EDGE Grant for Overseas Expansion: What Replaced MRA

Part of our Marketing Grants guide →

Last updated: October 2026. If you searched for the MRA grant, here is the short answer: Market Readiness Assistance (MRA) stopped accepting new applications on 29 September 2026. Overseas expansion projects now apply under the EDGE Grant, which brings MRA, EDG and PSG together into one scheme from Enterprise Singapore.

This guide covers what that means for Singapore companies planning to enter a new market: which overseas activities EDGE supports, how much support is available, the rules on trade fairs, market set-up and overseas staff, and how to plan a campaign around the grant. Facts are taken from Enterprise Singapore’s EDGE Grant page and EDGE Grant FAQ.

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

From MRA to EDGE

MRA was the grant most Singapore SMEs used for their first steps overseas: market promotion, business development and setting up in a new market. Enterprise Singapore has now folded it into the EDGE Grant. Its FAQ describes EDGE as streamlining “EDG, MRA and PSG into a single grant”, and states that “After 30 September 2026, no new application will be accepted under these schemes.”

In practice, EDGE covers the same kinds of overseas projects MRA used to fund. They now sit under EDGE’s Internationalisation business area, alongside the digital, strategy and sustainability activities that used to belong to PSG and EDG. The biggest change is how the money is capped. MRA had its own limits. Under EDGE, all your activities draw from one company-wide budget of S$100,000 a year.

Two points from the FAQ are worth knowing before you plan:

• Your old MRA usage does not count. The EDGE cap does not take into account previous grant utilisation under EDG, MRA and PSG.
• EDGE is for new projects. If you have already started work or paid a deposit to a vendor, the project counts as retrospective and will not be supported.

How Much Support Overseas Projects Get

Internationalisation is one of the two EDGE areas with a higher support level. According to the FAQ, businesses receive:

• Up to 70% support for SMEs on internationalisation and sustainability activities
• Up to 50% support for non-SMEs on those activities
• Up to 50% for SMEs and up to 30% for non-SMEs on other EDGE activities

An SME, for EDGE purposes, is a company with group annual sales turnover of not more than S$100 million, or group employment of no more than 200 workers. Support levels differ by activity, so always check the activity page for the exact percentage and any cost caps that apply to your project.

All of this sits inside a S$100,000 annual grant cap per company, shared across every EDGE activity you apply for and refreshed each 1 April. If you also plan digital tools, branding work or automation in the same year, those projects draw from the same S$100,000. That makes it worth mapping your full year of projects before you apply for the first one.

Overseas Activities EDGE Supports

The EDGE FAQ refers to several internationalisation activities by name:

• Overseas physical trade fairs: exhibiting at international trade shows
• Identification of potential overseas partnerships: business matching and meetings to find distributors and partners in the target market
• Overseas business development staff deployment: support for a business development person stationed in the market
• Market entry set-up: including overseas entity set-up, IP registration and import or export certification

Some rules apply across all internationalisation applications:

• One application per market. A separate application is needed for each country, assessed on its own scope and deliverables.
• Several markets at once is fine. Companies may apply for multiple markets concurrently.
• Regional projects pick a primary market. If a project targets a region, select the primary market it focuses on.
• The Singapore company pays. Expenses must be incurred and paid by the applicant. If an overseas subsidiary executes and pays, an internal cost transfer can recharge the cost to the Singapore applicant, with documents showing it ultimately bore the cost.
• Double Tax Deduction still works. Companies can also claim the Double Tax Deduction for Internationalisation (DTDi) on the same expenses, computed net of the EDGE grant.

Trade Fairs: the LEAD Rule and Booth Limits

Trade fairs are where the EDGE FAQ is most specific, and where companies are most likely to get caught out.

LEAD-supported trade fairs are excluded. Enterprise Singapore encourages companies to join LEAD-supported shows through the Singapore National Pavilion. EDGE will not support a LEAD-supported trade fair even if the pavilion has no space left, you could get a better booth location outside it, you prefer not to join the pavilion, or you want to exhibit in a different hall at the same show.

