EDGE Grant for Branding and Marketing Strategy: What Replaced EDG

Part of our Marketing Grants guide →

Last updated: October 2026. The Enterprise Development Grant (EDG) used to be the go-to scheme for Singapore companies investing in brand strategy, marketing strategy and other capability projects. EDG stopped accepting new applications on 29 September 2026. Branding and strategy projects now apply under the EDGE Grant, which combined EDG with PSG and MRA into one scheme.

This guide explains how branding and marketing-strategy work fits into EDGE: where it sits, how much support to expect, how consultants are chosen, and how to plan a brand project so the grant actually helps. Facts come from Enterprise Singapore’s EDGE Grant page and EDGE Grant FAQ.

Dated note, October 2026: EDG, MRA and PSG ceased on 29 September 2026. EDG projects already submitted or approved continue to be processed, and claims are still made through the Business Grants Portal.

From EDG to EDGE

EDG co-funded capability projects: the strategic work behind a business, such as brand strategy, marketing strategy and business transformation, usually delivered with a consultant. Enterprise Singapore describes EDGE as streamlining “EDG, MRA and PSG into a single grant”, covering 8 business areas and over 150 activities.

In practice, the kinds of strategy and branding projects EDG used to fund continue under EDGE. Strategy work sits in the Business Strategy area. Overseas brand-building, such as trade fairs and market entry, sits under Internationalisation. Digital tools, including websites, fall under Automation & Digitalisation. Each activity has its own page with its support level, caps and documents, so check the one that matches your project.

The main structural change is the cap. Instead of each scheme having its own limits, every EDGE project draws from one S$100,000 annual budget per company, refreshed each 1 April. EDGE also starts afresh: the FAQ confirms your earlier EDG, MRA and PSG usage does not count against it.

Support Levels for Branding and Strategy

According to the EDGE FAQ, funding support is:

• Up to 50% for SMEs and up to 30% for non-SMEs on most activities, including business strategy work
• Up to 70% for SMEs (50% for non-SMEs) on internationalisation and sustainability activities

For a brand project focused on Singapore, plan around the 50% SME rate and the activity’s own cost cap. If the project is tied to expanding into a specific overseas market, check whether parts of it fit an internationalisation activity, which carries the higher rate.

An SME here means group annual sales turnover of no more than S$100 million, or group employment of no more than 200 workers. “Group” includes companies that own more than 50% of you and companies you own more than 50% of.

Choosing a Consultant

Branding and strategy projects are usually consultant-led, so the choice of consultant matters for both the result and the grant. The FAQ makes three points:

• Requirements are set by activity. Vendor and consultant requirements are listed under “Application Documents and Information to Prepare” on each activity page.
• There’s no geographic restriction. “There is no restriction on where consultants are sourced from, as long as they meet the qualifications required for the grant activity.”
• SS 680 certification. Enterprise Singapore points businesses to management consultants holding the SAC-accredited SS 680 certification. Certifying bodies include the Institute of Management Consultants (Singapore), Singapore Business Advisors and Consultants Council, and TÜV SÜD PSB. Check whether your activity page requires it.

Where an activity requires the consultant to be named upfront, they appear in your Letter of Offer, and claim invoices must come from that approved consultant. Don’t switch consultants partway through without checking first.

Branding for Overseas Markets

If the brand work is part of going overseas, two EDGE rules from the internationalisation FAQ are worth knowing:

• Own the IP. For IP registration under market entry set-up, the trademark, logo or device must be owned by the grant applicant. A licensor’s or franchisor’s mark does not qualify. Register your brand assets to the applying company early.
• Show the brand at trade fairs. For supported overseas trade fairs, your company name or brand must be clearly displayed on the booth and exhibitor listing.

See our guide to EDGE for overseas expansion for trade fair limits, market set-up and staff deployment rules.

