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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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:
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.
No, we do not allow both companies to apply under one application. Each company can apply for one activity in a single application.
Enterprise Singapore seeks to understand the overseas expansion plans for sole proprietors and partnerships. Applications will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
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.
Yes, as long as the new market criteria is met and projects are within each activity grant sub-cap.
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.
Yes. Company may apply for DTDi. Qualifying expenses are computed net of the MRA grant.
An application is deemed to be retrospective if any of the following events took place before submission via Business Grants Portal:
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:
Companies have to submit the application before the commencement date of the trade fair.
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.
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.
The following list is non-exhaustive:
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.
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.
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)
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
The information required includes but is not limited to:
12 months.
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.
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.
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.
Applications must be made 6 months before the start of the project/activity at the earliest.
No. To qualify for MRA support, the foreign entity should be registered with the applicant company as the corporate shareholder.
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.
Yes, as long as there are legitimate business relationships between your company and the manufacturing base - including but not limited to:
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.
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.)
No, but the applicant company’s name should be reflected clearly on either the booth or exhibitor listing.
Trade Credit Insurance (TCI) is supported under the Overseas Market Set-up category of MRA from 1 April 2021. The continued support for TCI is aimed at encouraging Singapore SMEs to take up TCI cover to protect themselves against buyer defaults in new overseas markets. Companies can approach a Singapore-registered TCI broker/insurer to structure and purchase the TCI policy.
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.
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:
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:
Overseas Market Promotion
Overseas Business Development
Overseas Market Set-up
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.
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.
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.
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.
Upon approval of the MRA grant, please refer to Annex 6 of the Letter of Offer in the Business Grants Portal.
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.
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.
The grant is administered on a reimbursement basis to ensure that the grants are strictly utilized for the approved 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
Overseas Market and PR Activities
Participation in Overseas Physical and Virtual Trade Fairs
Business Matching
Overseas Marketing Presence
In-market Business Development
Market Entry
In-depth FTA consultancy
An email will be sent to the email address stated in the Business Grants Portal to confirm the transaction.
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.
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 for the MRA Grant at www.businessgrants.gov.sg
Log on to the Business Grants Portal with your CorpPass to make your application. Click here for a step-by-step guide.