Enterprise Development Grant

briefcase For Singapore companies starting new projects to upgrade their business, explore new growth, or expand overseas

bill Funds individual projects tailored to your business

Please visit the Business Grants Portal to check on the status of your application.

All successful applications will be subject to prevailing grant conditions. Incomplete applications will be rejected, and applicants may re-apply with all the complete set of required information.

Apply now

About this programme

The Enterprise Development Grant (EDG) supports projects that help you upgrade, innovate, grow and transform your business. Submit your individual project proposals with details on your business plans and project outcomes to take your business further.

EDG funds qualifying project costs namely third-party consultancy fees, software and equipment, and internal manpower cost.

Up to 50% of eligible costs for local SMEs
From 1 April 2023, SMEs can receive up to 50% support for EDG (sustainability-related projects may be supported at up to 70% from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2026). Please refer to the Enterprise Sustainability Programme page for more details.

Note: The previously-enhanced grant support levels were extended for a time-limited period given the exceptional disruptions brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, to encourage the transformation of the economy and to help businesses emerge stronger from the pandemic.

Eligibility

Business entity registered and operating in Singapore
Company has at least 30% local equity held directly or indirectly by Singaporean(s) and/or Singapore PR(s), determined by the ultimate individual ownership
Company is financially ready to start and complete the project. Commonly used financial indicators, such as the current ratio, will be used for assessment.

Note:

Applications will be assessed by EnterpriseSG based on project scope, project outcomes and competency of the service provider.
Employers eligible for the SkillsFuture Enterprise Credit can qualify for additional subsidies under the scheme.

Project categories

Today and into the future, companies that thrive are the ones that have strong business foundations and strategies, adopt technology and innovative processes, and grow their overseas presence.

EDG helps Singapore companies grow and transform. This grant supports projects that help you upgrade your business, innovate or venture overseas, under three categories:

Core Capabilities
Innovation & Productivity
Market Access

Projects under Core Capabilities help you prepare for growth and transformation by strengthening your business foundations. These include business strategy, financial management, human capital development, service excellence, strategic brand and marketing development.

Business Strategy Development
Formulate growth strategies and processes to improve your business development, better manage your intellectual property assets, optimise R&D operations, and implement sustainable practices.
Projects accepted:

Diagnosis and gap analysis in your company

Assessment of internal and external factors, such as strengths and weaknesses, and competition

Development of a strategic roadmap, business frameworks, policies or processes

Recommendations and plans for implementation

Sustainability strategy projects that include one or more of the following components:

Assessment of sustainability risks and opportunities

Strategy development

Governance framework

Setting metrics and targets

What is not covered:

Stand-alone IP registration costs

Stand-alone reports/assurance

Stand-alone set-up of sustainability unit and/or hiring of Chief Sustainability Officer/Sustainability Lead

Resources:
IP Business Guides
IP Clinics (Business/Legal)
IP Management Guide
Intangibles Disclosure Framework
Financial Management
Optimise your company’s financial performance and equip your management team with better skills to steward your company’s assets and resources more effectively.
Projects accepted:

Diagnosis and gap analysis in your company

Development of a strategic roadmap, business frameworks, policies or processes

Recommendations and plans for implementation

Development of plans to optimise financing, investment, and risk management

Identification of business risk exposure, and development of proper risk management processes and controls

Formation of international corporate structures to minimise tax liabilities

What is not covered:

Regulatory compliance costs, such as preparation of consolidated financial statements, accounting/ tax filing services

Drafting of legal documents

Procurement of ICT solutions

Resources:
Financial Management Toolkit
Human Capital Development
Strengthen your teams with the right skills as you scale and support business growth.
Projects accepted:

Diagnosis and gap analysis in your company

Development of a strategic roadmap, business frameworks, policies or processes

Recommendations and plans for implementation

Areas covered:

Compensation & Benefits

Employee Engagement & Communication

Employee Value Proposition

HR Management

International Mobility

Job Redesign

Learning & Development

Manpower Planning

Organisation Culture

Performance Management

Recruitment & Selection

Talent Management & Succession Planning

What is not covered:

Standalone training courses

Incentives, benefits and welfare subsidies for employees

Resources:
Human Capital Diagnostic Tool
Talent Attraction and Development Initiatives
HR Industry Transformation Plan
Retail Job Redesign Deliverable Instruction Guide
Service Excellence
Improve the quality of your service and products by gaining a deeper understanding of your customers’ needs and understanding their decision-making processes.
Projects accepted:

