Which Government Support Fits Your Project?
Why does the support landscape feel more complex in 2026?
Singapore’s support landscape for workflow and AI automation is broader in 2026 than a single grant. Businesses can still use familiar routes such as the Productivity Solutions Grant (PSG), the Enterprise Development Grant (EDG) and the SMEs Go Digital ecosystem. At the same time, Budget 2026 and related official announcements added new elements such as EDGE, the Champions of AI programme, the National AI Impact Programme and a new AI-related enhancement to the Enterprise Innovation Scheme (EIS).
Many businesses start with a simple question, 'Are there grants that can help with AI or workflow automation?' In 2026, Singapore’s support landscape now includes direct grants, advisory and discovery support, new programme-based AI transformation routes and tax support. Some routes are designed for pre-approved solutions. Some support broader project-based transformation. Others help a business decide what to adopt before it commits to a grant application.
The better question to ask is which official route fits the kind of project you actually have. [1][2][4][5]
What changed in 2026?
Budget 2026 and related official announcements widened the landscape in several ways. Enterprise Singapore announced EDGE, a new scheme that will streamline the Market Readiness Assistance (MRA), Productivity Solutions Grant (PSG), and Enterprise Development Grant (EDG) into a single scheme and make it available to all Singapore businesses, including non-SMEs. In the meantime, businesses can continue applying for PSG, EDG and MRA through the Business Grants Portal. [1]
Budget 2026 also enhanced PSG to support more digital and AI-enabled solutions. Separately, the National AI Impact Programme was launched to support 10,000 enterprises over the next three years and 100,000 workers to become AI Bilingual. Under that programme, IMDA will launch the
Digital Leaders Accelerator Bootcamp and increase the proportion of AI-enabled pre-approved solutions from 30% to 50%. Budget 2026 also introduced a new AI-related enhancement to the Enterprise Innovation Scheme for YA 2027 and YA 2028. [1][9][10]
What are the main official government support available?
Support route | Best fit | What it helps with | Important note |
|---|---|---|---|
Productivity Solutions Grant (PSG) | You want to adopt a pre-approved solution for an existing process | Supports IT solutions and equipment that improve productivity and automate existing processes | For local SMEs. Up to 50% of eligible costs. No payment or deposit before application submission. [2][3] |
Enterprise Development Grant (EDG) | You need a more tailored project or broader process redesign | Supports projects that help businesses upgrade, innovate, grow and transform, including qualifying consultancy, software, equipment and internal manpower | Up to 50% of eligible costs for local SMEs. Assessed on project scope, outcomes and service provider competency. [4] |
SMEs Go Digital, CTO-as-a-Service, and Industry Digital Plans | You are still deciding what to adopt or want guidance before choosing a route | Provides one-stop digital guidance, self-assessment, advisory support, solution discovery and sector-specific digital plans | Useful when the project is still unclear. Not every route here is a grant. [5][6][7] |
SkillsFuture Enterprise Credit (SFEC) | You are already eligible and want to see whether additional support can apply on top of a supportable programme | Provides additional support for eligible employers on enterprise and workforce transformation programmes | There is no separate application. Eligible employers are informed by Enterprise Singapore. [12] |
Enterprise Innovation Scheme (EIS) | You want tax support for qualifying AI expenditure rather than a direct grant | Provides 400% tax deductions or allowances on up to S$50,000 of qualifying AI expenditure per year for YA 2027 and YA 2028 | Cash payout is not available for qualifying AI expenditures. [10] |
National AI Impact Programme (NAIIP) and DLAB | You want broader AI capability building, practical AI know-how, and more AI-enabled solution access | Supports enterprise AI adoption at scale, worker AI fluency, and leadership capability through DLAB and related initiatives | NAIIP aims to support 10,000 enterprises and 100,000 workers. [9] |
Champions of AI | You are a leading Singapore-based company aiming for enterprise-wide AI transformation | Provides customised support and curated expertise for comprehensive AI transformation | Designed for leading Singapore-based companies with ambition and commitment to use AI as a core driver. [1][8] |
GenAI Sandbox 2.0 | You want to trial specific GenAI use cases in a bounded way | Lets eligible SMEs trial selected GenAI solutions in areas such as web design, customer engagement, and HR onboarding | Provides up to 50% grant support for one three-month trial. [11] |
EDGE | You want to understand where the scheme architecture is heading beyond the current grant labels | Will streamline MRA, PSG, and EDG into one scheme for smoother access | Announced in Budget 2026. Existing applications continue through current routes in the meantime. [1] |
Table 1: Main official support routes for workflow and AI automation projects in Singapore in 2026.
The official landscape now includes more than one kind of support. A business may need a grant, a discovery route, a tax incentive or a broader capability-building programme. It is possible for businesses to use more than one official route over time. [1][5][9][10]
What is the Productivity Solutions Grant (PSG)?
