Most business owners do not start with a grant in mind. They start with a problem: invoices are still keyed in by hand, a distributor in Vietnam wants a local entity, a customer is asking for a carbon footprint, or the founder wants to turn an idea into a working prototype. Since 30 September 2026, Enterprise Singapore’s EDGE Grant is the single front door for most of these projects, replacing the Enterprise Development Grant, the Productivity Solutions Grant and the Market Readiness Assistance grant.
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EDGE is organised by business area and activity, not by the old scheme names. That makes it simpler in one way and harder in another: you no longer choose between three grants, but you do have to pick the right activity out of more than 150, and the activity decides your support level, your cap and the paperwork. This guide works backwards from the business need, so you can see which EDGE business area is likely to fit, what support level to budget for, and when a different scheme is the better answer.
Step 1: Check that your company can use EDGE at all
Before choosing an activity, confirm the basics on Enterprise Singapore’s EDGE Grant FAQ:
- The applicant is a business entity registered and operating in Singapore.
- At least 30% of the company is owned, directly or indirectly, by Singapore citizens and/or permanent residents, looking through to the ultimate individual owners.
- No work has started and no payment or deposit has been made to the vendor before you submit. A paid deposit can make the whole application retrospective, as explained in our note on a deposit due before an EDGE application.
- The applicant is not a non-profit, society, religious body, voluntary welfare organisation, statutory board or government subsidiary.
If the company fails the 30% local ownership test, EDGE is generally not the route, and the alternatives at the end of this guide become more relevant. A foreign-owned company that later brings in a Singaporean or PR shareholder should review the position at that time rather than assume eligibility.
Step 2: SME or non-SME?
Unlike the schemes it replaced, EDGE is open to non-SMEs. Your size decides the support level. Enterprise Singapore treats a company as an SME if its group annual sales turnover is not more than S$100 million or its group employment is not more than 200 workers. The test is applied at group level, so a small Singapore subsidiary of a large group may be a non-SME.
| Type of activity | SMEs | Non-SMEs |
|---|---|---|
| Most activities (base rate) | Up to 50% | Up to 30% |
| Internationalisation and sustainability activities | Up to 70% | Up to 50% |
The EDGE overview page headlines “up to 70%” for SMEs and “up to 50%” for non-SMEs. Those are the top rates. For most activities the FAQ sets 50% and 30%, and each activity page states its own rate, which is the figure to rely on.
Step 3: Match the business need to an EDGE business area
Enterprise Singapore groups EDGE activities into business areas, including Automation and Digitalisation, Business Strategy, Financial Management, Innovation, Internationalisation, Standards and Sustainability. Use the table below as a starting point, then open the specific activity page on the EDGE Grant page or use the BizSG recommender before you request quotations.
| If your main need is… | Likely EDGE business area | Typical support (SME / non-SME) | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| An off-the-shelf tool for one function, such as accounting, HR or carbon tracking | Automation and Digitalisation: single-function solutions | 50% / 30% | Pre-approved IMDA vendors only; counts toward the S$30,000 sub-cap; some activities exclude home-based businesses |
| An ERP or integrated system linking several functions | Automation and Digitalisation: integrated enterprise systems | 50% / 30% | At least three core functions; counts toward the S$30,000 sub-cap |
| Pre-scoped equipment for productivity | Automation and Digitalisation: pre-scoped equipment | 50% / 30% | Counts toward the S$30,000 sub-cap |
| Enterprise-wide digital transformation across several systems | Automation and Digitalisation: large-scale digital transformation | 50% / 30% | Isolated task automation and basic IT upgrades are excluded |
| A growth plan, new business model or operating framework | Business Strategy | Base rate, unless the activity page says otherwise | Confirm the activity scope and deliverables on its page |
| Better financial planning, financing readiness or risk management | Financial Management | Base rate, unless the activity page says otherwise | Confirm the activity scope and deliverables on its page |
| A new product, service or technology beyond what the market offers | Innovation: product development | 50% / 30% | Not for your first product; needs a prototype or small batch; claim needs a panel auditor |
| Setting up or growing in an overseas market | Internationalisation, such as market entry setup | 70% / 50% | Domestic business, investor sourcing, travel and staff costs excluded |
| Certification to a recognised standard | Standards | Per activity page | Check consultant and certification body requirements on the activity page |
| A sustainability strategy or a greener product or service | Sustainability | 70% / 50% | Vendor proposal needs SS 680 certification for strategy work |
Two points often surprise owners. First, carbon management software sits under Automation and Digitalisation as a single-function solution, so it is funded at 50% / 30%, not at the 70% sustainability rate. Second, Enterprise Singapore’s FAQ says that if you cannot find a suitable EDGE activity, you can approach an SME Centre for advice on other government support.
