Funding an AI Project in Singapore: The EDGE Grant Guide for SMEs
Short answer: From 30 September 2026, the EDGE Grant replaces the EDG, MRA and PSG. Eligible Singapore SMEs may receive up to 70% support, within an annual cap of S$100,000 across all activities, refreshed each 1 April. Support levels differ by activity, and some digital and automation activities sit within a S$30,000 sub-cap. Your business must be registered in Singapore with at least 30% local shareholding. Apply before the work begins. Enterprise Singapore decides eligibility and support levels — not us.
What is changing on 30 September 2026
If you arrived here looking for the Enterprise Development Grant, here is the short version.
- The EDG, MRA and PSG cease on 29 September 2026. No new applications are accepted under them after that date.
- From 30 September 2026, the EDGE Grant replaces all three — the Enterprise Development Grant, the Market Readiness Assistance grant and the Productivity Solutions Grant.
- Applications submitted before 30 September 2026 are still assessed under the old scheme’s rules, and ongoing projects are supported through to completion and claim disbursement. If your project is already under way, it does not fall away.
The rest of this guide describes the EDGE Grant. Where a figure or rule is not something we can point to a published source for, we have left it out rather than guessed.
What is the EDGE Grant?
EDGE is Enterprise Singapore’s consolidated support scheme for business capability work. It covers 8 business areas and more than 100 activities, including Automation & Digitalisation — which is the area most AI and workflow automation projects sit in.
The practical change for an owner is that you start from the activity you want to carry out, rather than working out which of three schemes you belong to first.
Who is eligible?
To be eligible, your business must be:
- A business entity registered in Singapore.
- At least 30% owned by Singaporeans and/or Singapore PRs.
That ownership requirement is unchanged from the EDG. Beyond those two criteria, Enterprise Singapore decides eligibility and the support level that applies to your project. We do not assess, approve or guarantee any outcome, and neither can any other vendor or consultant.
How much support is available?
support levels differ by activity
support levels differ by activity
per year across all activities, refreshed each 1 April
“Up to” is doing real work in those figures. Support levels differ by activity, so the percentage that applies to one piece of work is not necessarily the percentage that applies to another. Treat 70% as a ceiling for eligible SMEs, not as a rate you can assume.
The annual cap is S$100,000 per year across all activities, and it refreshes on 1 April each year. Within that cap, up to S$30,000 may be used on single-function digital solutions, integrated enterprise systems and selected automation activities.
We will not tell you which pool your project falls into. Whether a particular AI or automation project sits inside the S$30,000 sub-cap or draws on the wider S$100,000 pool is a decision for Enterprise Singapore, based on the activity you apply under. Anyone who tells you the answer before you have applied is guessing with your money.
Grant-funded or self-funded — which route fits?
Not every AI project needs a grant, and for some businesses applying for one is the wrong call. The trade-off is straightforward: a grant reduces the cost but requires approval before any work starts, which adds lead time. Self-funding costs more out of pocket but can begin immediately.
| EDGE-supported | Self-funded | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Eligible SMEs may receive up to 70% support, within the annual caps. Support levels differ by activity. | You fund it; scope is sized to your budget |
| When you can start | After the application goes in — starting earlier normally makes the project ineligible | Immediately |
| Paperwork | An application with your scope and costs, and a claim after the work is done | None |
| Best suited to | Projects where the funded share justifies the lead time of applying first | Smaller, focused automations, or when speed matters more than cost |
One point worth planning around: how and when funds are disbursed is set by Enterprise Singapore, so check the current process on their site before you plan cash flow. A grant reduces the net cost of a project; it does not remove the need to fund it in the first place.
Timing: apply before the work begins
Apply before the work begins. Applications are generally not supported retrospectively, so a project that has already started, been contracted or paid for is normally not eligible.
This catches more applicants than any other part of the process. The safe sequence is: scope the project → apply → sign → pay → deliver → claim. Paying a deposit to “get started while the paperwork goes through” is exactly the thing to avoid.
If you have already paid for exploratory or advisory work, keep it clearly separate — distinct scope, distinct deliverable, distinct contract — from the project you intend to submit.
What makes an AI project a strong candidate?
We cannot tell you how Enterprise Singapore will assess your application. What we can tell you is what we put into a scope regardless of whether a grant is involved, because it is what makes a project succeed and it is the material an assessor will want to see:
- A defined business problem with a baseline — hours spent, volumes handled, response times today.
- Process redesign, not just a tool bolted onto the existing process.
- Measurable outcomes — time saved, throughput, error rates, service levels.
- Knowledge transfer — your team can run and adjust the workflow after handover. In practice this means training and a written user guide as named deliverables.
- A clear scope and milestones that a third party can assess.
How to prepare an application
Scope the project
Define the problem, the baseline, the intended outcome and the deliverables. Get a detailed quote.
Check eligibility
Confirm the business is registered in Singapore and at least 30% Singaporean and/or PR owned before spending time on the write-up.
Identify the activity
EDGE covers 8 business areas and more than 100 activities, including Automation & Digitalisation. The activity you apply under shapes the support level and which cap applies.
Apply before you commit
Check the current application channel and forms with Enterprise Singapore. Nothing signed, nothing paid yet.
Assessment
Enterprise Singapore decides eligibility and the support level. Expect to answer follow-up questions about scope and outcomes.
Deliver, then claim
Once you have the go-ahead, sign, pay and deliver — then claim with evidence of the outcomes you committed to.
Frequently asked questions
What replaces the EDG, MRA and PSG?
The EDGE Grant. From 30 September 2026, the EDGE Grant replaces the Enterprise Development Grant, the Market Readiness Assistance grant and the Productivity Solutions Grant.
When do the EDG, MRA and PSG close?
They cease on 29 September 2026. No new applications are accepted under them after that date.
I applied before 30 September 2026. What happens to my application?
Applications submitted before 30 September 2026 are still assessed under the old scheme’s rules, and ongoing projects are supported through to completion and claim disbursement.
How much does the EDGE Grant support?
Up to 70% for SMEs and up to 50% for non-SMEs. Support levels differ by activity, so the level that applies to your project is decided by Enterprise Singapore.
Is there a cap on EDGE funding?
Yes. There is an annual cap of S$100,000 per year across all activities, refreshed on 1 April each year. Up to S$30,000 of that cap may be used on single-function digital solutions, integrated enterprise systems and selected automation activities.
Who is eligible for the EDGE Grant?
A business entity registered in Singapore with at least 30% Singaporean and/or Singapore PR ownership. Enterprise Singapore decides eligibility.
Can I apply after the project has started?
Apply before the work begins. Applications are generally not supported retrospectively, so a project that has already started, been contracted or paid for is normally not eligible.
Who decides whether I qualify?
Enterprise Singapore decides eligibility and support levels. No consultant or vendor can approve or guarantee a grant outcome.
Do I need a grant to start an AI project in Singapore?
No. A grant route generally requires the application to go in before the work begins, which adds lead time. A self-funded project can be scoped to your budget and can start immediately. Both routes deliver the same workflow.
Planning an AI project you want to fund?
Our audit maps where automation would save your team the most time, and produces the scope, baseline and outcome measures an application needs — before you sign or pay anything on the project itself.
Talk to us about your projectOfficial sources
Updated: 17 September 2026 | Based on Enterprise Singapore's published EDGE Grant information.