Overview

The Digital Leaders Programme (DLP) is an initiative by IMDA to help non-ICT companies with digital ambitions accelerate deeper digital transformation. It's intended for firms that are already somewhat digital and want to push further by building in-house digital capability (digital team, roles) and executing impactful digital/AI/tech initiatives. In 2025, IMDA is scaling up DLP to help 2,000 enterprises adopt AI, sharpen digital capabilities, and embed technology more deeply.

Support Details

Support Rate

Up to S$200,000 support over 2 years for hiring up to 4 dedicated digital transformation manpower roles

Cap

24-month project duration with ongoing multi-year structured support

Project Duration & Scope

Up to 24 months with potential for extended support and community engagement

Eligibility Criteria

Non-ICT business entities registered and operating in Singapore
At least 30% local shareholding required (Singapore/PR) for non-ICT companies
Company should have implemented some digital projects already with sufficient ambition to go further
Financial strength and commitment to invest in digital transformation and sustain it
Senior management must be committed to digital transformation as core strategy
Digital maturity/track record - not for companies starting from zero but for digitally ambitious ones

Supported Categories

Empower: Training, leadership mindsets, workshops, discovery, strategic guidance

Enable: Funding/support to build in-house digital teams (CTO/digital roles), developing roadmaps, executing digital projects

Engage: Community, partnerships, access to tech partners, co-innovation networks, peer sharing

Application Process

Expression of interest/application during IMDA enrolment/intake periods

Share digital ambition, current state, roadmap ideas, potential projects

Onboarding and assessment - IMDA/DLP team assesses readiness, ambition, viability, commitment

Workshops/discovery sessions to refine digital ambition/project ideas

Roadmap and planning - develop digital roadmap identifying focus areas (technology, operations, market, processes)

Implement capability building and recruitment - hire in-house digital team with DLP support

Conduct training, upskilling, mentoring for digital team and existing staff

Execute digital/AI projects that align with roadmap (data analytics, AI, automation, new digital services)

Ongoing support, engagement and refinement with continued coaching and community engagement

Graduation/scaling after 2 years with independent continuation of digital initiatives

Processing Time

Quarterly intake assessments, 24-month programme duration with ongoing community engagement

Project Duration & Completion

Up to 24 months with potential for extended support and community engagement

Best Practices for a Successful Application

Start with clarity of ambition - define what digital transformation means for your business and expected value

Have some baseline digital experience - DLP favors firms with existing digital footprint

Prepare a credible roadmap showing how projects align, phased approach, expected metrics, sustainability

Don't underestimate manpower aspect - hiring capable CTO/digital leads with domain + tech skills is critical

Design impactful, measurable projects with clear KPIs (revenue uplift, cost reduction, productivity gain)

Balance quick wins vs long bets - include shorter turnaround projects while planning strategic initiatives

Engage tech partners/consultants wisely but ensure knowledge transfers internally

Show leadership commitment - senior management must visibly champion transformation

Be flexible and iterative - build in feedback loops and adjustments for technology projects

Think about sustainability beyond DLP support - ensure digital team and systems are maintained post-program

Document everything centrally - project plans, progress reports, metrics, lessons learned

Sample Use Cases & Scenarios

Building in-house digital teams with CTO and specialized digital roles

Implementing AI adoption projects with guidance and pilot environments

Developing data analytics capabilities and automation systems

Creating new digital services and value streams

Success story: EtonHouse hired CTO, revamped systems, integrated digital platforms, and automated processes through DLP

Additional Information

Recent Enhancements (2025 Onward): In September 2025, IMDA announced enhanced DLP push to support 2,000 local enterprises in harnessing AI and deeper digital transformation. The enhancements emphasize three pillars: • Uplift leadership mindset through workshops, playbooks, awareness • Instill confidence/capability to deliver AI projects via tech guidance, pilot projects, hands-on execution • Build internal competencies via funding support for hiring digital teams and operationalising AI/tech initiatives Enhanced AI Focus: Under recent enhancements, there's stronger emphasis on supporting AI adoption - helping enterprises deploy AI with guidance, find use cases, and scale. IMDA provides more structured modules and curated support including modular training, coaching, sandbox/pilot environments. Three-Pronged Approach Structure: • Empower: Training, leadership mindsets, workshops, discovery, strategic guidance • Enable: Funding/support to build in-house digital teams, developing roadmaps, executing digital projects • Engage: Community, partnerships, access to tech partners, co-innovation networks, peer sharing DLP is positioned as foundation/backbone for companies to become Digital Leaders and anchor further transformation, especially leveraging AI. The programme offers ongoing community engagement, tech partner matchmaking, and peer learning opportunities beyond the initial 24-month support period.