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  • MRA FAQs

MRA FAQs

Check out the FAQs if you are having problems with your applications
 
Eligibility
 

What is the eligibility criteria for the MRA Grant?

  • Business entity that is registered/incorporated in Singapore
  • At least 30% local shareholding
  • Company’s Group Annual Sales Turnover of not more than S$100 million, or Company’s Group Employment Size of not more than 200 workers
  • New to target overseas market (at country-level)

What qualifies as a new overseas market?

This is defined as a new overseas country that the company is expanding to, where its annual overseas sales in the country has not exceeded S$100,000 in each of the preceding three years.


Can a company with existing overseas presence or overseas sales apply for MRA support?

Companies that have previously benefited from MRA, but whose overseas sales for that market has not exceeded S$100,000, can continue to be supported during the enhancement period of 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2023.

Companies that have used up the maximum S$100,000 support for a particular market between 1 April 2020 and 31 March 2023 will not be eligible for any more MRA grants for that market.


What is the maximum number of applications a company can apply for MRA?

There is no limit to the number of MRA applications that a company can apply. This is to allow companies the flexibility to determine their pace of entry into the overseas market.


How can companies identify suitable in-depth FTA consultants for Overseas Market Set-up activities?

As FTA consultancy is a highly specialised field, companies can only tap on Enterprise Singapore’s list* of FTA consultants that offer FTA consultancy services.

* Annex 1 of MRA Grant’s Eligible Activities


If a Singaporean company has overseas manufacturing bases producing foreign-origin goods, does the MRA support consultancy services on FTAs, of which, Singapore is not a member of?

The MRA support for FTA consultancy scope is accessible to local SMEs. If the applicant company manufactures overseas, the consultant will advise the company on the relevant FTAs and help the company assess the potential benefit of leveraging on the FTAs, including those that Singapore is not a member of.


What is the breakdown of the S$100,000 grant cap per new market for every company?

The S$100,000 grant cap is applicable over the enhancement period of 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2023, comprising activity sub-caps of:

  1. S$20,000 for Overseas Market Promotion
  2. S$50,000 for Overseas Business Development
  3. S$30,000 for Overseas Market Set-up

If both parent company and its subsidiary apply for the MRA Grant, are they subjected to the S$100,000 cap?

The grant cap of S$100,000 is applicable to each unique entity/company over the enhancement period. Enterprise Singapore will review the applications based on applicant company’s internationalisation plans. Different applicant companies with similar business registration details (including nature of business, address, shareholder/directorship, etc.) will be treated as connected enterprises and subjected to the cumulative grant ceiling of S$100,000 over the enhancement period.


Are group applications (two or more companies listed as applicants in one applicant form) allowed?

No, we do not allow both companies to apply under one application. Each company can apply for one activity in a single application.


Can sole proprietors and partnerships apply for the MRA Grant?

Enterprise Singapore seeks to understand the overseas expansion plans for sole proprietors and partnerships. Applications will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.


Can a company apply for the MRA grant in addition to financial schemes from other government agencies?

No, companies are not allowed to apply for the MRA grant after they have received grant approvals from Enterprise Singapore or other agencies on the same eligible expenses or events.


Can a company apply to multiple new markets concurrently?

Yes, as long as the new market criteria is met and projects are within each activity grant sub-cap.


Can a company apply for both the Enterprise Development Grant (EDG) and MRA Grant support concurrently?

Yes, eligible companies may apply for support under both EDG and MRA grant as long as it is not for the same scope of work/services/activities supported.


Can a company apply for Double Tax Deduction for Internationalisation (DTDi) on the same expenses supported by the MRA Grant?

Yes. Company may apply for DTDi. Qualifying expenses are computed net of the MRA grant.


What does a retrospective application mean?

An application is deemed to be retrospective if any of the following events took place before submission via Business Grants Portal:

  • Made a payment including initial deposit to the third-party consultant/vendor
  • Signed the contractual agreement/purchase order with the third-party consultant/vendor
  • Commenced the project with the third-party consultant/vendor

Project commencement and completion dates must be in accordance to the project support period stipulated in the Business Grants Portal.

