Funding a private AI project in Singapore
Updated as of 2 October 2026
Government co-funding for an AI project now runs through one grant, EDGE. This page covers what it pays, who can apply, the rules that catch people out, and the tax deduction that sits beside it.
Every figure below is quoted from a government source, linked where it is used, and checked on 2 October 2026. Page updated 2 October 2026. We re-check those sources daily. Grant rules change without notice, so confirm your own position with EnterpriseSG before committing spend.
What to do, in order
- 1
Apply under the EDGE Grant. EDG, MRA and PSG no longer take new applications.
EnterpriseSG ended the three schemes on 29 September 2026. Projects already submitted under them are still assessed and paid under their own rules.
Detail and source - 2
Find the activity that matches your project before you write a scope.
EDGE is applied for by activity: over 150 of them across 8 business areas, listed on the EDGE website and BizSG. The activity sets the support level, the processing time and whether you must use a pre-approved vendor.
Detail and source - 3
Check the vendor rule for that activity before you pick a vendor.
Some EDGE activities require a vendor from a pre-approved list; for the rest you choose your own. After you submit, EnterpriseSG allows changes only to the project end date and claim due date, so a vendor change means a new application.
Detail and source - 4
Do not start work or pay a deposit before you submit.
EnterpriseSG does not support an application if work has started, or any payment or deposit has gone to a supplier, vendor or third party, before the application is submitted. Paying after you submit but before approval is at your own risk.
Detail and source - 5
Check eligibility before you spend time on a scope.
A business registered in Singapore with at least 30 per cent Singaporean or Singapore PR ownership. Some activities add their own requirements.
Detail and source - 6
Budget for paying first. The grant comes back after.
EDGE is paid on a reimbursement basis: you claim once the activity is complete and fully paid for. Plan the cash flow for the full amount.
Detail and source
29 and 30 September 2026
EnterpriseSG states that EDG, MRA and PSG cease on 29 September 2026, and that from 30 September onwards business grant support is applied for under the EDGE Grant. Source
- Applications submitted before 30 September 2026 are assessed under the requirements of their own scheme.
- Ongoing EDG, MRA and PSG projects are supported through to completion and claim.
- No new applications are accepted under those three schemes after that date.
- Having used EDG, MRA or PSG before does not stop you applying for EDGE.
Source: EnterpriseSG, EDGE Grant FAQ
EDGE Grant
EDGE brings EDG, MRA and PSG under one grant. You apply by what you intend to do, not by picking a scheme: EnterpriseSG lists over 150 activities across 8 business areas, including Automation & Digitalisation, Business Strategy, Financial Management, Innovation, Internationalisation, Standards and Sustainability. Source
Up to 30% for non-SMEs. Internationalisation and sustainability activities go up to 70% for SMEs and 50% for non-SMEs. Each activity page states its own level.
Shared across all activities and refreshed on 1 April each year. Up to S$30,000 of it can go to single-function digital solutions, integrated enterprise systems and selected automation activities.
At least 30 per cent Singaporean or Singapore PR ownership. Open to non-SMEs. Some activities add their own requirements.
Claims are submitted once the activity is complete and full payment has been made.
Check on the activity page, not here
- Which activity a private AI project falls under, and its support level.
- Whether that activity requires a pre-approved vendor.
- How long that activity takes to process.
An example for AI projects: Large-scale Digital Transformation names AI/ML among the technologies a project can use, pays up to 50% for SMEs and 30% for non-SMEs, and asks that the project show measurable impact on growth and efficiency and involve integration or standardisation across systems. The activity list is on the EDGE website and BizSG. We watch the pages daily and update this one when they change.
No payment or deposit before you submit. EnterpriseSG does not support an application if work has started, or any payment or deposit has gone to a supplier, vendor or third party, before it is submitted. You may pay after submitting, but approval is not guaranteed and the risk is yours. Source
Choosing a vendor under EDGE
It depends on the activity. Where EnterpriseSG runs a pre-approved vendor list for an activity, you choose from it. Where it does not, you choose your own vendor. Once an application is in, only the project end date and claim due date can be changed. Changing vendor means terminating the application on the Business Grants Portal and submitting a new one, so settle the vendor first. Source
Altronis is not on any pre-approved vendor list. If your activity needs one, we will say so on the first call rather than after you have applied.
Some activities set their own vendor requirements. Business Strategic Planning, for example, asks for the vendor’s SS 680 certification with the application. Source
The 400% tax deduction for AI spending
Budget 2026 added AI adoption to the Enterprise Innovation Scheme. For the Years of Assessment 2027 and 2028 it gives a 400 per cent tax deduction on up to S$50,000 a year of qualifying AI expenditure. IRAS, Budget 2026 statement
- What counts: subscribing to or licensing an AI system, and AI business services such as system development, consultancy and strategy, data and analytics, and system-related training, when they relate to an AI system.