The Productivity Solutions Grant is the most relevant official route when a local business wants to adopt a pre-approved solution for a known process problem. It is still the clearest entry point when the workflow is already fairly well understood and the business wants a more standardised tool rather than a custom transformation project. Enterprise Singapore states that PSG supports IT solutions and equipment that improve productivity and automate existing processes, with support of up to 50% of eligible costs for local SMEs. [2]
In 2026, PSG matters even more because Budget 2026 expanded it to support more digital and AI enabled solutions and NAIIP states that the proportion of AI-enabled pre-approved solutions will increase from 30% to 50%. That makes PSG more relevant to firms that want practical AI adoption without starting with a bespoke project. Businesses still need to watch the official conditions carefully. Enterprise Singapore’s official material states that payments or deposits made before application submission are not supported. [1][3][9]
What is the Enterprise Development Grant (EDG)?
The Enterprise Development Grant is better thought of as a project-based route rather than a solution list. It becomes more relevant when the business needs a tailored transformation effort, broader process redesign, integration work or a custom implementation that does not fit a pre-approved solution. Enterprise Singapore states that EDG supports projects that help businesses upgrade, innovate, grow and transform and may cover qualifying consultancy fees, software and equipment and internal manpower costs. [4]
That means EDG usually fits more complex automation work than PSG. It is not a substitute for a pre-approved solution catalogue. It is also not simply a route for buying software. It is a route for defined projects with clearer scope, outcomes and implementation plans. [4]
The AI Automation initiative most typically falls into this category.
What if you are not yet sure what to adopt?
This is where the broader SMEs Go Digital ecosystem matters. IMDA describes SMEs Go Digital as a one-stop platform that helps SMEs find digital solutions, access support and move along their digital journey. Within that umbrella, CTO-as-a-Service is a more specific discovery and advisory route. IMDA states that CTO-as-a-Service lets SMEs self-assess digital readiness and needs, access market-proven digital solutions and engage digital consultants for more in-depth advisory support. [5][6]
Industry Digital Plans are also useful when the business wants clearer sector guidance before choosing tools or grants. They are not the same thing as PSG or EDG, but they can help a business understand its stage and what digital steps tend to make sense in its sector. That makes the advisory path important for businesses that know they want change but have not yet defined the right automation project. [7]
What else matters in the 2026 landscape?
Two of the most important additions are NAIIP and Champions of AI.
National AI Impact Programme (NAAIP)
NAIIP is broader than a single grant. It is a national programme to deepen enterprise AI adoption and worker capability. The official factsheet states that it will support 10,000 enterprises over the next three years and 100,000 workers to become AI Bilingual. It also includes the new Digital Leaders Accelerator Bootcamp to build leaders’ confidence in implementing AI. [9]
Champions of AI
Enterprise Singapore describes Champions of AI as a flagship initiative for leading Singapore-based companies that want enterprise-wide AI transformation, with customised support and curated expertise. It is not a general SME grant in the same way as PSG. It is a more selective route for companies with the ambition and commitment to use AI as a core driver of productivity, innovation and revenue growth. [8]
Enterprise Innovation Scheme (EIS)
The tax landscape also changed. IRAS now states that under EIS, businesses can claim 400% tax deductions or allowances on up to S$50,000 of qualifying AI expenditure per year for YA 2027 and YA 2028. This is useful when the business is looking at qualifying AI expenditure and wants tax support rather than a direct grant. IRAS also makes clear that the cash payout option is not available for these qualifying AI expenditures. [10]
GenAI Sandbox 2.0
There is also an official experimentation route through GenAI Sandbox 2.0. IMDA states that eligible SMEs can receive up to 50% grant support to trial one curated GenAI solution for three months in areas such as web design, customer engagement, and HR onboarding. This is narrower than PSG or EDG, but it can be relevant when a business wants a bounded trial of a specific GenAI use case. [11]
What about micro and very small businesses?
These supports are available for very small firms. For example, PSG is designed to be accessible to small and micro enterprises and that almost 3,000 SMEs, including micro enterprises, adopted AI-enabled solutions in 2024. That supports the point that smaller firms are not excluded from the official support landscape. [14]
At the same time, official speeches in 2026 point to additional ecosystem support around smaller firms. In January 2026, the Association of Small & Medium Enterprises (ASME) indicated that it was mobilising up to S$10 million through SME@AITE, where firms can access the NTUC Company Training Committee Grant and the Mentorship Support Grant. This is useful context, but it should be described as ecosystem support rather than as a standard government grant page equivalent to PSG or EDG. [15]
Which route may fit your project?
A simple decision framework can help.