Diagnosis and gap analysis in your company

Assessment of internal and external factors, such as strengths and weaknesses, and competitors

Development of a strategic roadmap, business frameworks, policies or processes

Recommendations and plans for implementation

Customer Diagnostics: Diagnosis and gap analysis of customer needs to improve service levels and drive customer-centric behaviour

Service Innovation: Adoption of advanced customer research, analytics and service process redesign to enhance customer experience

What is not covered:

Incentives for mystery shoppers and customer survey respondents
Strategic Brand and Marketing Development
Differentiate your brand and marketing offerings through strategies that better capture your target audience and extend your reach.
Projects accepted:

Diagnosis and gap analysis in your company

Assessment of internal and external factors, such as strengths and weaknesses, and competitors

Primary or secondary research

Recommendations and plans for implementation

Development of effective brand strategy that appeals to targeted consumers and offers differentiated proposition from the competition

Assessment of a brand’s financial value and identification of brand levers

Development of a strategic plan to optimise marketing resources and improve customer communications

What is not covered:

Production of corporate and/ or marketing collaterals, such as brochures, videos, websites, photography, stock pictures, and copywriting

Implementation of marketing or PR campaigns, including retainer fees of consultants, advertising and media buys, engagement of social media influencers, management of websites/ social media platforms, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), and Search Engine Marketing (SEM)

Resources:
Marketing Toolkit
SME Consulting Programme

Transform your business through innovative products, processes, and new business models. Optimise resource usage to make routine tasks more efficient and improve performance.

Automation
Improve resource efficiency through automation and technology.

To defray the cost of large scale deployment of automation solutions, eligible businesses can also apply for the 100% Investment Allowance (IA). The support under IA is net of grant and the approved capital expenditure is capped at S$10 million per project. As announced at Budget 2023, the scheme will be extended for another three years until 31 March 2026.

You may indicate your interest when applying for EDG. EnterpriseSG will evaluate the application and advise if you are eligible for the Investment Allowance.
Projects accepted:

Adoption/development of sophisticated hardware and/or software solutions

Development of solutions that involve purchase of machinery and integration of systems

Training of staff to deploy solutions

Resource optimisation projects with specified projected quantitative resource efficiency improvements, such as reduction of:

Carbon emissions (tCO2e)

Energy consumption (kWh or kJ)

Waste generation (tons)

Water consumption (l or cm3)

What is not covered:

Set-up costs that are essential to starting a business

Cost of equipment and gadgets, such as copiers, laptops, tablets and mobile phones

Equipment and software costs that are supported under the Productivity Solutions Grant (PSG)

Replacement/ addition of solutions with little changes to resource efficiency and no new capabilities developed, unless the replacement/ addition is part of a larger, integrated system that enhances resource efficiency

Replacement of faulty solutions or equipment

Installation of conventional, operational and off-the-shelf solutions, appliances or devices (e.g. energy-saving LED lightings, solar panels)

Resources:
GoBusiness Gov Assist
Process Redesign
Review existing processes and identify possible areas to improve efficiency before undertaking automation or technology transformation.
Areas can cover:

Review and streamlining of workflow and processes to reduce or remove redundant processes

Exploring the use of technology to automate processes

Review and/ or development of performance measures

Development of tracking and measurement system

Development of detailed roadmap of actions for further improvement

Review of resource consumption and identifying areas of improvement

Piloting and implementation of recommended processes

Resource optimisation with specified projected quantitative resource efficiency improvements, such as reduction of:

Carbon emissions (tCO2e)

Energy consumption (kWh or kJ)

Waste generation (tons)

Water consumption (l or cm3)

Resources:
Productivity Centres
Product Development
Develop innovative technology and products with the end goal of commercialisation, including sustainable products, services, and solutions.
Areas can cover:

Assessment of market viability

Development of product roadmap and proposed functionalities for the product

Demonstration of market validation

Development of commercialisation plan

Review of IP considerations, such as IP/Trade Secrets protection, IP strategy, and Freedom to Operate analysis

Development of prototype and small batch production, where relevant

Sustainable products/services may be defined as those which:

are designed to be either: (a) more durable or energy or resource efficient (b) reparable (c) recyclable, or (d) made with a preference for recycled materials;

enable third parties to improve their sustainability performance

What is not covered:

Development of first product

Projects with low levels of technology innovation in relation to industry norms

Resources:
Centres of Innovation (COI)
IPI Singapore
IP Registration
Patent Analytics
Trade Secret Enterprise Guide

Defray the costs of venturing overseas as you look to expand your business into overseas markets.

