INTRODUCTION:
The Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India, launched the National CSR Exchange Portal as part of its aim to create an interactive platform for CSR Stakeholders. The National CSR Exchange Portal “https://csrxchange.gov.in/” would act as an online marketplace for PAN-India social welfare initiatives, allowing stakeholders like Implementing Agencies to list their active projects and businesses to choose programs for CSR Spending based on their preferences.
The High-Level Committee on Corporate Social Responsibility’s 2018 recommendations served as the foundation for the development of the Exchange Portal. The creation of the Portal required the formation of an Advisory and Technical Committee. Different CSR Stakeholders, including CSR Practitioners, Technical Experts, and Civil Society Organizations, were represented on the Committee. The Committee informed the public about BSE Sammaan, a project of the MCA Think Tank, which included the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs, the Confederation of Indian Industry, and the Bombay Stock Exchange. It included features similar to those planned for the National CSR Exchange Portal.
HISTORY OF CSR IN INDIA:
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has been a corporate buzzword in India since the adoption of the Companies Act 2013 (the “Act”). The Act required private firms to donate to social welfare for the first time in the nation’s history. However, have you ever considered how the phrase “CSR” came to be?
In 1953, the phrase “Corporate Social Responsibility” (CSR) was first used. It was first used by American economist Howard Bowen in his book “Social Responsibilities of the Businessman” and he is frequently credited as the Father of CSR.
Although there are centuries-old accounts of businesses giving to charitable purposes. Corporate and philanthropic leaders have made a significant impact on society. They felt they had a unique obligation to the society because they benefited from it, but it wasn’t like “CSR” as it is now; the majority of donations were made through religious organisations with the intention of aiding the poor. There are enough anecdotal information concerning corporate companies creating universities, hospitals, etc., in India to give us a sense of what is going on.
REQUIREMENT OF A NATIONAL CSR EXCHANGE PORTAL:
Most corporations do not have a core area of competence in social development, so they typically hire an implementing agency to carry out projects. The need to find suitable Implementing Agencies for CSR operations has been one of the ongoing challenges for businesses (IAs). This exchange portal will save transaction costs for corporates by assisting them in finding the best Implementing Agencies for the successful execution of their CSR Projects.
The National CSR Exchange Portal will also assist in solving the issue of “inability to discover relevant projects” that Corporates frequently claim as a reason why they are unable to fulfil their CSR duties. This problem is solved by the CSR Exchange Portal, which offers a platform for browsing proposals put forth by various implementing agencies (or “IAs”). The Portal enables IAs to list their CSR initiatives in order to solicit funding from various corporate donors.
Many non-governmental organisations (or “NGO’s”) are looking for funding for their initiatives that can fall under the category of CSR. The National CSR Exchange Portal will facilitate the collaboration of Corporates and Implementing Agencies to advance national improvement.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
GENERAL FAQ’s:
Q.1 What is National CSR Exchange Portal?
Ans: National CSR Exchange Portal is an initiative by Ministry of Corporate Affairs to connect corporates, beneficiaries and Implementing Agencies. This Exchange Portal will help in building a more robust system for implementation of Corporate Social Responsibility.
Q.2 Who all can register on National CSR Exchange portal?
Ans: Registered corporates and Registered Implementing Agencies can register on the portal.
Q.3 Who are Registered Implementing Agencies?
Ans: Registered Implementing Agencies are those Implementing Agencies which are registered on MCA21 portal and has a valid CSR Registration Number (CRN).
Q.4 Who are Registered Corporates?
Ans: Registered Corporates are those corporates which are registered on MCA21 portal and have a valid Corporate Identification Number (CIN).
Q.5 I am neither a company nor Implementing Agency. Can I register?
Ans: No. Only Corporates and Implementing Agency, can register on the portal.
Q.6 What is Request For Proposal (RFP)?
Ans: Request For Proposal (RFP) is a process where a registered corporate creates a request for providing available funds for the project on this portal.
Q.7 What is Request For Fund (RFF)?
Ans: Request For Funds (RFF) is a process where Implementing Agency creates a request for asking of funds for the project on this portal.
