Singapore HR Grants: The Complete Guide

If you run a business in Singapore and you've ever tried to figure out which government grant applies to your hiring or training plans, you've probably hit the same wall most SME owners and HR managers do: there are dozens of schemes, run by different agencies, with overlapping names, shifting funding rates, and eligibility rules buried in PDFs. Enterprise Singapore runs some. Workforce Singapore (WSG) and SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) run others. Some support equipment purchases, some support salaries, some support overseas expansion, and some support training attachments — and a single hiring decision might actually qualify for two or three of them at once.

This guide is the map. We've pulled together the major HR grants in Singapore that affect hiring, training, and workforce transformation — covering both the well-known Enterprise Singapore grants (EDG, PSG, SFEC, MRA) and the Workforce Singapore schemes that more directly support hiring and salary costs (CCP, MCP, OMIP, and WDG(JR+)).

Our aim is simple: by the end of this guide, you should understand what each HR grant in Singapore actually does, roughly how much support it provides, and — most importantly — which ones are worth investigating further for your specific situation. We'll also walk through exactly how salary-support claims work in practice, with a real worked example, because "up to 90% support" means very little until you see the numbers.

Where a scheme falls within HRGrant.com's specialist focus (the four WSG workforce schemes), we'll point you to a dedicated deep-dive page. Where it doesn't, we'll still explain it accurately so you know it exists and roughly what it's for — even if you ultimately need to go directly to Enterprise Singapore or a different specialist for that one.

Let's start with the landscape.

Landscape overview: Singapore's hiring & HR grant ecosystem

Singapore's hiring and HR-related grants generally fall into two families, depending on which agency administers them and what they're designed to do.

The first family — EDG, PSG, SFEC, and MRA — is administered by Enterprise Singapore (with SFEC jointly involving SkillsFuture Singapore). These grants are broadly aimed at helping businesses grow, digitalise, and expand overseas. They're not "hiring grants" in the strictest sense, but they frequently intersect with HR and workforce decisions — for example, a job redesign project, a new HR software rollout, or an overseas market entry that requires new hires.

The second family — CCP, MCP, OMIP, and WDG(JR+) — is administered by Workforce Singapore (WSG) and SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG). These are much more directly tied to hiring, salary costs, and workforce restructuring. This is also where HRGrant.com specialises.

Below, we'll cover each one.

EDG (Enterprise Development Grant)

The Enterprise Development Grant (EDG) is administered by Enterprise Singapore and is one of the most well-known grants for SMEs looking to grow or transform their business. It supports projects under three broad pillars:

• Core Capabilities — strengthening foundational areas such as business strategy, financial management, and human capital development
• Innovation & Productivity — exploring new business models, process redesign, or product/service development
• Market Access — helping companies expand into overseas markets through activities like overseas marketing or franchising

Funding support under EDG is typically up to 50% of qualifying project costs for most eligible applicants. It's worth noting that higher support rates have applied during specific periods in the past (for example, during economic support packages), so the exact rate at any given time should always be confirmed at the point of application via Enterprise Singapore's official channels or a qualified grant consultant.

EDG projects are usually run with the help of a pre-approved consultant or vendor, and the project scope needs to be clearly defined before applying — this isn't a grant you can claim retroactively for work already completed.

PSG (Productivity Solutions Grant)

The Productivity Solutions Grant (PSG), also administered by Enterprise Singapore, takes a more "off-the-shelf" approach. Rather than funding bespoke consultancy projects like EDG, PSG supports the adoption of pre-approved, pre-scoped IT solutions and equipment designed to improve productivity in specific sectors — things like accounting software, customer management systems, retail point-of-sale solutions, or sector-specific automation equipment.

Funding support is typically up to 50% of costs for eligible solutions on the pre-approved list. Because the solutions are pre-scoped, the application process tends to be more standardised than EDG — you generally select a solution from an approved vendor, and the support is calculated against the listed price.

If your business is looking at digitalising a specific function (payroll, HR systems, inventory management) rather than running a larger transformation project, PSG is often the more relevant starting point — though as with EDG, current rates and the list of approved solutions should be checked at the time of application, as these are periodically updated.

SFEC (SkillsFuture Enterprise Credit)

The SkillsFuture Enterprise Credit (SFEC) is a different kind of support altogether — it's a one-off credit (historically set at $10,000) made available by Enterprise Singapore and SkillsFuture Singapore to eligible employers.

