The Open Door Programme (ODP) is a Singapore Government programme, administered by SG Enable, that helps employers hire, train and keep employees with disabilities. Any employer registered in Singapore with a UEN can register. Registered employers can apply for a Job Redesign Grant of up to 90% of costs (capped at S$20,000 per employee with disability), training subsidies of 90% to 100% for disability inclusion courses and up to 95% for courses for employees with disabilities, an Employer Development Grant of up to S$40,000, and free recruitment and job support. The current terms run from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2028.
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What does the Open Door Programme offer employers?
The ODP is a bundle of five forms of support. You register once as an ODP employer and then use whichever parts you need.
| Support | What it funds | Funding level |
|---|---|---|
| Job Redesign Grant | New equipment, changes to the workplace or work processes, and job redesign consultancy for an employee with a disability | Up to 90% of costs (excluding GST), capped at S$20,000 per employee with disability |
| Training Grant: workplace disability inclusion | SG Enable’s workplace disability inclusion training for your staff | 90% to 100% of course fees |
| Training Grant: employees with disabilities | SG Enable-supported courses for the workplace and professional development of employees with disabilities | Up to 95% of course fees |
| Employer Development Grant | Building in-house capability, such as appointing an existing employee as job coach, hiring an external job coach, or hiring a consultant to improve recruitment and onboarding | Capped at S$40,000 per employer |
| Recruitment and Job Support Services | Inclusive Jobs Portal, advice from occupational therapists and job coaches, candidate screening and post-hire job support | Provided as a service |
There is also an Inclusive Hiring Queen Bee Grant of up to S$5,000 a year for organisations appointed by SG Enable as “Queen Bees” to lead networks of inclusive employers. Most SMEs will not need it.
Who is eligible?
The employer
Any employer legally registered in Singapore with a Unique Entity Number (UEN) can register as an ODP employer. That includes foreign-owned Singapore companies.
The employee (for the Job Redesign Grant)
- A Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident.
- Certified as having a permanent disability: autism, intellectual disability, physical disability and/or sensory disability (for example hearing loss or visual impairment).
- Proof can be a recent doctor’s memorandum and/or a membership card from a Social Service Agency recognised by SG Enable.
- Already working for you when you apply, or starting within three months after the grant is approved.
- On an employment contract of at least one year.
Job Redesign Grant: the conditions that matter
The Job Redesign Grant is the part most employers ask about, because it pays for the practical changes that make a role work. Its conditions are strict on timing.
- Approval before you start. SG Enable must approve the application before the job redesign project begins.
- Three months to finish. The project must be completed within three months of approval.
- No double funding. You must not have used another government grant for the same project.
- Deadline. Application forms must be submitted by 31 March 2028 (inclusive).
- GST excluded. The 90% is computed on costs excluding GST.
How do you apply?
- Register as an ODP employer. Complete SG Enable’s Registration of Organisation form and email it to [email protected].
- Recruit, or identify the employee. Post jobs on the Inclusive Jobs Portal and use SG Enable’s screening and job-matching support if you are hiring.
- Scope the job redesign. List the equipment, workplace changes or consultancy needed, and obtain quotations.
- Submit the Job Redesign Grant Application Form with supporting documents to [email protected]. SG Enable reviews it and may ask questions.
- Wait for approval, then proceed. Start the work only after approval, and complete it within three months.
- For the Employer Development Grant, email SG Enable and a representative will follow up.
SG Enable does not publish a standard processing time on its ODP page, so build in time before the employee’s start date.
Documents checklist for the Job Redesign Grant
- ODP employer registration (completed Registration of Organisation form)
- Job Redesign Grant Application Form
- The employee’s employment contract showing a term of at least one year
- Proof of permanent disability: a recent doctor’s memorandum and/or a recognised Social Service Agency membership card
- Quotations for the equipment, modifications or consultancy, showing GST separately
- A short description of the role and how the changes will help the employee do it
Treat disability information as sensitive personal data. Share it only with the staff who handle the application and keep it in a restricted file.