Q.8 What are the charges for Registration on this Portal?
Ans: There are no charges for registration on National CSR Exchange Portal.
CORPORATE FAQ’s:
Q.1 How can I register on National CSR Exchange Portal as a Corporate?
Ans:
- Enter a valid Corporate Identification Number (CIN) and click on search.
- Confirm the details displayed on the screen.
- You will receive a One Time Password (OTP) on the registered email id.
- Enter OTP in the box.
- Create Username and password.
- Confirm your password.Click submit.
Q.2 Do I need to provide any document in profile building?
Ans: Yes, you need to upload CSR policy document which should includes following details:
- Contact Person Detail
- CSR Budget for the year
- Details of Awards (if any)
Q.3 Why should I register on National CSR Exchange Portal?
Ans: This Portal provides a platform to identify suitable Implementing Agency for the CSR Projects. You can easily manage your CSR projects through this Portal.
Q.4 Can I add CSR committee details on the Portal?
Ans: CSR committee can be auto filled in the profile section on portal.
Q.5 How can I edit my profile information such as Address, Email ID?
Ans: Corporate Master Information such as Corporate Address, Email Id etc cannot be edited in the portal. Changes to the Master information can only be made through MCA21.
Q.6 Whose details I need to provide as CSR contact Person?
Ans: CSR Contact Person is the in-charge of CSR Activities in the Corporate. All the Notifications/ Suggestions will be mailed to the Email ID to CSR Contact person.
Q.7 I am a corporate looking for Proposals. How do I proceed?
Ans: If you are a new user, you need to register on National CSR Exchange Portal. If you are already a user, you can float a Request For Proposal (RFP) through the portal.
Q.8 How to know if I am eligible to register on National CSR Exchange Portal?
Ans: The corporates registered on MCA21 portal and has a valid CIN are eligible to register on the portal.
Q.9 How to know if there are any Request For Funds (RFF) raised by Implementing Agency?
Ans: The portal will give notification if any new Request For Fund (RFF) is raised by an Implementing Agency. All the Request For Fund proposals can be viewed in List of Request For Fund on the portal.
Q.10 What are Proximate Projects?
Ans: Proximate Projects consist of list of those Implementing Agencies who are interested in the projects which are preferred by Corporates on the portal.
Q.10 How does National Exchange CSR portal verify Implementing Agencies?
Ans: We do not independently verify any Implementing Agency or Corporate. Due diligence of the Implementing Agency is the responsibility of Corporate.
Q.11 How do I get best Implementing Agencies to respond on my Projects?
Ans: You should provide all the necessary details related to projects to get the most responses on the portal.
Q.12 How do I know which Implementing Agency is interested in my Project?
Ans: You will get a notification once you sign in on the Portal.
Q.13 How can I link an Implementing Agency to a project?
Ans:
- To Link an Implementing Agency to a Project. Click on Add Project.
- On the input box Unique Implementing Agency ID, search the name of your desired Implementing Agency and select the name of required Implementing Agency.
- The Implementing Agency gets linked to the project
Q.14 What do you mean by Project Acceptance on Corporate dashboard?
Ans: Project acceptance is an act of getting a notification when any Implementing Agency links the Corporate to a Project it has created. The corporate has a choice of either accepting or rejecting the Project Acceptance request.
Q.15 What are Nearby Implementing Agencies?
Ans: Nearby Implementing Agencies is the list of all the Implementing Agencies according to the registered location of the corporate. For example, if a Corporate is registered in Delhi, so this nearby tab will show all the Implementing Agencies which are registered in Delhi.
Q.16 What is Nearby Request For Fund (RFFs)?
Ans: Nearby Request For Fund (RFFs) is the list of all the Nearby Request For Funds (RFF) according to the registered location of the corporate.
Q.17 What is Corporate CSR Analytics?
Ans: Corporate CSR Analytics contains year wise amount spent on projects by the corporate in past years. It also shows number of CSR projects implemented by corporate across years State Wise and Development Sector Wise.
