Singapore Startup Grants

Government grants and schemes for Singapore-registered startups.

Also known as: Singapore grants, startup grants Singapore, government grants

Singapore backs startups with grants and schemes: co-funding for capabilities and internationalization, startup-specific support for first-time founders, R&D and innovation grants for deep work. For eligible companies they are transformative — six-figure non-dilutive funding that extends runway without touching the cap table.

fit check:  registered entity + qualifying activities + local substance → apply with milestones
use for:    R&D costs, market expansion steps, capability building — alongside revenue, not instead

Scheme names, agencies and criteria reorganize periodically — verify current programs rather than relying on any guide (including this page for specifics). What persists: support for genuine innovation activity, local substance requirements, and milestone-based disbursement with real reporting.

The classic mistakes:

Grant-chasing as strategy. Optimizing the company for applications instead of customers builds a grants machine nobody acquires. Grants fund milestones on a real plan.
Underestimating paperwork. Applications, claims, audits and milestone evidence consume founder weeks. Price the time against the check — small grants can cost more than they pay.
Spending before approval. Committing costs assuming a grant lands, then covering the gap when timelines slip. Treat grants as upside until money clears.
Ignoring clawbacks and conditions. Milestone misses, relocation, or pivots can trigger repayment or disqualification. Read obligations like investor terms.
One basket. A company sustained by a single scheme dies with its policy cycle. Diversify funding like everything else (non-dilutive mix).

Stack with: revenue first, regional incentives where operating (Malaysia, Thailand), and venture where the shape fits. Grants extend runways; customers and capital build companies.