The AI EDG Grant Singapore playbook.

What is the AI EDG Grant Singapore?

The AI EDG Grant Singapore funds custom AI transformation projects. Building new capability, not just buying off-the-shelf tools. Run by Enterprise Singapore, it reimburses up to 50% of qualifying costs for SMEs (30% for non-SMEs) and is the go-to grant for projects beyond PSG's S$30k cap.

When to choose EDG over PSG

• You want a custom AI agent built specifically for your operations
• Project cost exceeds the PSG S$30k cap
• You need a multi-quarter rollout, not a one-shot purchase
• You're upgrading your business model, not just buying a tool
• You need a custom build that maps to Stage 2 or Stage 3 of your sector's Industry Digital Plan

If you just want to deploy a pre-approved AI tool quickly, use the AI PSG Grant Singapore instead. If your project is overseas market entry, that's MRA, not EDG.

The two unwritten rules that decide EDG approval

Most owners and most consultants don't know these. They're the most common reason an EDG proposal gets rejected on first reading.

1. EDG checks the PSG catalogue first. If a pre-approved PSG vendor already offers what you're proposing to custom-build, your EDG application will be routed back to PSG. Before you scope an EDG project, check the PSG vendor directory. If the solution is already there, PSG was the faster, easier route.
2. EDG rejects IDP Stage 1 builds. Even if your solution isn't in PSG, if its functionality maps to Stage 1 of your sector's Industry Digital Plan (IMDA's IDP. Basic digital adoption like POS, accounting, e-invoicing), EDG most likely won't support it. The government's push is to move all SMEs from Stage 1 to baseline Stage 2. To get strong support, scope your project to demonstrate Stage 2 or Stage 3 functionality as defined in your industry's IDP.

What actually happens after you submit (the part nobody publishes)

The first email back from your assigned officer often looks like a templated rejection. Don't panic. Your front-line officer is typically a junior Assistant Trade Development Partner managing an enormous case load. The template is faster for them than reading your full proposal in detail. They send it to push you to clarify, not to actually reject.

The practical implication: don't spend forty hours building a beautiful 30-slide pitch deck. At first-pass review, simplicity wins. What you actually need to demonstrate is:

1. The company can take on the project. Cashflow, financial runway, ability to fund the company's portion
2. The financial benefit is credible, projected uplift vs. project cost, with believable assumptions

A clean two-pager answering those two questions beats a designed deck every single time. Save the deck for the second round, if asked.

Who qualifies for the AI EDG Grant?

• Registered and operating in Singapore
• At least 30% local shareholding
• Financially viable. Can fund the company portion (50%+ of project cost)
• Strong business case showing capability uplift, not just cost reduction
• If the project includes management consultancy costs: a consultant with TR 43 or SS 680 certification

Eligible AI EDG project categories

1. Custom AI agent builds for sales, customer service, or operations
2. AI-driven business model transformation
3. Enterprise AI data platforms (data + AI capability uplift)
4. AI-powered new product or service development
5. Process redesign or productivity uplift built around custom AI

Note: overseas market entry is NOT an EDG-eligible category, that's MRA. EDG can fund the local capability build (e.g. a custom AI sales engine), and MRA can fund taking that capability into a specific overseas market, but the two grants do not overlap.

The application timeline

1. Before you apply. Project scoping, financial modelling and the business case
2. Submission. Via the Business Grants Portal (BGP)
3. About 8 to 12 weeks. Enterprise Singapore's processing time for a complete application
4. After approval. Letter of Offer issued; project kicks off
5. Project delivery. Execution, then claims

Where a consultant fits in an EDG application

EDG requires a certified consultant only for management consultancy costs: TR 43 or SS 680 certification, from IMC(S) RMC, SBACC PMC or SPMC, or TUV SUD SCMC. Beyond that rule, a consultant with real AI deployment history helps you scope a project the reviewer can assess, but the business applies in its own name and Enterprise Singapore decides the outcome. See how EDGE handles new projects instead →

Already submitted an EDG application by 29 September 2026?

• It continues under EDG's original requirements. You do not refile under EDGE, and an approved project is supported until completion and claim disbursement.
• EDG claims are due within 6 months of the end of the project qualifying period.
• If the programme is supported by SFEC, the final claim must reach Enterprise Singapore by 30 November 2026.

Related Singapore AI grants

• AI PSG Grant Singapore, for fast off-the-shelf AI deployment
• AI CTC Grant Singapore: 70% across equipment, software, consultancy and training around impacted staff
• All Singapore AI SME grants compared