The EDGE grant, explained.

What the new grant is, where software and automation projects sit in it, and how to apply without tripping over the rules. Written for business owners, by an IT company that is not a grant vendor.

Last checked against the official pages on 28 October 2026.

The short version

EDGE is Enterprise Singapore’s single business grant. It replaced the Enterprise Development Grant (EDG), the Productivity Solutions Grant (PSG) and the Market Readiness Assistance grant (MRA) for new applications from 30 September 2026.
It is for Singapore-registered businesses with at least 30% local ownership. SMEs get up to 50% of qualifying costs for most activities; larger companies get less.
Each company has an annual cap of S$100,000 across all activities, with a S$30,000 sub-cap for packaged digital solutions, integrated systems and pre-scoped equipment. Each activity page says whether it counts towards the sub-cap.
You must apply before starting work or paying any deposit. Applications are made by the business itself on the Business Grants Portal, never by a vendor.
Some activities require a pre-approved vendor; others let you choose your own. GeekScience is not a pre-approved vendor. Check your eligibility with Enterprise Singapore before planning around the grant.

What changed on 30 September 2026

Enterprise Singapore says EDGE is not an acronym: the name is meant to say that the support gives businesses an edge. In practice it is a merger. EDG, PSG and MRA stopped taking new applications on 29 September 2026, and from 30 September everything goes through EDGE. Applications submitted under the old schemes before that date are still assessed under the old rules, and approved projects carry on and can still claim.

The idea, announced at the Ministry of Trade and Industry’s Committee of Supply debate in March 2026, was a “single shopfront” for government grants. EDGE groups support into eight business areas, with over a hundred and fifty activities, and BizSG, linked from Enterprise Singapore’s EDGE page, helps you find the activities that fit your business.

Who can apply

A business entity registered in Singapore with at least 30% ownership by Singaporeans or permanent residents, counted through to the ultimate individual owners. Non-profits, societies and government bodies are not eligible.
SMEs and larger companies both qualify, at different rates. Enterprise Singapore defines an SME as a group with annual sales turnover of not more than S$100 million or not more than two hundred employees.
No work started, no payment or deposit made to a supplier before the application is submitted. An application that breaks this is “retrospective” and is not supported.
Not previously applied for grant support for the same solution or project.
The vendor must be independent of the applicant. Enterprise Singapore says suppliers must not have “any relationship, connection, association or dealings” with the applicant, its related companies, or their directors and common shareholders.

How much it covers

Most activities	Up to 50% of qualifying costs for SMEs; up to 30% for non-SMEs.
Internationalisation and sustainability	Up to 70% for SMEs; up to 50% for non-SMEs.
Annual cap	S$100,000 per company per year across all activities. The year runs from 1 April to 31 March.
Sub-cap	Within that, at most S$30,000 on single-function digital solutions, integrated enterprise systems and pre-scoped equipment. Check the activity page for which activities count towards it.
How it is paid	Reimbursement, after the project, on a single final claim. You pay the vendor first.

Figures are from Enterprise Singapore’s EDGE pages and FAQ as of the date at the top of this page. Each activity page states its own rate and any cost cap, and those override anything written here.

Where software and automation projects sit

There is no activity called “custom software” or “AI”. Digital projects fall under the Automation & Digitalisation area, and a few under Innovation. The four that matter to most SMEs:

Single-function digital solutions. Packaged, pre-approved products for one job (accounting, a customer-service chatbot, marketing content, and so on), bought from a vendor on the list. Fast to approve, and each activity has its own cost cap.
Integrated enterprise systems. ERP-style systems covering at least three core functions. You can pick a pre-approved package or, if none fits, use your own vendor. Enterprise Singapore quotes an outcome in about a week for a pre-approved vendor and about ten weeks for your own.
Large-scale digital transformation. Projects that change how the core of the business runs: integrating systems across sales, operations and procurement, data and analytics, AI or workflow automation, or connecting old systems to new ones. It is the closest fit for most custom software. It explicitly excludes automating an isolated task without wider change, and basic IT upgrades.
Product development (Innovation). Building a new product or service to sell, as opposed to tools for running your own business. A company’s very first product is excluded.