Pilot Project and Test Bedding
Expand into new geographical or product markets by building your track record and testing your products.
Areas can cover:

Demonstration of product/solution viability and establishment of a track record to scale in new markets

*Note: Your product should be new and must not be generating any revenue at the point of grant application
Standards Adoption
Enter markets easily as you increase business competitiveness locally and internationally through an increased trust in your products and services.
Areas can cover:

Assessment, training, first time certification and adoption of relevant standards for business growth.

Sustainability standards adoption

What is not covered:

Cost of annual surveillance or recertification of current standards which the company is already certified to

Standards referred to in local regulatory acts

Product testing and validation of existing or off-the-shelf products

Basic standards such ISO 9001, SS 506, SS 444 and ISO 45001

How to apply

Identify the project category you wish to apply for.

There are no pre-approved vendors for the EDG.

If you apply for EDG support for management consultancy-related costs, you must engage management consultants with the Singapore Accreditation Council -accredited TR 43 or SS 680 certification.

These certifications recognise individual management consultants who possess the adequate know-how, competence, professional and ethical conduct to provide consultancy services, in accordance with TR 43:2015 / SS 680:2021. Management consultants are incited to obtain TR/SS-certification from the accredited personnel certification bodies, but this is not a mandatory certification and not a licence to operate.

However, to tap the EDG grant, the consultants must be certified except for:

Members/ specialists in the consultancy team who are not providing management consultancy services, but are performing dedicated functions, such as market research, audit, fieldwork, design/ artwork, equipment installation, and drafting of legal agreements.
Consultants offering technical advice and expertise in the development of new technology, and solutions vendors.

Checklist of a suitable consultant

General competency
✔ Relevant academic qualifications
✔ Breadth of consultancy experience
✔ Good track record and client testimonials
Domain expertise
✔ Knowledge or familiarity with clients' industry (e.g. business landscape, trends, best practices)
✔ Knowledge or expertise in the business function related to clients' project (e.g. financial management, HR management)
Soft skills
✔ Ability to synthesise information quickly and assess clients' issues accurately
✔ Resourcefulness in gathering information or resources for the clients' project

List of certified consultants

Note: Applications will be assessed by EnterpriseSG based on project scope, project outcomes and competency of the service provider.

Institute of Management Consultants (Singapore)

Registered Management Consultant (RMC)
Find out more here
Singapore Business Advisors and Consultants Council Ltd
Practising Management Consultants (PMC)

Practising Management Consultant (PMC)

Senior Practising Management Consultant (SPMC)

Find out more here
TÜV SÜD PSB
Singapore Certified Management Consultant (SCMC)

Professional Singapore Certified Management Consultant (PSCMC)

Expert Singapore Certified Management Consultant (ESCMC)

Find out more here

Apply on the Business Grants Portal (BGP)

You will need to sign in to your Corppass account to transact on the BGP portal. Sign up if you do not have a Corppass account yet, and use this guide for any help needed.

Third party companies are not allowed to apply or manage the grant on behalf of applicant companies.

Check that you have prepared your project proposal and relevant supporting documents for your application.

Note that projects must be new, have not commenced, and are not generating any revenue at the point of grant application.

Projects are considered to have commenced if any of the following took place before the application date:

Applicant started work
Applicant made payment to third-party, who is part of the application
Applicant signed contractual agreement with a third party, who is part of the application

Note: A complete submission will usually take 8 - 12 weeks from the time you submit your project application. We may contact you via the BGP for clarifications.

Project proposal templates
Core Capabilities proposal template

Innovation & Productivity proposal template

Market Access proposal template
Documents to prepare

Mandatory documents
✔ Latest ACRA search or instant information (dated no earlier than 6 months from date of project application)
If there are corporate shareholders, please provide the information for the corporate parents as well
✔ Audited financial statements or certified management accounts for the last Financial Year (FY)
✔ Consolidated financial statements for the last FY of your ultimate parent company, if any
✔ Project proposal
✔ Relevant proof of quotation for the cost of your project items. Where applicable, EnterpriseSG may seek clarifications on the choice of vendor and/or alternative quotation source.
Supporting documents
✔ Quotation of hardware and software costs by number of units and unit cost
✔ Employment or Appointment letters of staff*
For Consultancy cost
✔ Consultancy proposal details with fee breakdown by phases, description of activity and man-days required
✔ For projects where management consultants are engaged, please include the consultants’ proposal detailing the scope of work, man-day rate breakdown of the service, as well as the CVs and scanned copies of the Singapore Accreditation Council -accredited TR 43 or SS 680 certification(s) of each individual consultant.
Projected figures to provide:
✔ Company revenue
✔ Staff remuneration
✔ Depreciation
✔ Net operating profit before tax for three years’ post-project (inclusive of the year of project completion)
✔ Impact on workers (Singaporean or PR) benefitting from project in the form of increased wages, job creation, job-redesign or training

Notes:
* If staff is not identified yet, provide the job description and designation
There are no compulsory application fees required for schemes offered by EnterpriseSG. Any application fees quoted by individuals/ firms offering grant application services are not endorsed by the Government.