What to Include, and What to Fund Separately

A typical strategy-led brand project covers research, positioning, brand architecture, messaging, visual identity direction and a go-to-market or marketing plan. Execution usually runs on separate budgets:

• Website builds sit with digital solutions under Automation & Digitalisation, within the S$30,000 digital sub-cap. See EDGE for websites and e-commerce.
• Ongoing media and social media spend was not funded under the old schemes and isn’t an EDGE activity, so budget it separately.
• Costs already incurred can’t be claimed. Starting work or paying a deposit before you apply makes the project retrospective.

Common Mistakes With Grant-Funded Brand Projects

These come up repeatedly when companies plan branding work around a grant:

• Briefing the agency before applying. Asking for proposals is fine. Signing a contract, paying a deposit or starting workshops before you submit makes the project retrospective, and EDGE won’t fund it.
• Letting the grant set the scope. Choosing deliverables because they look fundable, rather than because the business needs them, produces brand guidelines nobody uses. Start from the commercial problem: unclear positioning, a new market, a premium segment you can’t reach.
• Splitting the cap badly. A large strategy project early in the year can leave little of the S$100,000 for an overseas launch or digital tools later. Map the year first.
• Brand assets owned by the wrong entity. If a director or a sister company owns the trademark, it won’t qualify for IP support under market entry. Register brand assets to the applying company.
• Forgetting the claim evidence. EDGE pays one final claim against the deliverables in your Letter of Offer. Keep workshop records, strategy documents and final brand files as you go, along with proof that every invoice is paid.
• No budget for rollout. Strategy and identity are funded, but the website, content and campaigns that launch the brand usually aren’t, at least not under the same activity. A brand that never reaches customers doesn’t earn its cost back.

How to Plan a Brand Project Around EDGE

1. Define the business outcome first. EDGE supports projects aligned with its intent: upgrading capabilities, improving efficiency and expanding overseas. A brand project framed around a clear growth goal fits better than a cosmetic refresh.
2. Find the activity and read its page. Note the support level, cost cap, consultant requirements, deliverables and documents.
3. Plan the year’s cap. If you’re also planning digital tools or overseas work, decide how to split the S$100,000 before the first application.
4. Apply before engaging. Get proposals and quotations, but don’t sign or pay until the application is submitted.
5. Budget for rollout. A new brand only pays off when it reaches customers. Plan the website, content and campaigns that put it to work.

Our branding team develops brand strategy, identity and creative for Singapore businesses, and our marketing teams roll it out across search, social and ads. We work with pre-approved vendors and help clients scope projects so they’re ready to apply.

Related guides:

• EDGE Grant Singapore: the full guide
• How to apply for the EDGE Grant, step by step
• EDGE for overseas expansion
• EDGE for websites and e-commerce
• How the EDG grant worked (historical)

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the EDG grant still available?

No. The Enterprise Development Grant stopped accepting new applications on 29 September 2026. Branding, strategy and other capability projects now apply under the EDGE Grant. EDG projects already submitted continue to be processed.

Can I still get a grant for branding in Singapore?

Yes, through the EDGE Grant, which covers the same kinds of projects EDG used to fund. Strategy work sits under its Business Strategy area. Check the activity page for the support level, which is up to 50% for SMEs on most activities.

What is the EDGE grant funding percentage for branding?

Up to 50% for SMEs and up to 30% for non-SMEs on most activities, or up to 70% (50% for non-SMEs) where the work qualifies as internationalisation. All of it sits within the S$100,000 annual cap per company.

Does the branding consultant need to be pre-approved?

It depends on the activity. Enterprise Singapore says consultants can come from anywhere as long as they meet the activity’s qualifications, and points businesses to consultants with SAC-accredited SS 680 certification. Check your activity page.

Does EDGE pay for a new website as part of a rebrand?

A website is a digital solution, which falls under Automation & Digitalisation with its own S$30,000 annual sub-cap, rather than part of the strategy project. Plan it as a separate application.

Does my previous EDG grant reduce what I can get under EDGE?

No. The FAQ states the EDGE cap does not take into account previous grant utilisation under EDG, MRA and PSG.