Rather than co-funding a specific project, SFEC was designed to defray out-of-pocket costs — meaning the portion of costs that other grants don't cover — for activities related to:

• Workforce transformation
• Job redesign
• Workforce training programmes

In other words, SFEC was structured to work alongside other grant support, helping employers cover the remaining gap after schemes like EDG, PSG, or training subsidies had already been applied. Eligibility has historically depended on factors such as employer CPF contributions made over a qualifying period and a minimum number of local employees.

As SFEC has been offered as part of specific budget cycles, its current availability, qualifying period, and credit amount should be confirmed against the latest Enterprise Singapore or SkillsFuture Singapore guidelines, as these details can change between cycles.

MRA (Market Readiness Assistance)

The Market Readiness Assistance (MRA) grant, administered by Enterprise Singapore, is squarely aimed at SMEs that are ready to take their business overseas but need help with the upfront costs of doing so.

MRA typically supports activities such as:

• Overseas market promotion (e.g., participation in trade fairs, missions)
• Overseas business development (e.g., identifying business partners, distributors)
• Overseas market set-up (e.g., setting up an overseas office)

Support is typically up to 50% of eligible costs, and is usually capped per company, per new market — meaning a company expanding into multiple new markets may be able to apply for support for each market separately, subject to overall caps and conditions.

MRA is a good fit for businesses at the early stages of overseas expansion who haven't yet established a presence in a target market and need support for the initial groundwork.

WSG workforce schemes: CCP, MCP, OMIP, and WDG(JR+)

This is where things get more directly relevant to hiring decisions — and where HRGrant.com's specialist expertise sits. These four schemes are administered by Workforce Singapore (WSG) and SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG), and each addresses a different workforce scenario: hiring mid-career talent, trial attachments, overseas postings, and job redesign.

Career Conversion Programme (CCP)

The Career Conversion Programme (CCP) provides salary support for hiring mid-career talent into new roles, or for reskilling existing staff to take on different roles within your company.

• Up to 90% of monthly salary funded, capped at $7,500/month, for candidates aged 40 and above, or those who are long-term unemployed
• Up to 70%, capped at $5,000/month, for other eligible candidates
• Support runs for 3 to 12 months, depending on the role type and programme track

CCP is particularly useful if you're hiring someone whose previous experience doesn't perfectly match the role, but who has transferable skills — the salary support helps offset the training and ramp-up period.

Mid-Career Pathways Programme (MCP)

The Mid-Career Pathways Programme (MCP) is a training attachment programme designed for mid-career professionals who want to explore a new sector or role before committing to a permanent hire.

• Host companies pay the attached individual a monthly allowance of $1,800–$3,800
• WSG co-funds 70% of this allowance
• Attachments run for up to 6 months

This is essentially a structured "trial period" — lower commitment than a full hire, with WSG sharing the cost, giving both the company and the individual a chance to assess fit before any permanent employment decision is made.

Overseas Markets Immersion Programme (OMIP)

The Overseas Markets Immersion Programme (OMIP) supports companies that want to post employees overseas to build international market capability — useful if your growth strategy depends on having someone on the ground in a new market.

• Basic salary support of $4,000–$5,000/month
• Plus an overseas allowance of up to $3,000/month
• Over a 9-month programme, with a minimum 6 months outstationed

OMIP effectively reduces the cost risk of sending a key staff member abroad to scope out or build a new market presence — directly complementary to overseas-expansion-focused grants like MRA, but focused on the people side rather than the market activities themselves.

Workforce Development Grant — Job Redesign+ (WDG(JR+))

The Workforce Development Grant — Job Redesign+ (WDG(JR+)) supports companies that are redesigning how work gets done — restructuring roles, introducing new technology, or rethinking workflows to improve productivity and job quality.

• Up to 70% support
• Capped at $150,000
• Covers workforce consultancy, capability building, and HR technology related to job redesign

This is a strong fit for companies going through organisational change — for example, automating parts of a role and redeploying staff to higher-value tasks, or restructuring teams after a merger or process overhaul.

