What changed for expansion support under Budget 2026?

Budget 2026 delivered the most significant enhancement to Singapore's internationalisation support in years, and it directly improves the economics of the expansion phase for SMEs.

The key changes:

• MRA support raised: the co-funding level for SMEs increased from fifty percent to up to seventy percent of eligible costs, with effect from 1 April 2026, within the unchanged cap of one hundred thousand Singapore dollars per company per new market; support of up to fifty percent was announced for non-SMEs

• Scope broadening ahead: Enterprise Singapore announced that from the second half of 2026 support will extend to deepening activities in existing overseas markets, not only entering new ones

• Grant consolidation: from the second half of 2026, the MRA, EDG and PSG are consolidated into the EDGE Grant, a single application framework across grant types

• Tax measures: the Double Tax Deduction for Internationalisation cap on automatic claims was raised to four hundred thousand Singapore dollars, and it remains claimable on qualifying expenses net of grant support

The practical effect is substantial: a business matching entry that previously cost an SME half its price now costs less than a third, and stacking the tax deduction reduces the net further. Timing discipline still applies, applications precede commencement and take approximately eight to twelve weeks, so expansion plans should be scoped a quarter ahead.

SJ Digital Media Solutions has aligned its expansion engagements to the enhanced terms, and advises clients on sequencing entries to make full use of the improved support while the enhanced period runs.