Only when companies participate in non-LEAD supported overseas trade fairs can they proceed with the following in consideration of the need to secure the booth space in advance and a longer preparation time is required:

  • Make payment (including initial deposit) to the show organiser/third-party vendor
  • Sign the contractual agreement/rental agreement/purchase order with the show organiser/third-party vendor

Companies have to submit the application before the commencement date of the trade fair.


Can a company apply for a scope of work that it has internal capabilities to provide as a service to their clients?

No. Enterprise Singapore’s MRA grant supports eligible third-party costs for activities and services that Singapore SMEs do not have the in-house or internal capabilities to carry out.


If Singapore is one of the target markets, is the activity still eligible for the MRA Grant?

As the purpose of the MRA grant is to encourage companies to take the first step towards internationalisation, any activity within Singapore will not be eligible for support.


Under what circumstances will applications be rejected?

The following list is non-exhaustive:

  • A company which does not meet the eligibility criteria (Refer to the first question above)
  • A company holding a shell business registration or having its main business operations outside Singapore
  • A non-profit organisation
  • A company seeking support for the purpose of fundraising or increasing domestic sales.
Business Grants Portal and CorpPass
 

How can companies apply for the MRA Grant?

Companies have to request for a cost quotation from the third-party consultant/vendor before logging on to the Business Grants Portal (BGP) with CorpPass.


What is Business Grants Portal?

The BGP is a one-stop portal for businesses to apply for government grants. This paperless system allows entities to find the grants they need with ease, enjoy a convenient form completion process, and reduce the time spent on the application.

If the company has yet to register for a CorpPass Administrator account, please visit www.corppass.gov.sg. After successful registration, users need to be assigned the e-Service access to the BGP in order to submit their grant application.


Who should I contact for technical enquiries about the Business Grant Portal?

You may contact the Business Grant Portal helpdesk at +65 6708 7288 or bgp_helpdesk@enterprisesg.gov.sg.

Operating hours are from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm (Mondays to Fridays)


Who should I contact if I have questions on CorpPass Registration?

You may call the CorpPass Helpdesk at +65 6643 0577 or email them at support@corppass.gov.sg.

Operating hours are from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm (Mondays to Fridays) and from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm (Saturdays). Closed on Sundays and Public Holidays.


My company is exempted from having our accounts audited. What documents should we upload under the BGP’s Company Profile?

You may choose to upload unaudited financial statements or management accounts, if audited statements are unavailable.

If the company is newly registered and a full year’s financial statements are not available, you may provide unaudited financial statements or management accounts for the year-to-date.


Where can applicants check the status of their grant application?

An email will be sent to the company’s contact person with the status of the submitted grant application.

Alternatively, applicants may log in to the BGP. Under the “My Grants” section, they can view the status of their grant application by toggling between the tabs (Drafts/Processing/Actions Required/ Completed).


Can I revise my application after I have submitted it?

Once you have submitted your application, there can be no further amendments. We may route the application back to the applicant should there be a need for clarification.


What happens if the personnel handling the company’s grant application leaves the company? Can another staff submit the application on his/her behalf?

Any personnel assigned as a BGP user in the company and given a Preparer or Acceptor role by the company’s CorpPass Administrator can edit and submit the grant application. Contact details of the new user should be updated in the Business Grants Portal.


What happens if the CEO/MD who is authorised to accept the Letter of Offer leaves the company? How does the applicant update the BGP and CorpPass?

Under the e-Service section of the BGP, the company’s CorpPass Administrator should assign an Acceptor role to the new CEO/MD. This will enable the new management personnel to accept a Letter of Offer.

If the grant has not been approved, the CorpPass Administrator can update the Letter of Offer addressee in the grant application form.

