MRA to EDGE: planning an overseas website project

If you are preparing a website for customers overseas, settle the project scope before relying on a grant to pay for it. A translated catalogue, an international checkout and a market-entry campaign are different pieces of work. They need separate deliverables and a check against the current support rules.

Can you still apply for MRA?

Enterprise Singapore, the government agency responsible for enterprise development, states that MRA, EDG and PSG ceased on 29 September 2026. New applications move to EDGE from 30 September. Existing submissions and ongoing projects continue under their respective schemes. An old MRA article or vendor brochure is therefore not a reliable guide for a new application. 1

For a new website project, start with the current EDGE activity that fits the business outcome. Do not assume that calling a proposal “overseas marketing” makes every website expense eligible.

What must you check before committing?

Enterprise Singapore's EDGE guidance makes support dependent on the selected activity. Its published maximum support level is not a promised discount on your website quote. Support is reimbursed after completion and full payment, subject to the applicable requirements. 2

The EDGE FAQ also says that starting work or paying a supplier, including a deposit, before submitting the application makes it retrospective and unsupported. Committing after submission but before approval remains at your risk: submission does not guarantee funding. Vendor requirements differ by activity. 3

Before signing or paying, ask which activity applies, which costs it supports and what timing restrictions govern the project. Keep the answer with the proposal rather than relying on a sales conversation.

Write the business outcome before the feature list

“We want an overseas website” leaves too many decisions open. A more useful brief explains who needs the site and what they should be able to do there.

For example: “A buyer in our intended market should be able to understand the range, check delivery availability and request a wholesale quotation.” That gives a supplier something to design and test. It does not claim grant eligibility or promise overseas sales.

Use four short headings to prepare the brief:

A supplier should be able to explain how each proposed feature helps with that outcome. If the connection is unclear, ask for a simpler scope or a separate optional price.

Split the proposal into inspectable pieces

Here is an illustrative project brief for an invented Singapore homeware business exploring a second market. It is a scoping example, not a funded project or an eligibility assessment.

Ask for the price, responsible person and delivery date beside each item. Keep optional advertising, ongoing subscriptions and future phases visible as separate lines. This makes the commercial proposal easier to assess even if you decide to proceed without funding.

Prepare questions for the grant adviser

Take the brief and itemised proposal to the appropriate official contact. Ask:

• Which current activity, if any, fits this project?
• Which proposed lines are supportable, excluded or still unclear?
• Are there specific vendor qualifications or pre-approved packages?
• What evidence is needed before application and at completion?
• What dates must the business observe before work or payment begins?

Enterprise Singapore's FAQ points businesses with an uncertain project scope to its activity information, BizSG or an SME Centre. It also states that the applicant company must apply, pay and claim through its authorised personnel; a vendor must not submit on the company's behalf. 3

The outcome of this preparation should be a clear project and a documented funding decision. Keep a separate budget for proceeding without support. If the project only works financially with an unconfirmed grant, resolve that uncertainty before committing to the supplier.

For the wider funding landscape, read our Singapore SME grants guide. For help preparing a comparable supplier brief, read our website quote preparation guide.

Scope and method: this guide uses Enterprise Singapore's programme pages and FAQ, checked on 6 November 2026. It explains the transition and provides an original project-scoping worksheet. It does not determine your company's eligibility or establish that a website, advertising expense or particular supplier is supported. Check the selected activity's current requirements before committing.

Commercial disclosure: Caprigrow provides website services. This guide does not claim that Caprigrow is a pre-approved grant vendor or that its services qualify for funding. Discuss the website scope; eligibility remains a separate decision.

Sources and references