MRA Grant

How much does the MRA cover? Up to 70% for SMEs from 1 April 2026, raised from 50% at Budget 2026, capped at S$100,000 per new market.

What counts as a "new" market? A market where your overseas sales were under S$100,000 in each of the past three years. This is the test most enquiries turn on: if you already trade meaningfully in a country, MRA will not fund entering it.

Who qualifies? A Singapore-registered and operating business, at least 30% local shareholding, with group annual sales of S$100M or less, or group employment of 200 or fewer.

How long does approval take? Typically 6 to 8 weeks, which is faster than EDG. Apply before the activity starts; MRA does not fund work already done.

Is it per market or per company? The S$100,000 cap is per new market, so a company entering three qualifying markets is not limited to one grant.

MRA is not one pot. It is three, each with its own ceiling, and structuring the engagement to fit them is most of the planning work:

• Overseas market promotion - marketing, PR, trade fairs - up to S$20,000.
• Overseas business development - market entry consultancy, partner search - up to S$50,000.
• Overseas market setup - incorporation advice, IP, tax structuring - up to S$30,000.

The sub-caps add to the S$100,000 per-market ceiling, but you cannot move budget between them. A plan that is 80% marketing spend will hit the S$20,000 promotion ceiling long before it reaches the headline cap, and the rest is unfunded. Scoping the mix before you commit to providers is what makes the difference between claiming S$20,000 and claiming most of the S$100,000.

Both can fund going overseas, which is a common point of confusion. The distinction is what the money buys.

MRA funds the act of entering a specific new market: the promotion, the partner search, the incorporation and tax setup in that country. Higher rate (up to 70% for SMEs), narrower scope, capped per market, faster approval.

EDG funds a project that builds capability, including under its market access pillar. Up to 50%, no fixed cap, broader scope, slower approval.

If the question is "help us launch in Vietnam", that is MRA. If it is "build the systems and capability we need to sell internationally at all", that is EDG. Some companies run both, sequenced.

MRA is an Enterprise Singapore scheme, administered through the Business Grants Portal. The sequence is: confirm the target market qualifies as new for your business, get a proposal from the overseas-marketing or market-entry provider, apply on the portal before the activity starts, execute after approval, then claim with proof of activity and payment.

Note the timing risk: MRA folds into the unified EDGE grant in late 2026. If an overseas push is already on your roadmap, the current window with the raised 70% rate is the one to use rather than waiting for rules that are not yet published.