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What is the Singapore MRA grant?
The Singapore Market Readiness Assistance (MRA) grant is an Enterprise Singapore government grant that funds up to 50% of qualifying overseas market entry costs for Singapore-registered SMEs, capped at SGD 100,000 per new overseas market. Qualifying costs include market entry consultancy fees, overseas market set-up expenses, and business development activities. The MRA grant is designed to help Singapore-based SMEs expand into new overseas markets — including Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and other Asia-Pacific markets.
If you are a company incorporated in Singapore and considering expansion into Asia, the Singapore MRA grant could fund up to 50% of your market entry consulting costs — making it one of the most valuable and underutilised government incentives available to SMEs expanding into new overseas markets.
Yet the Market Readiness Assistance grant Singapore remains poorly understood by many of the companies it is designed to help. Questions about eligibility, what costs qualify, how to apply, and whether consulting fees are covered are among the most common we receive at Business Bridge Asia. This guide answers all of them — clearly and completely.
Business Bridge Asia is a Singapore-based Asia market entry consulting firm. Our market entry consulting fees are eligible as qualifying MRA grant expenditure — subject to Enterprise Singapore’s approval. We support clients through the full MRA grant process: eligibility assessment, application preparation, and claims documentation
What costs does the Singapore MRA grant cover? The Singapore MRA grant covers three categories of qualifying expenditure: (1) Overseas market set-up — company incorporation costs, regulatory filing fees, and legal costs for setting up a business entity in the new target market; (2) Market entry consultancy — fees paid to qualifying consulting firms for market entry strategy, partner identification, market research, and due diligence; and (3) Business development activities — overseas trade missions, market research trips, and customer acquisition activities. All expenditure must be pre-approved by Enterprise Singapore before costs are incurred. |
This covers the direct costs of establishing a legal presence in your new target market. For a Singapore company expanding into Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, or Malaysia, qualifying set-up costs typically include: company registration and incorporation fees in the target country, regulatory filing and licensing costs, and legal fees directly related to the business establishment.
This is the category most relevant to companies working with Business Bridge Asia. MRA grant market entry consulting fees are qualifying expenditure — meaning the fees you pay to Business Bridge Asia for market entry strategy, partner matching, market research, and due diligence can be funded at up to 50% through the MRA grant, subject to grant approval.
This covers activities directly aimed at finding customers and building business relationships in the new overseas market — including overseas sales trips, trade mission participation, and international business matching events. Flight and accommodation costs are generally not qualifying expenses, but the business activity costs themselves may qualify.
MRA grant applications must be submitted to Enterprise Singapore BEFORE incurring the qualifying expenditure. You cannot apply retrospectively for costs already paid. This makes early planning and an early grant application essential.
Who is eligible for the Singapore MRA grant?
To be eligible for the Singapore MRA grant, a company must: (1) be registered and operating in Singapore; (2) have a minimum 30% local shareholding (Singapore citizen or Permanent Resident shareholders); (3) meet the SME definition — annual turnover not exceeding SGD 100 million OR employment size not exceeding 200 workers; and (4) be expanding into a NEW overseas market — a market where the company has not previously had a registered business entity or generated significant revenue. The grant is administered by Enterprise Singapore and applications are submitted through the Business Grants Portal.
Your company must be incorporated and operating in Singapore. A Singapore Pte Ltd (private limited company) is the standard qualifying structure. Branch offices of foreign companies do not qualify. This is why companies planning to use the MRA grant often incorporate a Singapore Pte Ltd as their first step before applying for the grant.
At least 30% of the company’s shares must be held by Singapore citizens or Permanent Residents. This is the eligibility criterion that catches out the most foreign-owned companies. A 100% foreign-owned Singapore Pte Ltd does not qualify. To qualify, the company structure must include Singapore citizen or PR shareholders holding at least 30% of the equity.
The company must qualify as an SME under Enterprise Singapore’s definition: either annual group turnover not exceeding SGD 100 million, OR employment size of no more than 200 workers. Most small and mid-sized companies expanding into Asia will easily meet this threshold — the vast majority of the companies Business Bridge Asia works with qualify.
The MRA grant is specifically for market entry into a NEW overseas market — one where the company has not previously had a registered entity or established commercial operations. Companies seeking to expand an existing overseas presence (rather than enter a new market for the first time) do not qualify for this grant.