If none of the activities fits, Enterprise Singapore’s FAQ suggests approaching an SME Centre for advice before applying.

Pre-approved vendors and your own vendor

Whether you need a pre-approved vendor depends on the activity. Packaged solutions require one; the larger, custom activities list no vendor panel, and the FAQ says that where no pre-approved vendor is required, businesses may engage a vendor of their choice. Consultants can come from anywhere as long as they meet the activity’s qualifications.

Three rules apply whichever route you take. The vendor cannot be related to you. The vendor cannot submit or manage the application for you. And once an application is approved, the vendor cannot be changed.

Where vendor quotations are required, Enterprise Singapore asks for a proposal with a detailed scope of services and a cost breakdown by scope. Whether a particular vendor and quotation are acceptable for an activity is Enterprise Singapore’s decision, so ask them before you plan around it.

How to apply, in order

Check eligibility first
Use BizSG, linked from Enterprise Singapore’s EDGE page, to confirm the business qualifies and to see which activities it recommends.
Pick the activity and read its page
Each activity has its own rate, cap, documents and vendor rules. The activity page wins over any summary, including this one.
Get the scope and quotation in writing
A project proposal and vendor quotations with scope and cost breakdown. Large-scale Digital Transformation and Product Development also ask for recent financial statements and projections of revenue, cost savings and jobs after the project.
Apply on the Business Grants Portal before anything starts
No work, no deposit, no payment until the application is in. The qualifying period starts from the submission date once approved.
Wait for the outcome, then start
Processing time depends on the activity. The activity pages we checked quote about a week for pre-approved packages and about ten weeks for routes without one.
Finish, pay, then claim once
EDGE accepts a single final claim after completion. Large-scale Digital Transformation and Product Development projects need an auditor from Enterprise Singapore’s panel. Claims open from 1 December 2026 for single-function solutions and pre-scoped equipment, and from 1 January 2027 for other activities.

Where GeekScience stands

GeekScience is not a pre-approved vendor under EDGE, and we don’t apply for grants on anyone’s behalf; the rules don’t allow a vendor to. This page exists because grants are a common question for any software project, and a lot of what’s written online still describes the old schemes.

Whatever the project, if you want to apply, check your eligibility and the activity’s vendor rules with Enterprise Singapore first, and apply before any work starts.

Also worth knowing

Separately from grants, Budget 2026 extended the Enterprise Innovation Scheme to AI spending: a 400% tax deduction on the first S$50,000 of qualifying AI expenditure per year of assessment, for the years of assessment 2027 and 2028. IRAS lists system development and consultancy relating to an AI system among qualifying services, and excludes spending that a government grant already subsidises. Whether a particular project qualifies is a question for IRAS or your accountant rather than for us.

Sources

This page is general information, not advice on your eligibility. The official pages change; if something here disagrees with them, they are right.

Questions people ask

Can I still apply for PSG or EDG?

No. EDG, PSG and MRA stopped accepting new applications on 29 September 2026. Applications submitted before then are assessed under the old rules, and approved projects can still claim.

Does EDGE cover custom software?

It can, most often under the Large-scale Digital Transformation activity, which supports projects that change how the core of the business runs and integrate systems. It excludes automating an isolated task on its own. The activity page and Enterprise Singapore have the final say.

Do I need a pre-approved vendor?

For packaged single-function solutions, yes. For the larger custom activities, Enterprise Singapore’s FAQ says businesses may engage a vendor of their choice where no pre-approved vendor is required. Check the activity page.

Can GeekScience apply for me?

No. Enterprise Singapore’s rules say submissions must be made by the applicant business, not by a vendor or any third party. GeekScience is not a pre-approved vendor.

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