← Singapore hubs Cafe Owner
Singapore English (English) $ SGD
Serene runs a small, bustling cafe in a heartland neighborhood, balancing daily operations with the complexities of Singapore's regulatory environment. This hub covers the essential national schemes, grants, and compliance portals she relies on to keep her business brewing smoothly.
Grants help offset the high costs of upgrading technology and training staff.
Enterprise Development Grant (EDG) national · Enterprise Singapore
Who qualifies Singapore-registered businesses with at least 30% local shareholding.
What you get Up to 50% funding for qualifying project costs like upgrading equipment.
What it actually costs you Requires a detailed project proposal and audited financial statements.
Common gotcha You must apply before starting the project; retroactive claims are rejected.
Productivity Solutions Grant (PSG) national · Enterprise Singapore
Who qualifies SMEs that need to adopt pre-approved digital solutions.
What you get Up to 50% funding for IT solutions like POS systems or accounting software.
What it actually costs you Must purchase from a pre-approved vendor list.
Common gotcha The grant only covers specific pre-approved packages, not custom builds.
SkillsFuture Enterprise Credit (SFEC) national · SkillsFuture Singapore
Who qualifies Employers who have contributed to CPF and hired local staff.
What you get One-off $10,000 credit to cover up to 90% of out-of-pocket training expenses.
What it actually costs you Automatic eligibility check; no complex application needed.
Common gotcha Credit expires if not used within the stipulated time frame.
Energy Efficiency Grant (EEG) national · National Environment Agency
Who qualifies Food services businesses looking to buy energy-efficient kitchen equipment.
What you get Up to 70% support for the cost of energy-efficient appliances.
What it actually costs you Requires proof of energy savings from the new equipment.
Common gotcha Only specific equipment categories (e.g., refrigerators, ovens) are eligible.
Digital Resilience Bonus national · IMDA
Who qualifies F&B businesses adopting PayNow Corporate and e-invoicing.
What you get Payouts for hitting digital adoption milestones.
What it actually costs you Must maintain active digital transactions.
Common gotcha Payouts are tiered based on the complexity of digital adoption.
SME Working Capital Loan national · Enterprise Singapore
Who qualifies SMEs needing cash flow for daily operations.
What you get Government-assisted financing of up to $500,000.
What it actually costs you Interest rates vary by participating financial institution.
Common gotcha Requires a personal guarantee from business owners.
Hiring local staff and managing CPF contributions is a major operational task.
Jobs Growth Incentive (JGI) national · IRAS
Who qualifies Employers who hire eligible local workers.
What you get Salary support for new local hires.
What it actually costs you Must ensure the hire meets age and wage criteria.
Common gotcha The incentive is paid out automatically based on CPF records.
CPF EZPay national · CPF Board
Who qualifies All employers with local staff.
What you get Centralized portal for monthly CPF contributions.
What it actually costs you Must be done by the 14th of every month.
Common gotcha Late payments incur interest and penalties.
SkillsFuture Training Subsidy national · SkillsFuture Singapore
Who qualifies Employers sending staff for certified courses.
What you get Subsidies for course fees.
What it actually costs you Must use SkillsFuture-approved training providers.
Common gotcha Subsidy is capped per employee per year.
WorkRight Initiative national · Ministry of Manpower
Who qualifies Low-wage workers and their employers.
What you get Ensures compliance with minimum wage and CPF laws.
What it actually costs you Strict record-keeping of hours and wages.
Common gotcha Ignorance of the law is not a defense during MOM audits.
Progressive Wage Model (PWM) national · Ministry of Manpower
Who qualifies F&B service staff.
What you get Mandatory wage ladder for staff retention.
What it actually costs you Must adjust payroll to meet sector-specific wage floors.
Common gotcha Failure to comply leads to suspension of work pass privileges.
Foreign Worker Levy national · Ministry of Manpower
Who qualifies Employers hiring S Pass or Work Permit holders.
What you get Permission to hire non-resident staff.
What it actually costs you Monthly levy payment per worker.
Common gotcha Levy rates vary by sector and worker qualification. Keeping the food hygiene and business licenses up to date is non-negotiable.
GoBusiness Licensing national · GovTech
Who qualifies All business owners in Singapore.
What you get Single portal for all business licenses (SFA, liquor, etc).
What it actually costs you Requires Singpass login.
Common gotcha Licenses have different expiry dates; set reminders.
SFA Food Shop Licence national · Singapore Food Agency
Who qualifies Any premises preparing food for sale.
What you get Legal right to operate a cafe.
What it actually costs you Annual fee plus strict hygiene audit requirements.
Common gotcha Must display the license prominently in the cafe.
MUIS Halal Certification national · MUIS
Who qualifies Cafes serving Muslim customers.
What you get Official Halal certification.
What it actually costs you Rigorous audit and annual renewal fees.
Common gotcha Any change in suppliers requires immediate notification to MUIS.
BizFile+ ACRA national · ACRA
Who qualifies All registered business entities.