If the grant has been approved and a Letter of Offer has been issued, no amendment to the addressee can be made. However, the new CEO/MD can still accept the Letter of Offer if he/she has been granted rights to do so. Do also update ACRA and the grant processing agency of the change in management details.

Application
 

What is the information required in the proposal from the third-party consultant/vendor?

The information required includes but is not limited to:

  • Testimonials/credentials of the project team (with the exception of Enterprise Singapore’s list* of Free Trade Agreement [FTA] consultants
  • Track records of past completed projects (with the exception of Enterprise Singapore’s list* of FTA consultants)
  • Detailed scope of services
  • Cost breakdown by scope of services
  • Expected deliverables for the project

* Annex 1 of MRA Grant’s Eligible Activities


What is the maximum support period for an approved activity under the MRA Grant?

12 months.


When can a company commence with the project?

Companies can proceed to sign the contract with the third-party consultant/vendor after submitting the application via Business Grants Portal. Project commencement and completion dates must be in accordance to the project support period stipulated in the Business Grants Portal.


Is it mandatory for a company to appoint the consultants on Enterprise Singapore’s reference list?

No. With the exception of Enterprise Singapore’s list* of FTA consultants, companies can tap on the reference list or approach their preferred consultants to seek quotations. Companies are strongly encouraged to exercise due diligence prior to appointing any consultant.

* Annex 1 of MRA Grant’s Eligible Activities


Can companies engage a related associate as the third-party consultant/vendor?

The Applicant shall ensure that the suppliers and service providers engaged in this project do not have any relationship, connection, association or dealings with the Applicant or its related companies or their directors and common shareholders.


What is the timeline for a company to submit their MRA Grant application to Enterprise Singapore?

Applications must be made 6 months before the start of the project/activity at the earliest.


Would support be granted for costs incurred on incorporation of foreign entity under the individuals’ names?

No. To qualify for MRA support, the foreign entity should be registered with the applicant company as the corporate shareholder.


When applying for MRA support on “Participation in non-LEAD supported tradeshow”, why can a company only apply 6 months before event start date at the earliest?

The 6-month period will allow for greater certainty and clarity that the activity will proceed as planned. For participation in overseas tradeshows, companies are allowed to book the booth space and confirm booth design and construction cost at an earlier date. However, the MRA grant support is not guaranteed until companies’ applications are approved by Enterprise Singapore.


If my company has overseas manufacturing bases producing foreign-origin goods, can I get support for in-depth FTA consultancy services on FTAs which Singapore is not a member of?

Yes, as long as there are legitimate business relationships between your company and the manufacturing base - including but not limited to:

  1. Manufacturing base as a wholly-owned entity under Singapore company, or;
  2. Manufacturing base as a joint venture with overseas partner, or;
  3. Manufacturing base operating as a contract manufacturer.

Can a company apply for the MRA grant for LEAD supported tradeshows under any of the following circumstances?

  1. There is unavailable booth space under the Singapore National Pavilion supported under LEAD
  2. It can secure a better booth location compared to the Singapore National Pavilion
  3. It prefers not to be part of the Singapore National Pavilion for various reasons
  4. It prefers to exhibit at a different specialty hall within the same LEAD supported tradeshow

None of the above will be supported. We strongly encourage Singapore companies to tap onto LEAD supported tradeshows to reach global customers, get feedback on products and services and learn more about overseas markets. Please refer here for LEAD supported tradeshows.


Why is there a cap on the grant support for the booth space at 36 sqm?

The MRA grant support will be capped at 36 sqm per company. The support is for up to a standard booth size based on majority of the applications, beyond which the grant is not able to cover. Based on overall trends, a booth space of 36 sqm is reasonable for companies across different industries (e.g. for display of their machines, furniture, etc.)


Does a company need to follow any standard design for its company booth at an overseas tradeshow?

No, but the applicant company’s name should be reflected clearly on either the booth or exhibitor listing.


What is the supportable scope under overseas marketing and PR activity?