Step 4: Check the caps before you commit to a budget
Every company has an overall EDGE cap of S$100,000 in grant support per year, shared across all activities. The year runs from 1 April to 31 March, and the cap refreshes on 1 April. Within that S$100,000, no more than S$30,000 can go to single-function digital solutions, integrated enterprise systems and pre-scoped equipment combined. We explain how that sub-cap works in practice in our guide to the EDGE S$30,000 sub-cap for digital solutions and equipment.
Some activities also carry their own cost cap. For example, the Carbon Management activity caps eligible costs at S$60,000, giving a maximum grant of S$30,000 for an SME and S$18,000 for a non-SME. You may run several activities at the same time, with one application per activity, so the order of applications within a cap year matters if you plan more than one project.
Grants received under EDG, PSG or MRA do not count toward the EDGE cap, but you cannot claim EDGE for the same project that the legacy grant funded.
Step 5: If EDGE does not fit, look here instead
EDGE funds capability projects with a defined scope and vendor. Some needs are better served elsewhere:
- You need a loan, not a grant. The Enterprise Financing Scheme supports working capital, fixed assets, trade, project, venture debt, green and M&A loans through participating banks. See our note on the current EFS risk-share and domestic project loans.
- You are a first-time founder or developing your first product. EDGE product development excludes a company’s first product. Startup SG Founder and Startup SG Tech are designed for that stage; see our Startup SG programmes guide.
- You need a cybersecurity health check or certification. The Cyber Security Agency of Singapore runs CISO-as-a-Service and Cyber Essentials and Cyber Trust funding, covered in our guide to cybersecurity grants for SMEs.
- You want to build an in-house digital or AI team. IMDA’s Digital Leaders Programme addresses team-building rather than a single purchase.
- Your project is sector-specific. Tourism, construction, building retrofits, maritime and financial services each have their own agency schemes.
- You are co-developing technology with an overseas partner. Enterprise Singapore’s co-innovation calls run on a separate grant line; see our article on the EDG (Co-Innovation Programme) for Guangdong partnerships.
Our directory of Singapore government grants for companies lists these and other schemes by agency.
Example: one company, three needs
Example: a Singapore-incorporated food ingredients distributor with 60 staff and S$18 million in group turnover is 100% owned by two Singaporean founders, so it is an SME. In the same cap year it wants to (a) replace spreadsheets with a pre-approved inventory system costing S$40,000, (b) incorporate a subsidiary and register trademarks in Malaysia with professional fees of S$50,000, and (c) take a S$500,000 bank loan to fit out a new warehouse.
- Need (a) is a single-function digital solution. At 50%, the grant would be up to S$20,000, within the S$30,000 sub-cap.
- Need (b) fits Internationalisation, market entry setup. At 70%, the grant would be up to S$35,000.
- Need (c) is financing, not a capability project. EDGE does not fit; the company should ask its bank about the Enterprise Financing Scheme.
Together, (a) and (b) use up to S$55,000 of the S$100,000 annual cap, leaving room for a further project before 31 March. Each activity is a separate application, each must be submitted before any deposit is paid, and actual amounts depend on Enterprise Singapore’s assessment of eligible costs. Figures in this example are illustrative only.
Frequently asked questions
Can I still apply for EDG, PSG or MRA?
No. Those schemes stopped taking new applications when EDGE launched on 30 September 2026. Projects already approved under them continue and are claimed under their original terms.
Is the support level 70% for every SME?
No. 70% for SMEs and 50% for non-SMEs apply to internationalisation and sustainability activities. Most other activities are funded at up to 50% for SMEs and up to 30% for non-SMEs. Check the individual activity page.
Can I apply for more than one activity at the same time?
Yes. You submit one application per activity, and all approved grants share the S$100,000 annual cap, with digital solutions, integrated systems and pre-scoped equipment limited to S$30,000 within it.
Can a consultant or vendor apply on my behalf?
No. The applicant company must submit through the Business Grants Portal using its own Corppass roles. Consultants can help you prepare, as explained in our guide to consultant and applicant roles under EDGE.
When can I submit claims or change requests?
Change requests open from 1 November 2026. Claims open from 1 December 2026 for single-function digital solutions and pre-scoped equipment, and from 1 January 2027 for other activities. Our guide to EDGE claims and change requests covers the process.
Information checked against official sources on 6 November 2026.
The Editorial Team, Raffles Corporate Services
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