Enterprise Singapore has co-funded brand strategy for many years. On 30 September 2026, the rules changed. Three grants became one, and grant support for branding now goes to companies expanding overseas. A project that qualified under EDG may not qualify under EDGE, so companies planning brand work for 2027 should read the new terms closely.
The short answer
Branding projects now apply under one grant: the EDGE Grant. Its branding activity is International Branding. It supports up to 70% of professional fees for SMEs and up to 50% for non-SMEs. The project must support expansion into a named overseas market. Branding aimed only at Singapore customers does not qualify.
Support counts towards a cap of S$100,000 per company per year. The cap is shared across all EDGE activities and refreshes on 1 April. Grant terms can change, so confirm them on the Enterprise Singapore International Branding page before you plan.
What changed on 30 September
EDG, MRA and PSG ceased on 29 September 2026. From 30 September, all new applications go through EDGE. EDGE covers eight business areas and more than 150 activities. Applications and projects already lodged under the old schemes continue, and claims are made on completion.
The main change for branding is the overseas condition. EDG supported domestic brand strategy at up to 50%. International Branding pays more, up to 70% for SMEs, but only for overseas expansion. Enterprise Singapore lists “activities aimed at generating domestic business opportunities” as a non-supported cost.
EDGE pays more for brand work than EDG did. It pays only for brands that are going overseas.
What International Branding funds
The activity has three areas of support. A project must include at least one.
- Brand research and analysis, such as a brand audit, competitor analysis and gap analysis.
- Brand strategy for overseas expansion, such as positioning, target segments, brand architecture and a roadmap for the target market.
- Development or refresh of brand identity, including brand elements and guidelines.
Only professional service costs are supported. Collateral production, website development, social media management, marketing campaigns and implementation of the brand roadmap are excluded. GST is also excluded.
Who qualifies
The company must be registered and operating in Singapore. Singapore citizens or permanent residents must own at least 30% of it, measured by ultimate individual ownership. Work must not start, and no deposit can be paid, before the application is submitted.
Eligibility applies until the claim is submitted. A company that stops meeting the criteria during the project loses its claim. The consultant must hold SS 680 certification, the Singapore standard for management consultancy.
What you need to apply
- An outline of your overseas market strategy and expansion plan.
- The vendor’s proposal for the target market, its quotation and its SS 680 certificate.
- A projection of overseas sales for one year after the project.
- A projection of new jobs for one year after the project, including Singaporean jobs paying more than S$5,000 a month.
The company applies itself on the Business Grants Portal, using Corppass. Third parties cannot apply or manage the grant on its behalf. Enterprise Singapore indicates an outcome within ten weeks.
Delivery and claims
The project must be completed within 12 months of approval. Costs from the date of application are covered if the application is approved. At the end, the company submits a final report. It covers the findings and the project’s contribution to overseas expansion.
Support is paid as a reimbursement, after the project is complete and fully paid. The claim requires an auditor. After claim approval, payment takes up to 14 working days by PayNow Corporate, or up to eight weeks by GIRO.
Brand work for the Singapore market
A brand programme aimed only at Singapore no longer fits International Branding. EDGE has a separate Business Strategic Planning activity, at up to 50% for SMEs and 30% for non-SMEs, with no overseas condition. Its deliverable is a business strategy report: internal and external analysis, growth strategies and an implementation roadmap.
Business Strategic Planning does not name branding. Its fit for positioning work is untested, so we advise clients to confirm with Enterprise Singapore before relying on it. We cover how fees change with and without grant support in our guide to branding costs in Singapore.
The market-entry brand sprint
We have packaged our export-market work to match International Branding. The market-entry brand sprint is a fixed-scope programme that prepares a brand for one target market. It has three parts.
Positioning for the target market. We map the category in that market, the competitors you displace and the strongest credible claim for a new entrant. Positioning that works in Singapore rarely transfers unchanged.
Naming and verbal identity that travel. We check the name and key messages for language and cultural fit in the target market. We then adapt them, so buyers there understand the brand as intended.
AI visibility in the target market. Buyers increasingly shortlist suppliers through AI assistants. We structure the brand’s public evidence so AI tools in the target market find it and cite it. Our approach is set out in how to get your brand mentioned by ChatGPT.
We scope each sprint against the three International Branding areas, so the fundable work is clear before you apply. If you are planning a market entry, talk to us about scoping it.
Planning a project under EDGE
Three rules decide most outcomes. First, apply before any work starts or any payment is made. A project that has started cannot be funded. Second, name the overseas market and show the commercial case. The application asks for sales and jobs projections, and the final report must show the link to overseas expansion.
Third, plan within the annual cap. Branding shares the S$100,000 yearly cap with every other EDGE activity, including digital and automation projects. For a larger programme, phase the work across grant years. The cap refreshes on 1 April, so a research and strategy phase can fall in one year and an identity phase in the next.
Vantage and SS 680
Vantage holds Practising Management Consultant (PMC) certification with the Singapore Business Advisors and Consultants Council. PMC is certified under SS 680, the standard Enterprise Singapore requires from International Branding vendors. We scope every engagement with the grant case built in from the start. To check your project’s eligibility, start a conversation with us.