IMPLEMENTING AGENCY FAQ’s:
Q.1 How can I register on National CSR Exchange Portal as Implementing Agency?
Ans:
- Enter a valid CSR Registration Number (CRN) and click on search
- Confirm the details displayed on the screen
- You will receive a One Time Password (OTP) on the registered email id.
- Enter OTP in the box.
- Create Username and Password.
- Confirm your Password. Click submit.
Q.2 How can I login on National CSR Exchange Portal?
Ans:
- Enter your Username.
- Enter your password created during registration
- Enter Captcha Code
Q.3 Can we add CSR Board Member on the portal?
Ans: CSR Board Members can be auto filled in the profile section on the portal.
Q.4 How can I edit my profile information such as Address, Email ID?
Ans: Implementing Agencies details such as Address, Email Id etc. cannot be edited in the portal. Changes to the Master information can only be made through MCA21.
Q.5 Whose details I need to provide as CSR contact Person?
Ans: CSR Contact Person is the in-charge of CSR Activities in the Implementing Agencies. All the Notifications/ Suggestions will be mailed to the Email ID to CSR Contact person.
Q.6 Why should I register on National CSR Exchange Portal?
Ans: The portal provides a platform to list projects and raise funds from Corporate Organization.
Q.7 How to know if I am eligible to register on National CSR Exchange Portal?
Ans: An Implementing Agency who is registered with MCA21 and has a valid CSR Registration Number (CRN) is eligible to register on the portal.
Q.8 I am an I.A looking for funds. How do I proceed?
Ans: For a new user, you need to register on National CSR Exchange Portal. If you are already a user, you can float a Request For Fund (RFF) proposal through the portal.
Q.9 What do you mean by Project Acceptance on Implementing Agency dashboard?
Ans: Project acceptance is an act of getting a notification when any Corporate links the project to a Request for Fund created by Implementing Agency. The Implementing Agency has a choice of either accepting or rejecting the Project Acceptance request.
Q.10 What are Proximate Companies on Implementing Agency dashboard?
Ans: Proximate Companies consist of list of those corporates who are interested in the projects which are preferred by Implementing Agencies.
Q.11 Can I approach corporates directly?
Ans: Yes, the platform provides you with the option of directly submitting your proposals and request for funds directly to the corporate. Due diligence of the corporate is the responsibility of implementing agency.
Q.12 Will I surely get funds if I register on this portal?
Ans: No, there is no guarantee for a project listed on this portal to get funded. But, if you provide all necessary details that will improve your chances to get funded.
Q.13 I have submitted my response for Request For Proposal (RFPs). What do I do next?
Ans: Once submitted, the final decision depends on the corporate who has listed the Request For Proposal (RFP). In case of final selection, you will get notified.
Q.14 How many Request For Fund (RFF) for programs can I create?
Ans: You can create unlimited number Request For Fund (RFF) for different programs on the portal.
Q.15 How do I know which corporate is interested in my projects?
Ans: You will get the notification on your dashboard if any corporate has shown any interest once you sign in with your credentials.
Q.16 How can I view Request For Proposal (RFP)?
Ans: You can view Request For Proposal (RFP) in the “Proximate Request For Proposal (RFP)” section.
Q.17 What information can I get by CSR Stats?
Ans: CSR Statistics provide information about Ongoing Projects, Current Projects, New Projects, number of corporates linked with Implementing Agency and total budget of Implementing Agencies.
Q.18 What are Nearby Companies?
Ans: National Exchange CSR Portal will show all the nearby Corporates according to the registered location of the Implementing Agency. For example, if an Implementing Agency is registered in Delhi so this nearby tab will show all the Corporates which are registered in Delhi.
Q.19 What is Nearby Request For Proposal (RFP)?
Ans: National Exchange CSR Portal will show all the Nearby Request For Proposal (RFP) according to the registered location of the Implementing Agency.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
https://csrxchange.gov.in/
https://www.mca.gov.in/
Various sources on the Internet
Author Bio
Sir I am getting Invalid csr no message on csr exchange portal while registration for implementing agency
How to solve