Checking your MRA grant eligibility Singapore before beginning the application process is the critical first step. Business Bridge Asia provides a free MRA grant eligibility assessment as part of our Singapore market entry consulting service — we will tell you clearly whether your company structure and expansion plans qualify before you spend time on the application.
How do you apply for the Singapore MRA grant? To apply for the Singapore MRA grant: (1) Check eligibility — confirm your Singapore company meets the 30% local shareholding and SME size criteria. (2) Define your target market — identify the specific new overseas market you are entering. (3) Prepare your application — through the Business Grants Portal (businessgrants.gov.sg) using your CorpPass login. (4) Submit BEFORE incurring costs — the application must be approved before any qualifying expenditure is committed to. (5) Receive approval — Enterprise Singapore typically processes applications within 4–6 weeks. (6) Incur expenditure and claim — once approved, incur qualifying costs and submit claims with supporting documentation. |
Before anything else, verify your company meets all four eligibility criteria — Singapore registration, 30% local shareholding, SME definition, and new market entry. If your shareholding structure does not currently meet the 30% local requirement, this is the time to address it — through bringing in a Singapore citizen or PR co-founder, director-shareholder, or other qualifying equity structure.
The MRA grant application requires you to specify exactly which new overseas market you are entering and exactly what activities you will undertake. For Business Bridge Asia clients, this typically means specifying the target country (Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, or others) and the consulting services you will engage — market entry strategy, partner matching, market research, and due diligence.
The MRA grant application is submitted online through the Singapore Business Grants Portal at businessgrants.gov.sg, using your company’s CorpPass login. The application requires: company financial statements, details of the target market and planned activities, quotations from service providers (including Business Bridge Asia), and a brief business plan for the overseas market entry. Business Bridge Asia provides all necessary documentation and quotations in the format Enterprise Singapore requires.
Enterprise Singapore’s typical processing time for MRA grant applications is 4–6 weeks. During this period, do not proceed with or pay for any of the qualifying activities listed in your application. If you incur costs before receiving formal approval, those costs will not qualify for grant reimbursement.
Once you receive formal MRA grant approval, you can proceed with the qualifying activities and incur the approved costs. Claims are submitted to Enterprise Singapore after the activities are completed, with full supporting documentation including invoices, receipts, and evidence of the activities conducted. Business Bridge Asia supports clients through the full claims process.
Does the MRA grant cover consulting fees?
Yes. Market entry consultancy fees paid to qualifying consulting firms are explicitly listed as qualifying expenditure under the MRA grant’s Category 2 — Market Entry Consultancy. This includes fees for market entry strategy development, partner identification and matching, overseas market research, and due diligence on overseas partners. Fees must be paid to a registered consulting firm (not an individual freelancer) and must be directly related to the specific new overseas market entry covered by the grant application.
One of the most common questions we receive about the Singapore MRA grant is: does MRA grant cover consulting fees? The answer is yes — and this is precisely why the MRA grant is so valuable for companies working with Business Bridge Asia.
Under MRA grant Category 2, qualifying consultancy fees include fees paid to approved market entry consulting firms for: market entry strategy and planning; partner identification, screening, and matching; overseas market research and demand assessment; and due diligence on overseas business partners. All of these are core Business Bridge Asia service areas.
The practical implication is significant: if your MRA grant application is approved and Business Bridge Asia’s fees are listed as qualifying expenditure, Enterprise Singapore will reimburse 50% of those fees — up to the SGD 100,000 per-market cap. For a typical single-country market entry engagement, this means the net cost of working with Business Bridge Asia could be reduced by half.
Example: A Singapore SME engaging Business Bridge Asia for Vietnam market entry at a total consulting fee of SGD 20,000 could receive SGD 10,000 back from Enterprise Singapore through the MRA grant — effectively halving the cost of the engagement.
Can US companies use the Singapore MRA grant?
US companies can access the Singapore MRA grant by incorporating a Singapore Pte Ltd with at least 30% shareholding held by Singapore citizens or Permanent Residents. Once the Singapore entity is established with the qualifying shareholding structure, it can apply for the MRA grant for its overseas market entry activities — including into other Asian markets such as Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia. Business Bridge Asia assists US companies in structuring their Singapore entity to meet MRA grant eligibility requirements.
