Use this guide to quickly pick the right grant for your overseas expansion. If you need more detail, see the full overseas expansion guide.
Read This First
- MRA is for a “new market”: your sales in the target country must be ≤ S$100,000 in each of the past 3 years.
- Don’t “start” the project before applying: deposits, signed contracts/SOWs, or POs for the scope you want to claim can make you ineligible.
- Acronyms that confuse people:
- MRA-OMP = Overseas Market Promotion (marketing / PR / trade fairs)
- MRA-OBD = Overseas Business Development (partner search / outsourced BD / staff deployment)
- OMP (inside OBD) = Overseas Market Presence (deploying staff overseas), not MRA-OMP
Quick Decision Matrix
| MRA-OMP | MRA-OBD | MRA Set-up | EDG | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trade fair / overseas marketing | ✓ | — | — | — |
| Find distributors / partners | — | ✓ | — | — |
| Deploy BD staff overseas (Overseas Market Presence) | — | ✓ | — | — |
| Register IP / trademark | — | — | ✓ | — |
| Set up overseas entity | — | — | ✓ | — |
| Obtain import/export licence | — | — | ✓ | — |
| Large project with milestones | — | — | — | ✓ |
| Already >S$100k sales in market | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
Legend: ✓ = Use this grant | — = Not applicable | ✗ = Not eligible
At a Glance
| MRA-OMP | MRA-OBD | MRA Set-up | EDG | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cap | S$20k | S$50k | S$30k | No fixed cap |
| Support rate | 70% (SMEs) | 70% (SMEs) | 70% (SMEs) | Typically up to 50% |
| New market required | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Max duration | 12 months | 12 months | 12 months | Varies |
Common Scenarios
- “I want to exhibit at a trade fair in Germany” → MRA-OMP (if Germany is a new market for you)
- “I need to find a distributor in Vietnam” → MRA-OBD (if Vietnam is a new market for you)
- “I want to register my trademark in Thailand before selling there” → MRA Set-up (if Thailand is a new market for you)
- “I’m launching a full market entry project in Japan with a consultant” → EDG (especially if Japan is not a new market, or the project is larger than MRA caps)
- “I already have S$200k sales in Malaysia but want to expand further” → EDG (Malaysia is not a “new market” for MRA)
Before You Apply
- Don’t start work before submitting your application (no deposits, contracts, or POs for the scope you’re claiming)
- One market, one activity per MRA application
- Quotations must match your ACRA entity name exactly
- If you’re not set up yet: Corppass Setup Guide
Decision Tree
Related Guides
- Budget 2026 Expansion Grants Decision Matrix
- Grant Pitfalls Guide - Common pitfalls to avoid when applying for MRA or EDG
- Full Overseas Expansion Guide — detailed eligibility, checklists, and pitfalls
- Market Readiness Assistance (MRA) - Main Guide — overview, eligibility, and general application information
- MRA: Overseas Market Promotion
- MRA: Overseas Business Development
- MRA: Overseas Market Set-up
- Enterprise Development Grant (EDG)
- Corppass Setup Guide - Step-by-step guide to set up Corppass for BGP access
- Singapore Grants Glossary
Official Links
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