Global Ready Talent Programme (GRTP) 2026: Enterprise Singapore’s Internship Grant for Overseas Expansion

Singapore enterprises planning to expand into Southeast Asia, China, India or other developing markets face a familiar problem: they need staff who understand overseas operations, but developing that expertise takes time and money. Enterprise Singapore’s Global Ready Talent Programme (GRT) was built precisely for this gap. It helps local companies build a pipeline of globally minded young talent through co-funded internships, exposing students to overseas work before they even graduate.

For small and medium enterprises weighing up whether to send a promising intern to a regional office, or to bring on a fresh graduate with genuine overseas exposure, the GRT internship grant can meaningfully lower the cost of that decision. Enterprise Singapore co-funds part of the monthly internship stipend, and Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) top up travel and subsistence support for students placed overseas.

This guide explains how the GRT internship component works in 2026, who qualifies, how funding support is structured, the step-by-step application process, and how it fits alongside other grants when you are building a broader overseas expansion strategy. All figures below are verified directly against Enterprise Singapore’s official programme pages.

What Is the Global Ready Talent Programme?

The Global Ready Talent Programme is administered by Enterprise Singapore in partnership with Trade Associations and Chambers (TACs) and Institutes of Higher Learning. Since its launch in 2019, GRT has supported more than 30,000 internship placements across over 4,000 companies, according to Enterprise Singapore. The programme’s core purpose is to help Singapore enterprises groom young talent, particularly students from polytechnics, ITE and universities, so that they gain the in-market knowledge and confidence needed to support a company’s expansion into regional markets.

Historically, GRT supported both local internships (within Singapore) and overseas internships (in a company’s overseas outfits). However, companies should note an important structural change: local internship support under GRT was discontinued with effect from 1 April 2026. Going forward, the programme focuses solely on supporting overseas internships, with Enterprise Singapore and the relevant IHL co-funding travel and subsistence allowances for students posted abroad. This shift reflects Enterprise Singapore’s stated intention to concentrate resources on building international exposure for Singapore’s talent pool, rather than general local hiring subsidies.

How the Internship Component Works

Overseas Internships

Under the overseas internship track, a Singapore enterprise hosts a student at its existing office or operation in Southeast Asia, China, India or another developing market. The minimum support period for an overseas internship is a continuous two-week stint, and the entire internship period (including any local phase, where applicable) must not exceed 12 calendar months. In addition to the co-funded stipend, students receive a monthly subsistence allowance and a lump sum travel allowance, both disbursed to them via their IHL rather than directly by the employer.

Hybrid Internships

A hybrid arrangement lets a company split an internship between its Singapore base and its overseas outfit, for example four months in the Singapore office followed by two months overseas for a six-month placement. The minimum requirement is a continuous four-week stint in Singapore and a continuous two-week stint overseas.

Only Full-Time Placements Qualify

Regardless of track, GRT only supports full-time internships (minimum 35 hours a week); part-time or ad hoc arrangements do not qualify.

Funding Support Levels

Enterprise Singapore co-funds a portion of the minimum monthly internship stipend, with the rate depending on company size. This funding tier was revised with effect from 1 April 2024 and applies to internship grant applications submitted on or after that date.

In practical terms, an SME hosting a degree student on the minimum S$1,000 stipend could see up to S$500 co-funded, subject to approval. Companies submit one consolidated claim per application, within six months of the latest internship end date.

Eligibility Criteria

Company Eligibility

To participate as a host enterprise, your company must:

• Be incorporated in Singapore with a minimum of 30% local shareholding
• Be financially able to start and complete the full internship programme
• Demonstrate strong human resource practices, particularly in learning, development and talent management
• Have been in operation for at least one year
• Offer an internship with a clear job scope, defined learning objectives, and a suitably assigned mentor
• Commit to full-time placements only, at a minimum of 35 hours per week

Companies offering overseas internships specifically must also show existing overseas operations, a positive business outlook and definite growth plans, and be able to give the intern genuine exposure to global market knowledge. Non-profit organisations are not eligible; applicants must be business entities incorporated in Singapore.

Student Eligibility

Interns must be Singapore Citizens or Singapore Permanent Residents, and either a full-time NITEC or Higher NITEC student, or a full-time student pursuing an undergraduate degree or diploma at an eligible institution, which includes the polytechnics, the Institute of Technical Education, and the major local universities. A student may only take up one GRT-supported internship stint per organisation.

The Role of Trade Associations and Chambers (TACs) and IHLs

Enterprise Singapore does not process every application directly. Instead, it partners a panel of Approved-in-Principle (AIP) Trade Associations and Chambers, including ACE, ASME, the Restaurant Association of Singapore, SGTech, the Singapore Food Manufacturers’ Association, the Singapore Logistics Association, the Singapore Manufacturing Federation, and SPETA. These TACs evaluate and qualify participating enterprises and act as the company’s main point of contact throughout the application.

