The short answer
If you are building a custom mobile app in Singapore, the grant that applies is the Enterprise Development Grant (EDG) — which funds up to 50% of qualifying project costs for local SMEs (Enterprise Singapore). The Productivity Solutions Grant (PSG) is often mentioned in the same breath, but PSG only funds pre-approved, off-the-shelf software from a fixed catalogue — so it does not cover a bespoke build. We say this plainly because a lot of app pricing pages imply "get 50% off with a grant" without the fine print. The fine print is where budgets break.
Why PSG usually does not cover a custom app
PSG is designed to be fast and simple: you pick a pre-approved solution from the GoBusiness Gov Assist catalogue, and the grant covers up to 50% of eligible costs, capped at S$30,000 per company (Enterprise Singapore). The trade-off for that speed is that it only works for solutions already on the list — accounting, HR, CRM, POS and similar tools. Enterprise Singapore's own page is explicit: you "identify the relevant solutions for your needs" from a predetermined catalogue, and support is for "sector-specific and generic solutions that are pre-approved." A one-off, purpose-built app for your business is, by definition, not on that list.
So if someone quotes you a custom app and tells you PSG will pay half — ask which pre-approved solution code they are claiming against. If there isn't one, PSG doesn't apply.
EDG: the grant that fits a custom build — with a catch
EDG is the right instrument for bespoke work. It supports projects that "upgrade, innovate, grow and transform" a business across three pillars — Core Capabilities, Innovation & Productivity, and Market Access — and it funds up to 50% of qualifying project costs for SMEs (up to 70% for qualifying sustainability projects until 31 March 2026) (Enterprise Singapore).
The catch — and this is the part that matters for an app budget — is what counts as a qualifying cost. EDG reimburses three categories: third-party consultancy fees, software and equipment, and internal manpower. It funds the transformation and capability-building layer of a project. It does not hand back your entire development invoice line-for-line. A realistic way to think about it: EDG can offset a portion of an app project framed as a genuine business-capability upgrade — not "here's a coding bill, please refund half."
EDG vs PSG at a glance
| Question | PSG | EDG |
|---|---|---|
| What it funds | Pre-approved off-the-shelf software (fixed catalogue) | Bespoke transformation projects |
| Custom mobile app? | No | Yes (as a capability project) |
| Support level (SME) | Up to 50% | Up to 50% (70% for sustainability, until 31 Mar 2026) |
| Cap | S$30,000 per company | Assessed per project (no fixed catalogue cap) |
| Qualifying costs | Purchase/lease/subscription of the approved solution | Consultancy + software/equipment + internal manpower |
| Speed | Faster (catalogue pick) | Slower (project assessment) |
Source: Enterprise Singapore (PSG and EDG official pages), retrieved July 2026.
Are you even eligible?
Both grants share a core eligibility bar. Your company must be registered and operating in Singapore with at least 30% local equity held directly or indirectly by Singapore citizens and/or PRs. For PSG specifically, your group must also have annual sales turnover not exceeding S$100 million, or group employment not exceeding 200 employees (Enterprise Singapore). EDG additionally looks at financial readiness to complete the project, and the project must be new and not yet started — so you apply before you sign the build, not after.
Eligibility & key rules at a glance
| Requirement | What it means |
|---|---|
| Company base | Registered and operating in Singapore |
| Local equity | At least 30% held by Singapore citizens and/or PRs |
| PSG size limit | Group turnover not exceeding S$100 million, or not more than 200 employees |
| EDG project timing | Project must be new and not yet started — apply before you sign the build |
| Approval | Assessed by Enterprise Singapore on scope, outcomes and provider competency; never guaranteed |
Source: Enterprise Singapore (PSG and EDG official pages), retrieved July 2026.
What a grant does not do
Two honest limits worth stating up front. First, approval is never guaranteed. Enterprise Singapore assesses applications on scope, outcomes and provider competency; its own PSG page notes "successful applications are subject to grant conditions." Any studio that promises you a grant is promising something it cannot control. Second, a grant reimburses — it does not reduce your invoice at the point of sale. You still contract and pay for the app; the qualifying portion comes back after the project meets its conditions. Plan your cash flow for the full cost, and treat the grant as a rebate, not a discount.
One more thing for 2026: EDGE
If you are planning a build later in 2026, note that Enterprise Singapore is consolidating EDG, PSG and MRA into a single grant called EDGE, launching in the second half of 2026; the existing grants remain accessible until that launch (Enterprise Singapore). The categories and rates for EDGE were not finalised at the time of writing, so if your timeline crosses into 2H2026, confirm the current scheme on the Business Grants Portal before you budget.
How Namtech works with this
We build the app; we do not administer grants and we do not promise approval. What we can do is give you a fixed, itemised quote after one scoping call so your grant advisor or corporate secretary has a clean, defensible project cost to submit — and a scope defined tightly enough to survive assessment. Our published starting points are SGD 20,000 (Starter/MVP), SGD 38,000 (Business) and SGD 90,000 (Enterprise), and the quote you sign is the quote we hold to. Bring us the build; bring the numbers to your grant advisor.