- What does not: physical infrastructure or hardware, such as servers, storage devices and computing equipment.
- Spending subsidised by a government grant or subsidy is excluded.
- The cash payout option does not apply to the AI activity. It is a deduction only.
IRAS sets the qualifying conditions. Ask your tax adviser how they apply to your own project before you count on it.
How to scope a project so it qualifies
- State the problem in numbers. Not that you want AI, but that four staff spend two days a month extracting data from supplier documents.
- Document the process as it runs today, who does each step, how long it takes, where errors occur.
- Describe the future state and what improves, with the measure you will be judged on.
- Say why it has to be on-premise, if it does. A regulatory or contractual limit on where data may be processed is a project constraint and belongs in the scope.
Where applications go wrong
- Paying a deposit or starting work before you submit. EDGE does not support retrospective applications.
- Picking a vendor before checking whether the activity needs a pre-approved one.
- A scope with no measurable outcome.
- Planning cash flow around the grant. It is paid back after you have paid in full.
Questions
›Can a government grant pay for a private, on-premise AI system?
Partly. From 30 September 2026 that support runs through the EDGE Grant, which is applied for by activity. One activity, Large-scale Digital Transformation, names AI/ML among the technologies a project can use and pays up to 50 per cent for SMEs and up to 30 per cent for non-SMEs. Which activity an on-premise AI project falls under, and the support level for it, is set by EnterpriseSG's activity list, not by the vendor. Check the list before you commit.
›What is EDGE and when does it start?
EDGE replaces the Enterprise Development Grant, Market Readiness Assistance and the Productivity Solutions Grant with one grant, applied for by activity. EnterpriseSG states that EDG, MRA and PSG cease on 29 September 2026 and EDGE takes applications from 30 September 2026. EDGE is not an acronym.
›How much does EDGE cover?
EnterpriseSG's FAQ states up to 50 per cent for SMEs and up to 30 per cent for non-SMEs, and up to 70 per cent for SMEs and 50 per cent for non-SMEs on internationalisation and sustainability activities. Each activity page states its own level. Each company has an annual cap of S$100,000 across all activities, refreshed on 1 April each year. Within that, no more than S$30,000 can go to single-function digital solutions, integrated enterprise systems and selected automation activities.
›Who can apply for EDGE?
A business entity registered in Singapore with at least 30 per cent Singaporean or Singapore PR ownership. Non-SMEs can apply too. Some activities add their own requirements. A business that has applied for or received EDG, MRA or PSG before can still apply.
›Can I pay a deposit before I apply?
No. EnterpriseSG states that businesses must not have started work or made any payment or deposit to a supplier, vendor or third party before submitting the application, and retrospective applications are not supported. A payment made after you submit may be supported if the application is approved, but submission does not guarantee approval and the company bears the risk of anything committed before then.
›Can I use any vendor under EDGE?
It depends on the activity. For activities with a pre-approved vendor list you must choose from that list. For the rest you can engage a vendor of your choice. After you submit, only the project end date and claim due date can be changed, so to change vendor you terminate the application and apply again.
›What happens to an EDG or PSG application I already submitted?
EnterpriseSG states that applications submitted before 30 September 2026 are still assessed under their own scheme's requirements, and ongoing projects are supported through to completion and claim. No new applications are accepted under EDG, MRA or PSG after that.
›Is there a tax incentive for AI spending as well?
Yes. For the Years of Assessment 2027 and 2028, the Enterprise Innovation Scheme gives a 400 per cent tax deduction on up to S$50,000 a year of qualifying AI expenditure. IRAS counts subscribing to or licensing an AI system, and AI business services such as system development, consultancy and strategy, and training, when they relate to an AI system. It excludes hardware such as servers, storage and computing equipment, and any spending subsidised by a government grant. The cash payout option does not apply to AI spending. It is a tax deduction, not a grant. Ask your tax adviser how it applies to your own project.
›Is Altronis an approved or accredited grant vendor?
No. Altronis is not on any government pre-approved vendor list and is not endorsed by any agency. If the EDGE activity your project falls under requires a pre-approved vendor, that rule applies to us like anyone else, and we will tell you so.
Working out whether your project is fundable
We can help you find the activity your project fits, what the scope needs to say, and whether the work is worth doing at all if the grant does not come through. Thirty minutes, no slides, no obligation. We do not submit applications on your behalf and we are not paid by any agency.
Book 30 minutesFigures on this page are quoted from EnterpriseSG, IRAS and the Singapore Budget 2026 statement and were verified on 2 October 2026; page updated 2 October 2026. Altronis is not an agent of any government agency, is not accredited or endorsed by one, and this page is not advice on your specific eligibility or tax position. Confirm your position with EnterpriseSG before committing spend.