EDG Grant (retired)

Four conditions, and the fourth is the one that catches people out.

• The business is registered and operating in Singapore.
• At least 30% local shareholding. This is group-level, so a Singapore entity owned by a foreign parent usually fails here regardless of where the work happens.
• You are financially able to start and complete the project. EDG reimburses; it does not pay up front, so you need the cash flow to carry the build and claim back against milestones.
• The project has not started. There is no retrospective funding. A signed contract, a paid deposit or a first sprint delivered before approval can disqualify the whole application.

If you are mid-way through selecting a vendor, the order of events matters more than the paperwork. Get the application in before you commit to anything.

EDG co-funds up to 50% of qualified costs. There is no fixed dollar cap: the quantum is scoped per project, which is why two companies can receive very different amounts for superficially similar work. Qualified costs typically span consultancy fees, software and equipment, and internal manpower attributable to the project.

Projects sit under one of three pillars:

• Core capabilities - business strategy, financial management, and branding and marketing consultancy. This is the pillar a rebrand or brand-strategy engagement goes under.
• Innovation and productivity - process redesign, automation, and product development. Custom software and ERP builds live here.
• Market access - overseas expansion projects. Where the activity is specifically entering a new market, check the MRA grant first: it funds a narrower set of activities at a higher rate.

The mechanics are straightforward: scope the project, get proposals or quotations from qualified consultants or vendors, apply on the Business Grants Portal with your financials and project details, wait for approval, then claim by milestones with an audited statement of expenditure. Approval typically takes 8 to 12 weeks, and projects run 6 to 18 months.

The form is not the hard part. Applications are won or lost at the scoping stage, and the recurring reasons for failure are consistent:

• The project already started. The single commonest and most avoidable rejection.
• It reads as business-as-usual spending. Buying software is not a capability upgrade. Redesigning a process, with defined outcomes and a way to measure them, is.
• Vague outcomes. "Improve efficiency" is not assessable. A stated baseline and a target is.
• No cash flow to carry it. Because claiming is milestone-based and retrospective, the business has to fund the work first.

At Budget 2026 the government announced EDGE, a unified enterprise grant that folds EDG, PSG and MRA together, with launch expected in the second half of 2026. Applications continue through the Business Grants Portal in the meantime.

Practically: if your project is ready, there is no advantage in waiting for a scheme whose final rules are not published. Projects approved under EDG continue on their approved terms. See the EDGE grant page for what is confirmed so far.