Summary comparison table

Grant	Administering Agency	What It Funds	Typical Support Level	Best For
EDG (Enterprise Development Grant)	Enterprise Singapore	Core capability, innovation/productivity, and market access projects	Typically up to 50% of qualifying project costs (rates vary by period — confirm at application)	Businesses running structured transformation or growth projects with a consultant/vendor
PSG (Productivity Solutions Grant)	Enterprise Singapore	Pre-approved IT solutions and equipment	Typically up to 50% of costs for eligible solutions	Adopting off-the-shelf digital tools (accounting, HR systems, POS, automation)
SFEC (SkillsFuture Enterprise Credit)	Enterprise Singapore / SkillsFuture Singapore	One-off credit to defray out-of-pocket costs of workforce transformation, job redesign, and training	Historically a one-off $10,000 credit (subject to qualifying period and eligibility)	Employers who've already invested in workforce transformation/training and want to offset remaining costs
MRA (Market Readiness Assistance)	Enterprise Singapore	Overseas market promotion, business development, and market set-up	Typically up to 50%, capped per company per new market	SMEs taking first steps into a new overseas market
CCP (Career Conversion Programme)	Workforce Singapore (WSG)	Salary support for hiring/reskilling mid-career talent into new roles	Up to 90% of monthly salary (capped at $7,500/mo for 40+ or long-term unemployed); 70% capped at $5,000/mo otherwise; 3–12 months	Hiring mid-career candidates into roles where skills need to be built up
MCP (Mid-Career Pathways Programme)	Workforce Singapore (WSG)	Co-funded training attachment allowance	WSG co-funds 70% of a $1,800–$3,800/month allowance, up to 6 months	Trialling a mid-career hire in a new sector before committing
OMIP (Overseas Markets Immersion Programme)	Workforce Singapore (WSG)	Salary and overseas allowance for staff posted abroad	$4,000–$5,000/month salary support + up to $3,000/month overseas allowance, over 9 months (min. 6 outstationed)	Building international market capability by posting employees overseas
WDG(JR+) (Workforce Development Grant — Job Redesign+)	Workforce Singapore (WSG) / SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG)	Workforce consultancy, capability building, HR technology for job redesign	Up to 70% support, capped at $150,000	Companies restructuring roles, workflows, or team structures

A note on accuracy: Funding rates, caps, qualifying periods, and eligibility criteria for government grants are reviewed and updated periodically by the relevant agencies, sometimes as part of annual Budget announcements. The figures for EDG, PSG, SFEC, and MRA above reflect typical/recent guidelines as a general reference point, but should always be confirmed against the latest official information from Enterprise Singapore, Workforce Singapore, or SkillsFuture Singapore before you make any business decisions or budget projections based on them. The CCP, MCP, OMIP, and WDG(JR+) figures reflect HRGrant.com's published programme details at the time of writing.

Salary reimbursement explained: how the money actually flows

One of the most common points of confusion with salary-support grants like CCP is a simple but important question: does the government pay part of the salary directly, or does the employer pay first and get reimbursed?

The answer, for CCP and similar salary-support schemes, is the latter: the employer pays first, then claims reimbursement.

Here's how it works in practice, step by step:

1. You hire (or redeploy) the employee as normal. The employee goes onto your payroll just like any other hire. You pay their full agreed salary, on your usual payroll cycle, with normal CPF contributions. From the employee's perspective, nothing about how they're paid changes.

2. You track the supporting documentation. To claim reimbursement, you'll need to keep records that prove the salary was actually paid — typically things like payslips, CPF contribution records, and bank transfer records, along with whatever programme-specific documents WSG requires (training plans, attachment records, etc., depending on the scheme).

3. You submit a claim on a periodic basis. Rather than one lump-sum claim at the end, salary support is usually claimed periodically — commonly on a monthly basis, or per defined claim period — by submitting the supporting documents to the administering agency (WSG, in the case of CCP).

4. The agency reimburses the supported percentage, up to the cap. Once the claim is processed and approved, the agency reimburses you the supported percentage of the salary paid for that period — subject to the monthly cap for that scheme.

5. This repeats for the duration of the support period (e.g., 3–12 months for CCP, depending on the role type).

The key thing to understand is that the cap applies to the reimbursement amount, not your salary decision. You can pay an employee more than the cap implies — you just won't receive reimbursement above the capped amount.

Worked example: CCP at 90% / $7,500 cap

Let's make this concrete with a simple scenario.

Scenario: You hire a 42-year-old candidate under CCP at a monthly salary of $6,000. Because the candidate is aged 40+, they qualify for the higher support tier: 90% salary support, capped at $7,500/month.

