The Enterprise Development Grant (EDG) stopped accepting new applications on 29 September 2026, with the EDGE Grant taking over from 30 September. But EnterpriseSG has been clear on one point: every EDG project that was already approved before the sunset date continues to be processed exactly as before, and companies still submit their claims through the Business Grants Portal (the “BGP”) once the project is complete. For the hundreds of Singapore SMEs sitting on an approved but unclaimed EDG Letter of Offer, the claims process, not the application process, is now the part that matters.
This guide walks through how EDG claims actually work: the documents you need, the audit that every claim goes through, and the mistakes that most commonly delay or reduce a disbursement.
EDG Claims Are Reimbursement, Not Upfront Funding
EDG has always operated on a reimbursement basis. The grant is not paid out when the project starts; it is paid out after the project is completed, deliverables are achieved, and a claim is verified. This matters for cash flow planning: a company must be able to fund the full project cost upfront (consultancy fees, software, equipment or the eligible portion of internal manpower cost) and only recovers the supported percentage after claims approval.
Claims must reach EnterpriseSG no later than six months from the end of the project qualifying period stated in the Letter of Offer. This deadline is strict. Missing it puts the entire claim, and the grant support tied to it, at risk, regardless of how complete or well documented the underlying project was.
The Claims Process, Step by Step
Step 1: Check the Letter of Offer
Before anything else, go back to the Letter of Offer and confirm two things: the project qualifying period and the specific project deliverables that were approved. A claim can only be submitted once the project has been completed within that qualifying period and every listed deliverable has been achieved. Partial completion, or deliverables that quietly changed scope during execution, is one of the most common reasons a claim gets queried.
Step 2: Set Up Disbursement Details
PayNow Corporate is EnterpriseSG’s preferred disbursement channel and is significantly faster, funds are typically credited within 14 working days of claim approval. GIRO remains available but can take up to eight weeks. Companies without either set up cannot be paid at all once a claim is approved, so this should be arranged well before the claim is filed, not after. Companies whose bank account sits outside DBS, POSB, OCBC or UOB, or that operate under a partnership structure or as an Institution of Public Character, need an additional endorsed direct-credit authorisation form submitted separately.
Step 3: Assemble the Deliverables Documentation
This is the evidence that the project actually happened as approved. It includes a project summary report following EnterpriseSG’s claims submission checklist, plus documentary proof of each deliverable, a consultant’s final report, screenshots or photographs of installed equipment, system configuration records, training attendance and so on. Vague or generic documentation that does not map back to the specific deliverables in the Letter of Offer is a frequent trigger for follow-up queries.
Step 4: Assemble the Cost Items Documentation
Every dollar being claimed needs a paper trail: invoices, proof of payment (bank statements), and, where manpower cost is being claimed, the relevant employment or appointment letters. Costs must trace cleanly to the specific items and quotations approved in the original application. Costs incurred, or contracts signed, before the application date will generally be treated as the project having already commenced, which can disqualify the entire claim rather than just the affected line item.
Step 5: Appoint an Auditor
Unless expressly exempted, every EDG claim must be independently verified by an auditor selected from EnterpriseSG’s pre-qualified panel. The auditor checks the cost items documentation and issues an Audit Report, working in parallel with EnterpriseSG’s own verification of deliverables. Companies should engage the auditor early rather than at the point of submission, since the auditor may request clarifications or additional supporting documents before the report can be finalised.
Step 6: Submit on BGP
The claim itself is filed on BGP under “File a New Claim”, with the project report uploaded under the Project Report tab and cost documentation under Supporting Documents. Once submitted, record the claim number; it is the reference EnterpriseSG and the appointed auditor will use for all further correspondence.
What Happens After Submission
Two verification tracks run concurrently. An EnterpriseSG officer checks that the project deliverables have genuinely been met, which can involve a site visit or a presentation meeting, and may ask the applicant to revise the project report if information is incomplete. At the same time, the appointed auditor verifies the cost items and issues the Audit Report. Only once both tracks confirm the claim, deliverables and expenses, does EnterpriseSG disburse the approved amount to the registered PayNow or GIRO account, with a confirmation email following.
