In Singapore, there are certain types of Grants that you may not already be aware of which eligible local companies may be able to apply for.
Examples of such grants are the Enterprise Development Grant (EDG) and the Productivity Solutions Grant (PSG)
These grants were also mentioned in the recent Budget 2018.
Enterprise Development Grant
In this day and age, firms that do well may be the ones that have rock solid foundations and brilliant strategies. Most of these successful companies also tend to be the ones that embrace and adopt technology. These companies constantly adapt to changes and constantly find new ways to improve and innovate.
The Enterprise Development Grant or EDG helps companies in Singapore to grow and transform. The EDG can help your company to upgrade, innovate or expand internationally, under the following three areas:
Core Capabilities
The EDG helps businesses to be prepared for growth and transformation by strengthening foundations. These foundations go beyond just improvement in terms of just sales or accounting.
Productivity and Innovation
In terms of productivity and innovation, the EDG supports companies by helping firms to search for new areas of growth and also enhance their work efficiency.
Examples would be relooking or redesigning work processes or flows to improve productivity. Companies could also adopt more automation and modern technologies to be more efficient especially in terms of routine task where automation can easily be implemented.
Market Access
In terms of market access, the EDG supports local companies that are prepared and want to expand internationally beyond our local shores. Eligible companies may use the Enterprise Development Grant which can help to cover part of the costs incurred when expanding overseas.
What Can the Enterprise Development Grant Help With?
The EDG funds up to seventy percent of the qualifying project costs (i.e 3rd party fees paid to consultants, cost of acquiring software and equipment as well as incremental labour cost.)
EDG Eligibility Criteria
In order for a company to be eligible for this grant, the company needs to:
-Be registered in Singapore and must be operating locally
-Have a local shareholding percentage of at least thirty percent
-Be in a good financial situation to last from the start of the project and till the project completion.
Submitted applications for the EDG will be reviewed based on the scope of the project, outcomes of the project as well as the competency level of the service providers or suppliers.
Productivity Solutions Grant
Adoption of technology does not necessarily mean investing in costly top range solutions. Companies can embark on their technology journey by starting with small steps to automate current work processes and improve productivity. The Productivity Solutions Grant helps firms that are interested to adopt IT solutions and equipment which can help to better improve work processes and increase productivity.
The Productivity Solutions Grant covers solutions that are specific to certain industries and include sectors such as logistics sector, construction sector, precision engineering sector, landscaping sector, retail sector as well as the food sector.
Besides solutions which are sector-specific, the Productivity Solution Grant also supports adoption of solutions that are applicable to various industries such as data analytics, inventory tracking, financial and customer management.
With support of up to seventy percent in terms of funding, the Productivity Solution Grant acts as a means for firms to invest in technology solutions which can help companies for the longer term.
Productivity Solutions Grant Eligibility Criteria
Small Medium Enterprises can apply for this grant if they are :
-Registered locally and have their operations in Singapore
-Only local use of the IT solutions or equipment that are acquired and must not be used overseas
-Have a local shareholding or at least thirty percent (applicable to certain solutions)
With the discontinuation of the Production and Innovation Credit (PIC) scheme which was largely popular among firms, there are still other grants available for companies to apply. However, it is best to find out more on the eligibility criteria to check and ensure if your company qualifies for these grants.
How These Grants Can Help Your Company
For local companies that are looking to expand internationally or for firms which are looking to enhance productivity and embrace technology, these grants may come in handy and can help to defray some cost incurred while setting up overseas or when investing in new solutions to improve productivity.
Source : Enterprise Singapore