Here's the breakdown:

Item	Amount
Employee's monthly salary (paid in full by employer, as normal)	$6,000
CCP support rate (40+ / long-term unemployed tier)	90%
90% of $6,000	$5,400
CCP monthly cap (40+ tier)	$7,500
Is $5,400 under the cap?	Yes
Amount the employer can claim back per month	$5,400
Net monthly salary cost to the employer (after reimbursement)	$600

So in this example:

• The employee receives their full $6,000 salary every month, exactly as agreed — there's no change to how they're paid.
• The employer calculates 90% of that $6,000 salary, which works out to $5,400.
• Since $5,400 is comfortably under the $7,500 monthly cap for the 40+ tier, the full $5,400 is claimable — the cap doesn't reduce the claim in this case.
• After successfully claiming, the employer's effective monthly cost for this hire drops from $6,000 to roughly $600 (before accounting for employer CPF contributions and other employment costs, which are separate).

If the salary had instead been, say, $9,000/month, 90% would work out to $8,100 — but since that exceeds the $7,500 cap, the claimable amount would be capped at $7,500, not $8,100. The cap only becomes the limiting factor once 90% of salary exceeds it.

This is, of course, illustrative — actual claims processes, required documentation, claim frequency, and processing timelines can vary and are set by WSG. If you're planning around these numbers for cash flow purposes, it's worth confirming the specifics directly with WSG or with a consultancy like HRGrant.com, who handle these claims regularly and can flag anything specific to your situation (e.g., how the claim period aligns with your payroll cycle).

Which grant fits your situation? A decision framework

With eight different schemes across two agencies, the fastest way to narrow things down is to start from what you're actually trying to do, rather than trying to memorise every scheme. Here's a starting-point framework:

• If you're hiring a mid-career candidate into a substantially different role from their previous experience → look at CCP (Career Conversion Programme). This is the core "salary support for reskilling" scheme.

• If you want to give a mid-career hire a trial attachment before committing to a permanent role → look at MCP (Mid-Career Pathways Programme). Lower commitment, co-funded allowance, up to 6 months.

• If you're posting staff overseas to grow into new markets and need to support their salary and living costs while abroad → look at OMIP (Overseas Markets Immersion Programme).

• If you're redesigning roles or processes — automating tasks, restructuring teams, introducing new HR technology — and need consultancy or capability-building support → look at WDG(JR+) (Workforce Development Grant — Job Redesign+).

• If you're investing in new equipment, software, or productivity tools from a pre-approved list → look at PSG (Productivity Solutions Grant).

• If you're running a broader project to grow capabilities, innovate, or enter new markets → look at EDG (Enterprise Development Grant).

• If you're an SME taking your first steps into export or overseas markets and need support for the groundwork → look at MRA (Market Readiness Assistance).

• If you've recently gone through workforce transformation, job redesign, or training programmes and want to offset some of the remaining out-of-pocket costs → look at SFEC (SkillsFuture Enterprise Credit), subject to current availability and eligibility.

A few important things to keep in mind as you work through this:

• These categories aren't mutually exclusive. It's entirely possible for a single hiring or transformation initiative to touch two or three of these schemes at once — for example, a job redesign project (WDG(JR+)) that also involves hiring a mid-career candidate into a newly created role (CCP).

• Eligibility rules go deeper than the headline criteria. Company size, sector, local shareholding, the specific role being created, and the candidate's profile can all affect whether a scheme applies — and these details aren't always obvious from a quick read of the programme webpage.

• Funding rates and caps can change. What's accurate today may be revised in a future Budget cycle, especially for the Enterprise Singapore schemes (EDG, PSG, SFEC, MRA).

Because of this, treat the framework above as a starting point for a conversation, not a final answer. The fastest way to get a definitive read on what you actually qualify for — and how to combine schemes effectively — is a free eligibility check with HRGrant.com. We'll look at your specific hiring plans and tell you which schemes genuinely apply, rather than leaving you to cross-reference eight different sets of guidelines yourself.

How HRGrant.com can help

HRGrant.com is an independent grant consultancy with a specialist focus on Singapore's four core WSG workforce schemes: CCP, MCP, OMIP, and WDG(JR+). While the broader Enterprise Singapore grants (EDG, PSG, SFEC, MRA) are useful to understand as part of the wider landscape, our day-to-day expertise is in helping employers navigate the workforce-focused schemes that directly affect hiring, salary support, and job redesign.