What you get Annual filing and corporate compliance.
What it actually costs you Annual filing fees.
Common gotcha Late filing penalties are strictly enforced.
Fire Safety Certificate national · SCDF
Who qualifies Commercial premises.
What you get Safety clearance for operations.
What it actually costs you Requires inspection by a certified fire safety engineer.
Common gotcha Must be renewed if there are major renovations.
Music Copyright Licence national · COMPASS
Who qualifies Businesses playing recorded music.
What you get Legal right to play music in the cafe.
What it actually costs you Annual royalty fee based on floor area.
Common gotcha Streaming services like Spotify are for personal use only, not business. Proper tax filing ensures I don't get hit with unexpected penalties.
myTax Portal national · IRAS
Who qualifies All business owners.
What you get Central hub for corporate and personal tax.
What it actually costs you Requires Singpass.
Common gotcha Corporate tax filing is different from personal income tax.
GST Registration national · IRAS
Who qualifies Businesses with turnover exceeding $1 million.
What you get Ability to claim input tax.
What it actually costs you Quarterly GST filings.
Common gotcha Once registered, you must charge GST on all sales.
Corporate Income Tax Rebate national · IRAS
Who qualifies All tax-paying companies.
What you get Automatic rebate on tax payable.
What it actually costs you None; applied automatically by IRAS.
Common gotcha Rebate amounts change annually based on the Budget.
PIC Scheme (Legacy) national · IRAS
Who qualifies Businesses investing in innovation.
What you get Tax deductions for R&D and automation.
What it actually costs you Must keep detailed receipts.
Common gotcha Scheme has been phased out but older claims may still be audited.
InvoiceNow national · IMDA
Who qualifies All businesses.
What you get Standardized digital invoicing.
What it actually costs you Requires compatible accounting software.
Common gotcha Not all suppliers are on the network yet.
PayNow Corporate national · ABS
Who qualifies All business bank account holders.
What you get Instant payments from customers.
What it actually costs you Bank fees may apply.
Common gotcha Ensure the UEN is linked correctly to the bank account. 1states & territories — open one to see what it offers.
Singapore新加坡 Singapore offers a highly structured, grant-heavy environment for small business owners, where digital transformation and productivity upgrades are directly subsidized by the government.
Productivity Solutions Grant (PSG) national · Enterprise Singapore
Who qualifies Local SMEs registered in Singapore with at least 30% local shareholding.
What you get Up to 50% funding support for pre-approved digital solutions like POS systems or accounting software.
What it actually costs you Requires a Corppass login and a valid quote from a pre-approved vendor.
Common gotcha You must apply before signing the contract with the vendor; retrospective applications are rejected.
Enterprise Development Grant (EDG) national · Enterprise Singapore
Who qualifies SMEs with at least 30% local shareholding and a group annual turnover of under $100M.
What you get Up to 50% support for projects that help upgrade business capabilities or expand internationally.
What it actually costs you Requires a detailed project proposal, business plan, and financial statements.
Common gotcha The project scope must be clearly defined as 'transformational' rather than 'business-as-usual'.
SkillsFuture Enterprise Credit (SFEC) national · SkillsFuture Singapore
Who qualifies Employers who have contributed at least $750 in Skills Development Levy over the qualifying period.
What you get One-off $10,000 credit to cover up to 90% of out-of-pocket expenses for staff training.
What it actually costs you Automatic eligibility check; no separate application needed.
Common gotcha The credit only covers specific training programs listed under the SkillsFuture portal.
Digital Resilience Bonus national · IMDA
Who qualifies F&B businesses adopting digital solutions like e-invoicing or digital ordering.
What you get Payouts of up to $5,000 for adopting advanced digital tools.
What it actually costs you Requires proof of transaction logs from the digital system.
Common gotcha Must be using PayNow Corporate for the payout to be processed.
Career Support Programme (CSP) national · Workforce Singapore
Who qualifies Employers hiring eligible Singapore Citizens who have been unemployed for 6 months or more.
What you get Salary support of up to 40% for 6 months for eligible hires.
What it actually costs you Requires a structured training plan for the new hire.
Common gotcha The hire must be a Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident.
Work Trial Programme national · Workforce Singapore
Who qualifies Employers willing to offer short-term work trials to job seekers.
What you get Training allowance for the job seeker and potential retention incentives for the employer.
What it actually costs you Must register the trial before the candidate starts.
Common gotcha The trial period is capped at 3 months.
SkillsFuture Mid-Career Enhanced Subsidy national · SkillsFuture Singapore
Who qualifies Singaporeans aged 40 and above.
What you get Up to 90% subsidy for course fees when training staff.
What it actually costs you Requires staff to be enrolled in SkillsFuture-approved courses.
Common gotcha Only applies to courses listed on the MySkillsFuture portal.
One honest app. Real lives, real businesses. Free for what people need, paid only for what runs a business — on our own model, our own metal.
Where we run
Bangalore + Czechia
Our own metal · GDPR · DPDPA