For other overseas trade fairs:

• Booth space support is capped at 36 square metres, which Enterprise Singapore says reflects the standard booth size for most applications.
• There is no required booth design, but your company name or brand must be clearly displayed on the booth and the exhibitor listing. The brand can be one you own or one you represent, for example as exclusive distributor.
• The show must be a genuine international trade fair, aimed mainly at trade visitors, with international exhibitors and visitors.

For partner-finding projects, the FAQ notes that virtual meetings can be a first touchpoint, but these projects should mainly be conducted in person in the target market.

Market Entry Set-Up, IP and Certification

Market entry set-up covers the practical work of establishing yourself in a new country. The FAQ clarifies several points:

• Entity ownership: an overseas entity must be registered with the applicant company as corporate shareholder, not in an individual’s name, unless local law prohibits corporate shareholding and you can show it.
• Import and export certification: registration costs for certifications such as FDA registration and factory registration are supportable.
• Intellectual property: IP registration support can include prior art search, examination, objection and filing costs. The trademark, logo or patent must be owned by the grant applicant. A licensor’s or franchisor’s IP does not qualify.
• Multiple markets: international filings under the Madrid, PCT or Hague systems can go in one application listing all target markets. Direct national filings need one application per market.

Overseas Business Development Staff

EDGE can support the cost of deploying a business development person in your target market. The FAQ sets the conditions:

• Support covers basic salary only, and the staff member must be stationed in the market for the whole project.
• The person can be on a full-time contract, employed by the Singapore company or its subsidiary. Costs paid by a subsidiary must be inter-billed to show the Singapore applicant bears them.
• If you have not hired yet, you can submit the job description instead of an employment letter.
• Owners and shareholders are not supported under this activity.

Planning Overseas Marketing Around EDGE

EDGE co-funds defined, project-based activities, not open-ended media budgets. The old schemes never paid for ongoing ad spend either. A practical way to plan an overseas push:

1. Pick the market and the activities first. Decide which EDGE activities fit (trade fair, partner search, market set-up, BD staff), then check each activity page for support level, caps and required documents.
2. Budget the whole year against S$100,000. Internationalisation gets the higher rate, so put the bulk of the cap there if overseas growth is the priority.
3. Apply before you commit. Don’t sign contracts or pay deposits before you submit. Payments made after submission may be supported if the application is approved, but at your own risk.
4. Fund the always-on marketing separately. Localised search, social and paid media in the new market usually run outside the grant, so plan them as part of the same launch.

That last part is where we come in. Our APAC marketing team plans and runs regional campaigns from Singapore. That includes Naver through our team in Korea, WeChat and Xiaohongshu for China, LINE for Japan, Taiwan and Thailand, and localised search and social across Southeast Asia. We work with pre-approved vendors and help you 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 branding and marketing strategy
• EDGE for websites and e-commerce
• How the MRA grant worked (historical)

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the MRA grant still available?

No. Market Readiness Assistance stopped accepting new applications on 29 September 2026. Overseas expansion projects now apply under the EDGE Grant’s Internationalisation activities. MRA projects that were already submitted continue to be processed.

What replaced the MRA grant?

The EDGE Grant, which combines MRA, EDG and PSG. Overseas activities sit under its Internationalisation area, with support of up to 70% for SMEs and up to 50% for non-SMEs, within a S$100,000 annual cap per company.

How much can an SME get for overseas expansion under EDGE?

Up to 70% of qualifying costs for internationalisation activities, subject to each activity’s own caps and to the company’s overall S$100,000 annual EDGE cap, which is shared with any other EDGE projects that year.

Can I use EDGE for a LEAD-supported trade fair?

No. EDGE will not support LEAD-supported trade fairs, even if the Singapore National Pavilion is full or you want a different booth location. Join through the pavilion under LEAD instead.

Do I need a separate application for each country?

Yes. Each internationalisation application covers one market. You can apply for several markets at the same time. For regional projects, choose the primary market.

Can I claim both EDGE and the Double Tax Deduction for Internationalisation?

Yes. The FAQ confirms companies can claim DTDi on the same expenses, with the deduction computed net of the EDGE grant.

Does EDGE pay for overseas advertising spend?

EDGE supports defined activities such as trade fairs, partner identification, market set-up and BD staff deployment. Ongoing media spend has not been funded under the old schemes and isn’t an EDGE activity, so plan always-on advertising in the new market as a separate budget.