The Advanced Technology Development Center is launching a mechanism for manufacturers of personal care products that directly reduces the cost of entry into labeling: compensation of 50% of equipment costs. The focus is on enterprises with small volumes and low automation, that is, on the typical SME segment, where the introduction of DataMatrix often hits turnover the hardest.
Discounted equipment applications are accepted from February 2 to July 31, 2026. The conditions are basic, but fundamental: the company must be an SME, a manufacturer of personal care products and be registered in the Honest Sign system. Five types of equipment have been announced for the business, which is important because manufacturers have different scenarios: from manual packaging to semi—automatic.
Key quotes (verbatim, in separate paragraphs)
Context: The CRPT explains why the measure is specifically aimed at small producers.
"In the segment of sanitary goods, market participants with small production volumes and minimal automation occupy a significant share. It is for such enterprises that our program will be most in demand and useful. Based on the experience of labeling in the cosmetics and household chemicals industry, where over 300 applications for the supply of equipment have been submitted, we expect similar interest from manufacturers of sanitary goods," said Varvara Mikhailova, Head of the Department of Consumer Goods at the CRPT.
Context: the purpose of labeling is not to “tick off”, but to reduce illegal trafficking.
"The introduction of labeling is designed to reduce the share of counterfeits and counterfeits in the segment, giving consumers the opportunity to purchase legal and safe products with greater confidence," the CRPT added.
Why it is important for foreign economic activity and supply chains
Although the theme looks "internal", its effect is external: labeling changes the requirements for traceability and batch management, which means how the manufacturer works with raw materials, packaging, contract facilities and warehouses. For companies that sell through marketplaces or export part of their product range to neighboring markets, this reduces the risk of claims about the origin of the product and the legality of turnover within the country (and it is at these points that delivery most often “breaks down”: blocking, refunds, and stopping shipments).
A separate practical marker experiment on labeling personal care products runs from September 25, 2025 to August 31, 2026 and covers a wide range (from toilet paper to diapers and toothbrushes). More than 80 companies have already joined the project, and the estimate of illegal turnover in the market is 10% (according to the Higher School of Economics, which are given in the message).
What should the manufacturer do right now
- Check the registration in the Fair Sign and the availability of product cards/reference books.
- Choose the type of equipment for the real flow (manual / semi-automatic / inline).
- Include ”bottlenecks" in the implementation plan: DataMatrix print quality, aggregation, staff training, and accounting/warehouse integration.
- Manage to submit an application in the 2.02–07/31/2026 window, while the program is not overloaded with demand.