If you already know the process problem and you want a pre-approved solution, PSG is usually the first official route to review. [2][3]
If the project is more tailored and includes broader redesign, integration or transformation outcomes, EDG is usually the more relevant project route. [4]
If you are still working out what should be digitised or automated first, start with the SMEs Go Digital ecosystem, especially CTO-as-a-Service and relevant Industry Digital Plans. [5][6][7]
If you are looking at a larger AI capability-building journey rather than automation projects, NAIIP and its related initiatives may be more relevant context. [9]
If you are a leading Singapore-based company seeking enterprise-wide AI transformation, Champions of AI may be a route to consider. [8]
If you want to understand where grant support is heading structurally, watch for EDGE while continuing to use the current routes in the meantime. [1]
If the main question is tax treatment for qualifying AI expenditure, EIS belongs in the conversation alongside the other mentioned direct grant routes. [10]
How do you access support?
In practice, the access path becomes simpler when it is broken into steps.
First, define the type of project you have. Is it the adoption of a known solution, a more tailored project, a need for advisory support or a tax-support question?
Second, review the official programme pages and, where relevant, the official solution or advisory routes before assuming a scheme fits.
Third, prepare access to the Business Grants Portal. GoBusiness states that a user needs a Corppass account and the appropriate assigned role to access the portal.
Fourth, do not commit to the solution without having a clear vision of the steps required for the support. PSG in particular has a clear rule against payment or deposit before application submission. [3]
Where should you start?
Start by classifying your project. If you are comparing known pre-approved options for a clear workflow problem, begin with PSG. If the project is more tailored, review EDG. If you are still not sure what to automate first, use the SMEs Go Digital ecosystem before jumping into a grant application. If your question is about broader AI capability-building in 2026, make sure you also understand NAIIP, Champions of AI. Leverage on EIS for tax benefits in addition to the above as a complimentary support package. [1][4][5][8]
[9][10]
The key point is that support in Singapore is available, but the right entry point depends on the kind of project you actually have.
Source note: support levels, eligibility details and programme architecture can change over time. This article is a practical reading guide to official schemes and official support routes in 2026. For current conditions, always review the underlying government pages directly before making decisions.
Sources and References
[1] Enterprise Singapore. “Budget 2026.” https://www.enterprisesg.gov.sg/campaigns/budget-2026
[2] Enterprise Singapore. “Productivity Solutions Grant (PSG).” https://www.enterprisesg.gov.sg/financial-support/productivity-solutions-grant
[3] Enterprise Singapore. “FAQ: Productivity Solutions Grant (PSG).” https://www.enterprisesg.gov.sg/resources/all faqs/productivity-solutions-grant
[4] Enterprise Singapore. “Enterprise Development Grant (EDG).” https://www.enterprisesg.gov.sg/financial support/enterprise-development-grant
[5] IMDA. “SMEs Go Digital.” https://www.imda.gov.sg/how-we-can-help/smes-go-digital
[6] IMDA. “Chief Technology Officer-as-a-Service.” https://www.imda.gov.sg/How-We-Can-Help/smes-go-digital/CTOaaS
[7] IMDA. “Industry Digital Plans.” https://www.imda.gov.sg/how-we-can-help/smes-go-digital/industry-digital-plans
[8] Enterprise Singapore. “Champions of AI Programme.” https://www.enterprisesg.gov.sg/resources/mediacentre/mediareleases/2026/march/mr00926_champions-of-ai programme
[9] Ministry of Digital Development and Information. “National AI Impact Programme: Empowering Enterprises and Workers to Transform with AI (Factsheet).” https://www.mddi.gov.sg/newsroom/national-ai-impact-programme- empowering-enterprises-and-workers-to-transform-with-ai/
[10] IRAS. “Enterprise Innovation Scheme (EIS).” https://www.iras.gov.sg/schemes/disbursement-schemes/enterprise innovation-scheme-(eis)
[11] IMDA. “Factsheet - GenAI Sandbox 2.0.” https://www.imda.gov.sg/resources/press-releases-factsheets-and speeches/factsheets/2024/gen-ai-sandbox-2-0
[12] Enterprise Singapore. “FAQ: SkillsFuture Enterprise Credit (SFEC).” https://www.enterprisesg.gov.sg/resources/all-faqs/skillsfuture-enterprise-credit
[13] GoBusiness. “Login via Corppass.” https://www.gobusiness.gov.sg/business-grants-portal-faq/login/
[14] Ministry of Digital Development and Information. “MDDI’s response to PQ on Percentage of Support Disbursed under Existing Schemes Going to Micro and Small Enterprises versus Medium Enterprises.” https://www.mddi.gov.sg/newsroom/mddi-s-response-to-pq-on-percentage-of-support-disbursed-under-existing schemes-going-to-micro-and-small-enterprises-versus-medium-enterprises/
[15] Ministry of Trade and Industry. “Speech by MOS Alvin Tan at AI Festival Asia.” https://www.mti.gov.sg/newsroom/speech-by-mos-alvin-tan-at-ai-festival-asia