For US companies using the MRA grant for Asia expansion, the route to eligibility runs through Singapore. The process is: incorporate a Singapore Pte Ltd, structure the shareholding to include at least 30% Singapore citizen or PR shareholders, and then apply for MRA grant support for market entry into your target Asian market.
This approach is increasingly common among US-headquartered companies that are building an Asia-Pacific strategy. Singapore serves as both the operational hub and the vehicle through which government grant support is accessed. Business Bridge Asia supports US companies through both the Singapore incorporation and the MRA grant application process.
For a full guide to setting up your Singapore entity and using it as your Asia-Pacific base, read our dedicated guide:
How does Business Bridge Asia help with MRA grant applications?
Business Bridge Asia provides end-to-end MRA grant consulting support including: free MRA grant eligibility assessment for your specific company structure and target market; application preparation and documentation for submission through the Business Grants Portal; supporting quotations in Enterprise Singapore’s required format; full market entry consulting services that constitute qualifying MRA grant expenditure; and claims documentation support once activities are completed. Business Bridge Asia’s consulting fees are eligible as qualifying MRA Category 2 expenditure.
Our Singapore MRA grant consulting service covers every stage of the grant process — from the initial eligibility check through to the final claims submission. We have supported multiple clients through successful MRA grant applications and understand exactly what Enterprise Singapore looks for in an application.
Before anything else, we assess whether your company structure and expansion plans qualify for the MRA grant — at no cost. This takes approximately 30 minutes and gives you a clear yes/no on eligibility before you invest time in the application.
We prepare your MRA grant application documentation — including the business case, target market description, planned activities, and service quotations in the format Enterprise Singapore requires.
All Business Bridge Asia’s core services — market entry strategy, partner matching, market research, and due diligence — constitute qualifying MRA Category 2 expenditure. Our fees are structured to align with MRA grant requirements.
Once your market entry activities are completed, we support you through the claims process — providing all necessary invoices, activity documentation, and evidence reports in the format required by Enterprise Singapore.
Ready to enter an Asian market with MRA grant support? These country guides cover the specific market entry requirements for the most common MRA grant target markets:
Indonesia’s large consumer market makes it a priority expansion destination for Singapore-based SMEs — our guide covers PT PMA registration and partner matching.
Thailand’s BOI system and US Treaty of Amity make it a common MRA grant target market for Singapore-based companies.
Vietnam is one of the most popular MRA grant target markets — our complete guide covers partner matching, regulatory requirements, and on-the-ground execution.
Full pricing breakdown for Asia market entry consulting services — including how MRA grant funding reduces the net cost of each service
A: The MRA grant funds up to 50% of qualifying costs, capped at SGD 100,000 per new overseas market. This means the maximum grant amount for a single market entry is SGD 50,000 (50% of SGD 100,000 in qualifying expenditure). Companies entering multiple new markets can apply for separate MRA grants for each new market, subject to the per-market cap.
A: Enterprise Singapore typically processes MRA grant applications within 4–6 weeks of submission. More complex applications — involving multiple markets or unusual cost categories — may take slightly longer. The Business Grants Portal provides status updates throughout the review process. Approval must be received before any qualifying expenditure is incurred.
A: A typical MRA grant application requires: company registration documents (ACRA BizFile extract), recent financial statements, shareholding structure confirmation (showing 30%+ local shareholding), detailed description of the target overseas market and planned activities, service provider quotations (including from Business Bridge Asia), and a brief business plan for the overseas expansion. Business Bridge Asia prepares all necessary documentation as part of our MRA grant consulting service.
A: If an MRA grant application is rejected, Enterprise Singapore typically provides a reason. Common rejection reasons include: failure to meet the 30% local shareholding requirement, the target market not qualifying as a ‘new’ market, or insufficient detail in the application on the planned activities. Rejected applications can be revised and resubmitted. Business Bridge Asia’s MRA grant consulting service includes application review to minimise rejection risk before initial submission.
The Singapore MRA grant could fund up to 50% of your Asia market entry consulting costs — but only if your application is structured correctly and submitted before you incur any qualifying expenditure. Business Bridge Asia will assess your eligibility, prepare your application, and handle your qualifying market entry consulting activities — all in one seamless engagement.
Tell us about your expansion plans and we’ll check your MRA grant eligibility within 24 hours — at no charge.
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