The intent of the support is to help companies create brand visibility and raise awareness to potential overseas clients. Products and services to be promoted must belong to/represented by the Singapore applicant and/or its subsidiaries. Individual marketing/PR activities would not be supported unless it is part of a holistic marketing/PR campaign executed by a professional marketing/PR agency/vendor with relevant expertise in the overseas market.


What is the supportable scope under Overseas Business Development pillar?

The typical internationalisation process involves identifying a target market and potential partners or leads through business matching, before investing resources to further assess leads for potential business. To effectively do this, companies can immerse themselves in the target market through in-market business development staff to understand the operating requirements. For companies that are new to market or new to internationalisation, this necessary and critical phase requires access to suitable third-party sources. Overseas Business Development projects support companies in conducting early-phase market exploration and in-market business development activities. The supported activities are:

  1. Identification of Potential Overseas Partners
  2. Overseas Marketing Presence
  3. In-market Business Development

What are the supporting documents needed for Salary cost that is supported only under Overseas Marketing Presence projects?

  1. Employment or Appointment letters of staff
  2. Staff’s NRIC or Passport number
  3. If the staff is not identified yet, please provide the job description and designation
  4. CPF Statement (latest month within the project period) or employment pass/work permit for foreign employees
  5. Proof of permanent residency for SG/PR, such as long stay agreement, passport etc.

Are there any other expenses supported that are not stated in the scope?

Please note that only eligible expenses stated in the scope of the MRA Grant are supported. The following expenses are not supported under the MRA Grant (please note that the list below is not exhaustive):

For all scopes:

  • Out of pocket expenses (Singapore GST, exchange rate losses, etc.)
  • Logistics for overseas physical trade fairs, airfare, accommodation, in-house manpower, maintenance, security deposit, sales commission and success fees
  • Costs charged by other Singapore Government Agencies

Overseas Market Set-up

  • Application of work permit/visa
  • Appointment letter for employees
  • Due diligence conducted on M&A target
  • Drafting of rental agreement for residency and office rental
  • Drafting of management contracts
  • Drafting of sales agreements
  • Drafting of franchising and licensing agreements where applicant is franchisee or licensee
  • Engagement of HR Recruitment firms and head-hunters
  • Product certification costs

Overseas Business Development

  • Purchasing/Subscribing to directory listing, databases (including online)
  • Costs related to sourcing for suppliers, investors, capital raising, selling of company’s shares

Overseas Market Promotion

  • Prototyping
  • Production of corporate brochures
  • Costs incurred for the purpose of fulfilling contractual obligation with clients
  • Costs incurred for in-house PR project executed by the company (e.g. venue booking, F&B and manpower).

Participation in non-LEAD supported Overseas Physical and Virtual tradeshows

  • Participation in consumer fairs
Change Requests
 

Can a company request for an extension if they cannot complete the approved activity within six months or submit the claims within the stipulated deadline?

The maximum support period for an approved activity is 12 months and companies can take up to a maximum of 3 months to submit its claims upon completion of the activity. Companies with valid reasons may request for an extension from Enterprise Singapore via the BGP before the project end date. The request will be subjected to approval.

Claims
 

Do the expenses of the approved activity need to be audited? Would there be any support for audit fees?

For all claims, the companies must appoint an Enterprise Singapore auditor to verify the eligibility, authenticity and accuracy of the items listed in the Statement of Claim. Companies can be eligible for an audit fee grant, capped at S$500 or the prevailing support level of the audit fee as stated in Annex 1 of the Letter of Offer in the Business Grants Portal, whichever is lower.


Why is there a need to engage an auditor?

The Auditor’s Report allows for a smoother review of claims. The responsibility of the auditor is to verify and confirm the amounts shown on the Statement of Claim are in accordance with the provisions of the Letter of Offer. The auditor would then issue the Auditor’s Report.


What is the Auditor’s Report?

The Auditor’s Report is mandatory and serves as a confirmation statement by an independent auditor that certifies the amounts shown on the Statement of Claim are in accordance with the provisions of the Letter of Offer.