Claims

EDG projects are supported on a reimbursement basis. Claims can be submitted when all project deliverables have been achieved. Claims must reach Enterprise Singapore no later than six months from the end of the project qualifying period*.

*Refer to project Letter of Offer for details on project deliverables and project qualifying period.

Step 1: Refer to Letter of Offer

Refer to your Letter of Offer for details on:

Project Qualifying Period
Project Deliverables

Projects should have been completed within the specified qualifying period, and all project deliverables should have been achieved.

Step 2: Prepare documents

Prepare the following documents required for claims submission (Claims submission checklist):

1. Update your preferred mode of disbursement on BGP and submit necessary information
Please submit the necessary information for your preferred mode of disbursement. Disbursement of the Grant will be credited directly to your bank account through PayNow (preferred) or GIRO.

PayNow (preferred)

You are encouraged to register for PayNow Corporate with your UEN +3 alphanumeric suffix (if applicable) through your respective banks in three simple steps:
1. Contact your bank or log in to your bank’s internet banking or mobile banking app.
2. Link your UEN to the bank account. You can add a 3-digit alpha-numeric suffix to your UEN to create multiple PayNow proxies.
3. Enter your name to complete the setup.
Once your PayNow Corporate account is set up, submit your details via Business Grant Portal (BGP) claim form.
With PayNow Corporate, grant applicants can receive their grants faster, within 14 working days after approval of claims.
Please provide the necessary details on BGP when claims are being submitted.

GIRO

Please provide the necessary details on BGP when claims are being submitted.
Do note that disbursement via GIRO may take up to eight weeks after approval of claims.

In the event that no PayNow Corporate or GIRO has been set up, we are unable to disburse the claim.

Do note that the following scenarios would require an endorsed DCA form and declaration form to be submitted via formsg here:

Your account is not from any of the 4 banks (OCBC,DBS, POSB, UOB) OR
Your account is a Joint Bank Account under Partnership or Limited Partnership legal structure OR
Your company falls under Institutes of Public Character/Associations

2. Deliverables Documentation

Project Summary report (as found in the Claims submission checklist)
Documentation of project deliverables (e.g. consultant’s report, images of equipment, etc)

3. Cost Items Documentation for audit (e.g. Invoices, bank statements, employment contract, etc.). (As found in Claims submission checklist)

4. Refer to Enterprise Singapore’s Pre-Qualified Panel and appoint an auditor.

Step 3: Submit claims on BGP and select auditors

Submit claims

Log on to the Business Grant Portal (BGP) and select “File a New Claim”. Refer to the BGP guide for more information.
Upload project summary report and documentation of project deliverables under “Project Report” tab in BGP.

Select auditors

During final claim submission in BGP, select an auditor from Enterprise Singapore’s Pre-Qualified Panel to verify your claims, unless expressly exempted by Enterprise Singapore.
Upload cost items documentation (e.g. invoices, bank statements) under “Supporting Documents” in BGP.
Upon completion of the above steps, submit the claim and record the claim number for future reference. If you require further technical support on your claim submission, please contact Enterprise Infoline.

What happens after you have submitted your claims

An EnterpriseSG officer will verify that the project deliverables have been met, and may contact you for further information if required. A site visit or presentation meeting may be arranged for this purpose. You may be asked to revise your Project Report if the information is incomplete.
Concurrently, the auditor that you have appointed will verify your claim documents and issue an Audit Report upon completion of the verification. The auditor may contact you for further information if required.
The approved claim amount will be disbursed via your selected mode of disbursement to your designed bank account after successful verification of project deliverables AND expenses. First time applicants will need to ensure your PayNow or GIRO is set up and furnish the PayNow or GIRO details to EnterpriseSG for fund disbursement.
You will be informed via email when the grant has been approved
An email will also be sent out by DBS to the email address entered at the mandatory email field in CA/claim form to inform on the credit of the fund.