One of the pleasant surprises for many newcomers who start a business here is how actively the state supports small companies. There is a real ecosystem of grants for startups Singapore founders can tap, most of it coordinated by Enterprise Singapore, the government agency for enterprise development. If you have arrived from mainland China, the idea of government support for business will not be new, but the delivery is different: schemes are publicly listed, the criteria are transparent, and applications run through official portals rather than personal connections. This guide gives you a clear, high-level map so you know what exists and where to look next.
A word of realism before we begin. Grants are meant to co-fund genuine business activity, not to hand out free money. They usually reimburse part of an approved cost, require you to put in your own share, and expect proper documentation. Approached that way, they can meaningfully lower the cost of growing, hiring capability or upgrading how you work.
How Government Support Is Organised
Most business grants sit under Enterprise Singapore, often accessed through the Business Grants Portal, which uses your Corppass to log in. Rather than a single scheme, think of a small toolkit, each grant aimed at a different stage or need. Some help brand-new startups get off the ground; others help established small and medium enterprises improve productivity or expand.
Broadly, the support tends to fall into a few families:
- Startup support for early-stage founders, under the Startup SG banner.
- Productivity and digital solutions for everyday business upgrades.
- Broader capability and growth projects for firms ready to scale or venture abroad.
You do not need to know every scheme by name. What helps is recognising which family your need falls into, then reading the current details for the specific grant on the official site.
Grants for Early-Stage Startups
If you are right at the beginning, the Startup SG family is the usual starting point. It brings together several forms of support for young companies, which can include help with founding capital alongside private investors, mentorship and access to accelerator programmes, and support for developing new technology or ideas. The aim is to help promising startups bridge the difficult early gap between an idea and a viable business.
Because eligibility for early-stage support often depends on factors such as how new the company is, its ownership, and whether it is working on something innovative or scalable, read the current criteria carefully before you invest time in an application. Some strands also involve partner organisations or appointed intermediaries rather than a direct application, so check the route as well as the rules on the Startup SG pages.
Grants for Growing SMEs
Once your business is running, two schemes come up again and again in conversation, and they serve different purposes. The Productivity Solutions Grant, often shortened to PSG, is aimed at adopting pre-approved digital tools and equipment that improve day-to-day productivity, such as accounting, inventory or customer management software. The Enterprise Development Grant, or EDG, supports larger, more strategic projects in areas like upgrading core capabilities, innovation, and expanding into overseas markets.
The table below contrasts these common options at a glance. Use it to orient yourself, then confirm the live details, because scope and support levels are reviewed and updated over time.
| Scheme | Best for | Typical focus | Where to verify |
|---|---|---|---|
| Startup SG | Brand-new startups | Founding capital, mentorship, innovation | Startup SG via Enterprise Singapore |
| Productivity Solutions Grant | Small firms adopting tools | Pre-approved digital solutions and equipment | Enterprise Singapore |
| Enterprise Development Grant | Growing SMEs | Capability building, innovation, overseas expansion | Enterprise Singapore |
| SkillsFuture Enterprise Credit | Firms investing in staff and transformation | Offsetting cost of eligible programmes | Relevant government agency |
Notice that these schemes overlap with the practical decisions you already face, from choosing software to training your team. That is deliberate. The support is designed to nudge real improvements rather than reward paperwork for its own sake.
Applying Well and Staying Realistic
A grant application rewards preparation. Before you apply, it helps to work through a short checklist:
- Be clear on the business problem you are solving, not just the money you want.
- Check that your company meets the current eligibility conditions for that specific grant.
- Gather quotes, project plans or vendor details, since most grants co-fund a defined scope.
- Apply through the official portal, usually the Business Grants Portal, using your Corppass.
- Keep clean records, because grants are typically reimbursed against approved, documented spending.
Two honest cautions. First, grants co-fund; they rarely cover the whole cost, so budget for your own share. Second, be wary of consultants who promise guaranteed approval for a large fee. Approval is never guaranteed, and the official information is free to read. Legitimate help exists, but the underlying facts should always match what Enterprise Singapore publishes.
Where to Verify Before You Commit
The single most important habit is to treat the official sources as your reference. Grant names, eligibility rules, support levels and application windows are actively reviewed and change from time to time, so a figure or condition you read on a blog, including this one, may already be out of date. Confirm the current scope, eligibility and quantum for any scheme directly with Enterprise Singapore or the relevant government agency before you rely on it or commit spending.
Used well, these schemes can take real pressure off a young business, letting you invest in tools, capability and growth sooner than you could alone. Start by identifying which family of support fits your stage, read the live criteria on the official site, and prepare a clear, honest application. That combination, rather than any single insider trick, is what turns available support into an actual advantage for your business.
Explore more
Support schemes are most useful when your business is scaling in other ways too, so it is worth reading our guide to hiring your first employee alongside this one, since growth in capability and headcount often go hand in hand. As your turnover rises, our overview of GST registration for your business will help you stay on top of your obligations as the company grows.