What are the contact details of Enterprise Singapore-appointed auditors?

Upon approval of the MRA grant, please refer to Annex 6 of the Letter of Offer in the Business Grants Portal.


Is inter-billing and/or cost sharing between related companies of the applicant company allowed?

We are only able to defray costs that are incurred as a result of third-party engagements. The applicant would have to make payment to the third-party consultant/vendor directly.


Can a company claim for additional expenses which would only be billed by the third-party consultant/vendor after the activity is completed?

No. MRA grant support is approved based on the quotation submitted by companies during the application stage. The approved quantum is final, and additional claims are not allowed.


Can the grant be provided on a cash advancement basis?

The grant is administered on a reimbursement basis to ensure that the grants are strictly utilized for the approved project.


What are the documents required as proof of completion of project?

Companies may be required to submit additional claim documents at the request of the processing officer to substantiate the validity of the approved activities. Please be informed that the list below is non-exhaustive.

Project Scopes

  • Deliverables to be provided during claims

Market Entry

  • Proof of Intellectual Property (IP) or trademarks that have been filed which includes relevant filing documents submitted to authorities
  • Incorporation Certificate
  • Copy of permit/licenses/franchise agreement
  • Final assessment reports

In-depth FTA consultancy

  • Detailed report on assessment of current situation, potential benefits from specific FTA(s), if any, and the related FTA information
  • Plans/strategy to leverage on FTAs
  • Relevant filing documents submitted to authorities
  • Copies of certificates, permits and licenses obtained
  • Written ruling / opinion for classification of goods, origin determination of goods and/or Customs valuation
  • Standard Operating Procedure manuals
  • Copies of certificate/permit/license/official submissions transacted with Customs authorities

Overseas Business Development

  • Detailed report on the profile of the potential customers / partners for the company in the selected market and business matching outcomes
  • Photocopy of potential customer’s or partner’s name cards

Overseas Market and PR Activities

  • Event write-up attached with corresponding materials such as photographs and publicity materials. The write-up should include the number of attendees for the event/campaign and profile of target audience
  • Overall roadmap/communications plan of activities that have been completed

Participation in Overseas Physical and Virtual Trade Fairs

    Overseas Physical Trade Fairs
  • Photographs and exhibitors’ listing which reflects applicant company’s name at the booth
  • Event write-up using word document to include 3-4 paragraphs on the environment of the booth, experience as well as how the participation has benefited applicant company

  • Virtual Trade Fairs
  • Screenshots of exhibitor listing, publicity materials, virtual booths, virtual business meetings/matching sessions, post event analytics report product samples for virtual fairs (where available and/or applicable)

How will I be notified of the claims disbursement?

An email will be sent to the email address stated in the Business Grants Portal to confirm the transaction.

Withdrawal of Grants
 

Step 1/4

  • Acceptor login to BGP > Click on 'Updates Required' tab
  • Click on grant's Project Title
Withdrawal of grants step 1

 


Step 2/4

  • Click on 'Withdraw Application'
Withdrawal of grants step 2

 


Step 3/4

  • Enter details in 'Remarks' section
  • Click on 'Withdraw Application'
Withdrawal of grants step 3

 


Step 4/4

  • Grant application has been withdrawn
Withdrawal of grants step 4
Helpdesk Contact
 
CorpPass Issues
 

CorpPass Helpdesk

E: support@corppass.gov.sg
T: +65 6643 0577

The operating hours are from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm (Mondays to Fridays) and from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm (Saturdays).

Closed on Sunday and Public Holidays.

Business Grants Portal Issues
 

Business Grant Portal helpdesk

E: bgp_helpdesk@enterprisesg.gov.sg
T: +65 6708 7288

The operating hours are from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm (Mondays to Fridays).

Apply Here
 

Apply for the MRA Grant at www.businessgrants.gov.sg

How to Apply
 

Log on to the Business Grants Portal with your CorpPass to make your application. Click here for a step-by-step guide.

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(Last updated on 30 December 2020 14:45:15)