Overview

The Market Readiness Assistance (MRA) Grant from Enterprise Singapore helps Singapore companies expand into new overseas markets by defraying costs for overseas market promotion, business development, and market set-up. MRA supports companies in taking their first steps into a new market by reducing the financial risks associated with international expansion.

Support Details

Support Rate

Up to 50% of eligible costs for local SMEs

Cap

S$100,000 per company per new overseas market

Support Levels & Internal Caps by Pillar

Overall Support

Support Rate: Up to 50% of eligible costs for local SMEs

Grant Cap per New Market: S$100,000 per company per new overseas market

Pillar	Max Grantable Amount
Overseas Market Promotion	S$20,000
Overseas Business Development	S$50,000
Overseas Market Set-Up	S$30,000

Note: These are maximum amounts within each pillar for a single new market. Each application must cover only one activity in a single overseas market.

Supportable Activities / Scopes

Support is available under three main pillars with specific eligible activities

Overseas Market Promotion

Max: S$20,000

Marketing / PR campaigns (digital & offline)

Roadshows, pop-up stores, in-store promotions

Trade fairs (virtual or physical)

Collaterals, booth design & construction, promotional collaterals

Post-event analytics

Overseas Business Development

Max: S$50,000

Identification of overseas partners / distributors / agents / joint ventures

Outsourced in-market business development / business matching

Market entry support & advisory

Product & in-market training, consultations

Overseas Market Set-Up

Max: S$30,000

Legal / regulatory / documentation expenses (e.g. incorporation, licenses, tax advisory, IP)

Foreign entity setup, in-market staff, office rental for marketing presence

Trade compliance, advisory, legal structuring

Special Note: For physical trade fairs, booth space is capped (e.g. 36 m²) for funded booths.

Project Duration & Scope

Projects are normally capped at 12 months in duration. Each application must cover only one activity in a single overseas market.

Eligibility Criteria

Registered and operating in Singapore
At least 30% local equity/shareholding (directly or indirectly)
New to the target overseas market - The company's annual sales in that overseas country must not have exceeded S$100,000 in any of the preceding 3 years
Group annual sales turnover ≤ S$100 million, OR Group employment size ≤ 200 employees
No retrospective applications - The project must not have commenced, contracts signed, or payments made before grant approval (except for certain trade fair cases)
No conflict of interest / unrelated consultants - The vendor or consultant must not be a related party to the applicant
Activities must be outsourced - MRA supports third-party costs. If your company already has internal capability to perform a function, that component may be disallowed

Application Process

Choose the target overseas market - Ensure it qualifies as 'new' (sales in that market ≤ S$100,000 in past 3 years)

Determine scope and activity - Select one pillar/activity for that market, identify a suitable third-party vendor or service provider

Obtain quotations/proposals - Scope of services, deliverables, cost breakdown addressed to your corporate name as per ACRA BizFile

Prepare supporting documents - Latest 3 years' financial statements, corporate group structure, ACRA BizFile, shareholder/director info

Submit application via Business Grants Portal (BGP) - Use CorpPass login, fill in project details, submit before project start

Project execution & claim submission - Carry out approved project within stipulated period, keep all documentation, submit claims via BGP

Disbursement - Once claims are approved, funds are reimbursed to company's bank account

Processing Time

4-6 weeks for approval

Project Duration & Completion

Projects are normally capped at 12 months in duration. Each application must cover only one activity in a single overseas market.

Common Reasons for Rejection

Project or payments commenced before grant approval (retrospective application)

Weak or unclear proposal with no measurable deliverables

Vendor or consultant is related party → conflict of interest

Incomplete or missing documentation: quotations, proof of payment, deliverables

Major scope deviation without prior change request

Choosing activities your company already has internal capability for

Exceeding cap limits of pillars or overall cap

Failure to submit claim within deadline

Misuse of grant fund (applying for ineligible costs)

Best Practices for a Successful Application

Be very clear on which market you are targeting and confirm it qualifies as 'new'

Pick one pillar/activity per market and stick to a focused scope

Use reliable, third-party vendors and get multiple quotations

Maintain clean documentation: invoices, receipts, deliverables, progress reports, proof of payment

Submit your application before signing or paying vendors

Incorporate milestones and monitor progress carefully (so you don't overrun timelines)

Engage an auditor early so that the final claim is smoother

Be aware of connected enterprises and how that affects the $100,000 cap

Use PayNow Corporate / GIRO setup to speed up disbursement

Additional Information

MRA supports various market expansion activities including market research, business matching, and overseas market development. **Important Notes:** • Entities with very similar registration details may be treated as 'connected enterprises' and thus share the same grant cap • MRA does not support non-profit organisations, societies, or government subsidiaries whose main objective is not generating overseas revenue • For physical trade fairs, booth space is capped (e.g. 36 m²) for funded booths