Here's what we do, end to end:

• Identify which programmes you're eligible for. Based on your hiring plans, the roles you're creating or redesigning, and your candidates' profiles, we work out which of the WSG schemes genuinely apply — and flag where multiple schemes might be combined.
• Prepare and submit applications. We handle the paperwork, documentation, and submission process, so you're not the one decoding application forms and eligibility checklists.
• Manage the process through to claims disbursement. Grant approval is only the first step — the ongoing claims process (as described in the salary reimbursement section above) requires periodic submissions and documentation. We manage this so you receive your reimbursements without it becoming an extra admin burden on your HR team.

If your hiring or workforce plans touch on any of the following, it's worth a closer look at our dedicated guides:

• Career Conversion Programme (CCP) — salary support for hiring or reskilling mid-career talent into new roles
• Mid-Career Pathways Programme (MCP) — co-funded training attachments for mid-career professionals exploring a new sector
• Overseas Markets Immersion Programme (OMIP) — salary and allowance support for employees posted overseas
• Workforce Development Grant — Job Redesign+ (WDG(JR+)) — consultancy and capability-building support for redesigning roles and workflows

If you're not sure where to start, that's normal — most businesses don't come in already knowing which scheme applies. The simplest next step is to book a free consultation with our team. We'll walk through your current hiring and workforce plans and tell you, in plain terms, which grants are realistically available to you and what the process would look like.

Frequently asked questions

Can I apply for multiple grants at once?

In many cases, yes — it's common for a single workforce initiative to qualify for support from more than one scheme (for example, a job redesign project under WDG(JR+) that also involves a CCP-supported hire). However, each scheme has its own eligibility criteria, and some combinations may have specific rules about how they interact. It's best to map this out with WSG or a consultancy before submitting multiple applications, so the applications are structured correctly from the start.

How long does the application process take?

This varies by scheme and depends on factors like how complete your documentation is and current processing volumes at the administering agency. As a general rule, salary-support schemes like CCP tend to have a more standardised process once the role and candidate are confirmed, while project-based grants like EDG can take longer due to the need to define and justify the project scope. Because timelines aren't fixed and can shift, it's sensible to factor in some lead time before your intended hiring or project start date, and to confirm current expected timelines with WSG, Enterprise Singapore, or your consultant.

Do I need to be a Singapore-registered company?

Generally, yes — these grants are designed to support businesses registered and operating in Singapore, and most schemes have additional criteria around local shareholding, company size, or sector. The exact thresholds differ between schemes (for example, SME-focused grants often have revenue or headcount criteria), so it's worth checking the specific eligibility requirements for the scheme you're considering, or having a consultant verify this against your company's profile.

What happens if my application is rejected?

A rejection doesn't necessarily mean you're permanently ineligible — sometimes it reflects an issue with how the application was structured, missing documentation, or a mismatch between the proposed role/project and the scheme's specific criteria. In many cases, addressing the underlying issue and reapplying (or applying for a more suitable scheme) is possible. If you've been turned down, it's worth getting a second opinion on why, since the reason isn't always obvious from the rejection notice itself.

Are these grants taxable?

Tax treatment of government grants and subsidies can depend on the nature of the grant and how it's structured (e.g., whether it's treated as a subsidy that reduces a deductible expense, versus other forms of income). Since this affects your company's tax filings, this is a question best directed to your company's accountant or tax advisor, who can advise based on the specific grant and your company's accounting treatment — this guide isn't a substitute for tax advice.

Do these grants cover part-time or contract hires?

Most of these schemes are designed primarily around full-time employment arrangements, particularly for salary-support schemes like CCP. Whether part-time, contract, or other non-standard arrangements qualify (and under what conditions) depends on the specific scheme's rules, which can be detailed. If your hiring plans involve non-standard employment arrangements, it's worth raising this specifically when checking eligibility, as it can materially affect which schemes apply.

Disclaimer

HRGrant.com is an independent grant consultancy and is not Workforce Singapore (WSG), Enterprise Singapore, SkillsFuture Singapore, or any government agency, nor is it endorsed by or affiliated with them. The grants described in this guide are administered by these and other government bodies. Funding rates, caps, durations, and eligibility criteria shown here are indicative and subject to the prevailing official guidelines, which may change — please confirm against current WSG, Enterprise Singapore, or MyCareersFuture information before applying, or book a consultation with HRGrant.com and we'll help you check the latest position for your situation.