFP. The official public notice does not make CSR-1 or FCRA a universal prerequisite. Do not assume that a Section 8 company qualifies solely because of its corporate form; compare the actual legal status with the current Garima Greh scheme requirements.
Understanding the ₹36.465 lakh funding figure
The Garima Greh guideline’s budget table divides the prescribed cost into the following components:
| Component | Guideline norm | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Non-recurring expenditure | ₹5,02,500 | One-time setup expenses such as furniture, basic equipment, kitchen and safety items; generally for new centres. |
| Recurring expenditure | ₹31,44,000 | Specified annual operating costs including premises, food, staffing, healthcare and programme support. |
| Total | ₹36,46,500 | Illustrative prescribed project-cost ceiling under the cited guideline, subject to the latest admissibility and sanction conditions. |
For an organisation applying to operate an existing Garima Greh, one-time setup costs should not automatically be included again. Actual releases depend on sanction, milestones, utilisation certificates and supporting reports. An applicant should not make contractual commitments on the assumption that the full published norm will be approved or immediately released.
Read the official budget and grant-release provisions. The figures above reflect the published norm, not a confirmation of any 2026–27 revised budget.
Documents and preparations for NGOs
The following is an NGOGrant preparation checklist; the live form and current guidelines decide which attachments are mandatory.
- Registration certificate, memorandum/trust deed or governing instrument, organisational PAN and NGO DARPAN Unique ID.
- Names and responsibilities of governing-body members, with properly authorised application signatory details.
- Recent annual reports, audited financial statements, project experience and evidence of existing activities.
- A location-specific needs assessment describing the residents to be served and facilities required.
- Information on available or proposed premises, accessibility, safety, accommodation and basic services.
- A staffing structure, safeguarding arrangements, counselling and health-service linkages, and resident grievance procedures.
- A realistic project budget mapped to the government norms, with separate treatment of one-time and recurring expenses.
- Monitoring and record-keeping plans, including confidential management of sensitive personal and beneficiary information.
Existing grantees may need additional inspection, utilisation and prior-grant documentation. Do not share residents’ identity records, health details or case histories through public links or commercial consultancy messaging accounts.
How to apply through e-Anudaan
- Confirm the notice. Read the September 2025 year-round memorandum and review the Ministry’s SMILE scheme page for amendments.
- Prepare NGO DARPAN. The government portal requires an NGO DARPAN Unique ID and organisational PAN. Ensure its profile is current.
- Register or sign in. Use the official e-Anudaan NGO login. An organisation already registered should use its existing account.
- Locate the Garima Greh application. Confirm that the applicable new or existing project category is accepting submissions in the authenticated portal. If it is unavailable, seek clarification from the official support channel rather than assuming an application was filed.
- Complete the prescribed form. Provide the proposed service, responsible persons, experience, location, financial details and uploads exactly as requested by the live process.
- Review and submit. Obtain the portal-generated submission number, acknowledgement and a saved copy of the documents sent.
- Track government review. The process may involve scrutiny, district or state review, inspection and central approval. A completed application does not establish sanction.
Official application — e-Anudaan NGO login →
Separate official source: Ministry office memorandum (PDF), 3 September 2025.
Garima Greh versus begging rehabilitation: do not mix them up
The umbrella SMILE Scheme includes different sub-schemes. The Garima Greh component supports residential services for transgender persons and has the official e-Anudaan year-round application memorandum described above.
The separate rehabilitation programme for persons engaged in begging works with district administrations, local bodies and their selected implementing partners. Under the revised guidelines effective 10 June 2025, an annual per-city allocation of ₹48.70 lakh is specified; it should not be marketed as a general ₹55.90 lakh NGO application. Applicants should watch for advertised district or municipal selection opportunities rather than submit a generic application on the strength of a consultancy poster.
Review the Ministry’s revised begging-rehabilitation guidelines before treating any local EOI as funded and open.
Questions applicants commonly ask
Can an NGO in Nagaland or another Northeast state apply?
The September 2025 memorandum permits applications for new and existing Garima Grehs across all States and UTs. Eligibility and need in the proposed location remain subject to government review. Earlier gap-state lists must not be mistaken for the only current geographic coverage.
Is the deadline 31 December 2026?
No verified Ministry notice specifies that date. The official document says throughout the year. Because the current live submission form is behind a protected NGO login, applicants should check the portal and obtain confirmation where necessary.
Will my NGO receive ₹36.465 lakh?
Not automatically. The figure is taken from prescribed cost norms for a standard Garima Greh project. Actual eligible expenditure and sanction are determined by the funding authority.
Can an NGO apply through a consultant?
An organisation may obtain legitimate preparation support, but the official application route remains the government e-Anudaan portal. Applicants should keep control of their credentials, documents, official correspondence and submissions.
View this grant listing → | Browse all funding opportunities
NGOGrant editorial review: 19 October 2026. Principal sources: Ministry year-round intake memorandum, published Garima Greh funding guidelines, Ministry 2025 eligibility notice and the government portal. Source dates are shown rather than implying this is a newly announced 2026 call. NGOGrant is independent of the Ministry. Applicant eligibility, current form availability, sanction amounts and any later amendment must be checked through official channels. No NGO application was submitted or applicant account accessed during this editorial review.