Common Audit Findings That Delay or Reduce a Claim
Drawing on EnterpriseSG’s published claims checklist and the categories of documentation it requires, the recurring issues that surface at audit tend to fall into a handful of patterns:
| Finding | Why it happens | How to avoid it |
|---|---|---|
| Deliverables do not match the Letter of Offer | Scope shifted during the project without a formal variation request | Notify EnterpriseSG and obtain approval before changing scope, timeline or vendor |
| Costs not traceable to the approved quotation | Final invoice differs from the quotation used at application, or a different vendor was engaged | Keep the original quotation, the final invoice and proof of payment aligned and on file from day one |
| Consultant not TR43 or SS680 certified | Management consultancy claims require an accredited consultant unless the individual falls under a specific carve-out | Verify certification status before signing the consultancy contract, not at claims stage |
| Manpower cost claimed without supporting documents | Missing employment or appointment letters, or unclear job scope tied to the project | Prepare employment documentation for every named staff member at project kick-off |
| Costs incurred before the application date | Work started, payment made, or a contract signed prior to submitting the EDG application | Never commence the project or engage vendors until the Letter of Offer is issued |
| Claim filed after the six-month deadline | Project completed on time but claims paperwork was not prioritised | Diarise the qualifying period end date and start claims preparation before the project even finishes |
None of these are unusual or punitive, they are simply the practical consequence of EDG being a reimbursement scheme built around an audit trail. Companies that treat documentation as a live discipline throughout the project, rather than a scramble at the end, tend to have the smoothest claims experience.
Why This Still Matters After the EDGE Transition
Because EnterpriseSG has confirmed that ongoing EDG, Productivity Solutions Grant and Market Readiness Assistance submissions and projects will continue to be processed, and that claims are filed via BGP upon completion, this is not a legacy issue that quietly disappears. Companies with an approved EDG project still open on their books should treat the claims process with the same discipline as a live compliance obligation, because the six-month claims deadline runs regardless of what has happened to the scheme’s application window.
Businesses that are only now starting a new project should note that the EDGE Grant decision tree and our companion piece on what happens to in-progress EDG, PSG and MRA applications during the sunset cover the transition itself in more detail. This article focuses specifically on getting a live EDG project through to a successful claim.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I still submit an EDG claim after the scheme closed to new applications?
Yes. EnterpriseSG has confirmed that approved EDG projects continue to be processed after 29 September 2026, and claims are filed the same way, via BGP, once the project is complete.
What if my project deliverables changed slightly from the original proposal?
Any material change should be flagged to EnterpriseSG for approval before the claim is submitted. Submitting a claim for deliverables that differ from the Letter of Offer without prior sign-off is one of the most common causes of a claim being sent back for revision.
Do I need to use an auditor from EnterpriseSG’s panel?
In almost all cases, yes. The auditor must come from EnterpriseSG’s pre-qualified panel unless the company has been expressly exempted, and the auditor’s report runs alongside EnterpriseSG’s own deliverables verification.
How long does disbursement take once a claim is approved?
PayNow Corporate disbursement is typically within 14 working days of approval. GIRO can take up to eight weeks. Companies without either method set up cannot be paid until it is arranged.
What is the single biggest reason claims get delayed?
In practice, it is documentation that does not tie cleanly back to the approved cost items, mismatched invoices, missing proof of payment, or manpower costs claimed without the underlying employment documentation. Building the audit file as the project progresses, rather than after completion, resolves most of these issues before they arise.
How Raffles Corporate Services Can Help
Raffles Corporate Services helps Singapore SMEs prepare and organise claims documentation for EDG and other Enterprise Singapore grants, coordinate with appointed auditors, and keep the underlying corporate and financial records, from the correct tax and accounting treatment of grant receipts to broader compliance housekeeping, in good order throughout a project. If you are choosing between grant advisors for a new project, our guide on how to choose a government grant advisor in Singapore and our piece on verifying a grant consultant’s TR43 or SS680 credentials are useful starting points.
For companies still deciding how to structure a new application under the EDGE Grant now that EDG has closed, see our EDGE Grant decision tree.
Source: EnterpriseSG, Enterprise Development Grant and EDGE Grant programme pages; claims are filed via the Business Grants Portal.
The Editorial Team, Raffles Corporate Services