Example: an accounting firm hiring a visually impaired executive
Example: A 30-person accounting services company hires a Singapore Citizen with visual impairment as an accounts executive on a two-year contract. She needs screen-reading software, a larger monitor with magnification, and some changes to how scanned invoices reach her (moving from image PDFs to text-searchable files). The quotations come to S$9,000 before GST.
- The company registers as an ODP employer and applies for the Job Redesign Grant before buying anything.
- Maximum grant: 90% of S$9,000 = S$8,100 (within the S$20,000 cap per employee).
- The company sends her supervisor and two team members to SG Enable’s disability inclusion workshops under the Training Grant.
- Separately, IRAS’s Enabling Employment Credit offsets part of her salary automatically if she earns below S$4,000 a month.
The figures are illustrative. SG Enable decides what costs are supportable.
How the ODP works with the Enabling Employment Credit
The ODP pays for job redesign, training and capability building. Wage support comes separately from the Enabling Employment Credit (EEC), which IRAS pays automatically. Under the EEC, employers of Singapore Citizen or PR employees with disabilities aged 13 and above earning below S$4,000 a month receive up to 20% of the monthly wage, capped at S$400. Employers hiring someone who had not been working for at least six months receive up to an additional 20% (also capped at S$400 a month) for the first nine months. The EEC is available until 2028. Our guide to the SEC, EEC and CPF Transition Offset payouts explains the timing of those payments.
What changes are coming?
In October 2026, following the report of the Taskforce on Assurance for Families with Persons with Disabilities, MOM said the Government will enhance the Enabling Employment Credit and introduce a new Enabling Employment Grant to make applications easier for employers and employees. It also announced a dedicated Employment Support Office as a one-stop shop. The detailed terms and start dates had not been published on an official page as at 6 November 2026. Until they are, the current ODP terms apply.
Common reasons applications fail
- Buying equipment before approval. SG Enable must approve the application before the project starts, so starting early breaks a qualifying condition.
- A short contract. A contract of less than one year does not meet the condition.
- Missing proof of disability, or a disability type outside the listed categories.
- Another grant already covers the same project. For example, equipment already claimed under an enterprise grant.
- Not registering as an ODP employer first.
- Overrunning the three-month completion window.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a fee to register as an ODP employer?
SG Enable’s ODP page does not mention any registration fee. Registration is by form submitted to [email protected].
Can the Job Redesign Grant be used for an existing employee who becomes disabled?
The conditions refer to persons with disabilities who have started work at the time of application, and do not limit the grant to new hires. The employee must meet the certification and contract conditions. Confirm your case with SG Enable.
Is the S$20,000 cap per company or per employee?
Per employee with disability. A company hiring several employees with disabilities can apply for each one, subject to SG Enable’s approval.
Can SkillsFuture course subsidies also apply?
Employer-sponsored training under SWDA’s schemes has its own subsidy rules. Check whether a course is SG Enable-supported (ODP Training Grant) or SWDA-funded before you register, and do not plan on funding the same course fee from two sources. Our article on staff training tax deductions and course subsidies explains the wider picture.
Does the Workplace Fairness Act apply to hiring persons with disabilities?
Disability is one of the protected characteristics under Singapore’s workplace fairness framework, so hiring, promotion and dismissal decisions must not discriminate on that basis. Our guide to the Workplace Fairness Act explains the obligations. The ODP helps fund the practical steps that make a role workable.
Where the ODP fits among other grants
For an overview of hiring, training and enterprise schemes, see our directory of Singapore government grants for companies. The official sources are SG Enable’s Open Door Programme page, the IRAS page on the Enabling Employment Credit, and MOM’s remarks of 4 October 2026 on the coming changes.
Information checked against official sources on 6 November 2026.
Free grant consultation: is the Open Door Programme right for your company?
Raffles Corporate Services has in-house certified grant consultants who are experienced with Singapore grant applications and the full grant process, from checking eligibility and preparing the proposal and supporting documents to submitting claims and meeting the conditions after approval. We can arrange a free consultation to review your company and identify which grants, including the Open Door Programme, may be applicable.
Email [email protected] or WhatsApp +65 8501 7133 to book a time. SG Enable decides every application, and no consultant can guarantee approval.
Rachel Sim, Raffles Corporate Services