Institutes of Higher Learning play a complementary role. IHLs drive student participation towards host enterprises, facilitate overseas placement logistics, and disburse the overseas subsistence and travel allowances directly to students. If your company is interested in offering a hybrid internship, you would typically liaise with the relevant institution’s career office to coordinate the arrangement.

Step-by-Step: How to Apply

Applications are submitted through the Business Grant Portal 2.0 (BGP 2.0). The process generally follows these steps:

1. Get Corppass access. You will need a Corppass account to log in to BGP 2.0. Your company’s Corppass administrator can grant you access.
2. Select or be matched with an AIP partner TAC. Contact one of the Approved-in-Principle partners, who will assess and qualify your application. You may switch partners for a subsequent application if needed.
3. Fill in company details on BGP 2.0. Provide your company description, group employment size and annual sales turnover, plus supporting documents such as your latest financial statements (within 18 months) and entity registration documents for any overseas entity hosting interns.
4. Fill in student and internship details. Submit each intern’s name, job function and internship dates, plus the placement letter, internship training plan and the student’s masked NRIC.
5. Submit before the internship begins. Enterprise Singapore reserves the right to reject applications submitted after the internship has already started, so timing your submission correctly matters.
6. Receive and accept your Letter of Offer (LOF). If approved, log in to BGP 2.0 to accept the LOF before the internship starts.
7. Run the internship and collect feedback. Ensure interns complete the online feedback form by the end of the placement, and pay the stipend on schedule (back payment is not allowed).
8. Submit your claim. Within six months of the latest internship end date, submit one consolidated claim per application, together with payslips for the entire internship period, a bank statement for the final month, and the relevant claim form.
9. Receive disbursement. Once approved, payment via PayNow Corporate typically takes about 14 working days, while GIRO disbursement can take up to eight weeks.

GRT has historically operated on a first-come, first-served basis, subject to eligibility and available funding, so check current application windows on BGP 2.0 before finalising a start date.

Practical Tips for SMEs

• Apply before the internship starts, not after. A late submission risks outright rejection regardless of merit.
• Build the mentor relationship into your plan upfront. Enterprise Singapore expects a defined job scope, learning objectives and a named mentor, so treat this as a real talent development exercise, not a subsidised hiring shortcut.
• If you don’t yet have overseas operations, focus on local groundwork first. Overseas internship eligibility requires existing overseas operations and a genuine growth plan; if your company is still in the early stages of going regional, pair your talent strategy with a market entry grant instead.
• Coordinate early with your chosen IHL and TAC. Since allowances and vetting run through these partners, early conversations avoid last-minute paperwork gaps, especially for overseas placements involving cross-border logistics.
• Keep your claims documentation clean from day one. Payslips, bank statements and feedback forms are all required at claim stage, so set up your payroll records to make the eventual claim straightforward.
• Think beyond a single grant. GRT builds your talent pipeline, but talent alone doesn’t open overseas markets. Many SMEs pair it with support such as the Market Readiness Assistance (MRA) grant for market entry costs, or the EDGE grant for broader capability upgrading.

Fitting GRT into a Broader Overseas Expansion Strategy

A talent pipeline is only one piece of a serious internationalisation plan. GRT develops the people who will run your overseas operations, while grants like MRA support market research and set-up costs of entering a new market, and the EDGE grant helps SMEs upgrade systems and capability to scale sustainably. If you are new to combining grants in one financial year, our multi-grant strategy guide covers how to sequence them without breaching co-funding limits.

It is also worth reviewing your broader manpower and financing position alongside GRT. The SkillsFuture Enterprise Credit (SFEC) can offset the cost of training your existing staff to support overseas expansion, while the Enterprise Financing Scheme (EFS) may help fund the working capital needed once your overseas operations begin scaling. For younger companies still finding their feet, our guide to the Startup SG Founder grant is a useful starting point before layering on talent and market access schemes such as GRT.

These programmes reflect Singapore’s ongoing economic strategy of supporting enterprises to internationalise, a priority the Ministry of Trade and Industry has repeatedly emphasised as part of Singapore’s growth agenda. Enterprises that plan applications holistically, rather than approaching each grant in isolation, get considerably more mileage out of the support available. For a running view of Singapore grant updates as schemes evolve, official portals plus independent trackers are worth watching. Founders weighing expansion against broader business investment planning may also find it useful to consult resources at www.daryllum.com.

Conclusion

The Global Ready Talent Programme remains one of the more practical ways for a Singapore SME to build overseas-ready talent without shouldering the full cost alone. With local internship support discontinued from 1 April 2026, the programme’s remaining focus, co-funding overseas internships together with IHL-disbursed travel and subsistence allowances, is squarely aimed at companies serious about regional growth. Getting the eligibility, documentation and timing right on BGP 2.0 makes the difference between a smooth grant claim and a rejected application, so it pays to plan the internship placement around the programme’s requirements from the outset rather than as an afterthought.

If you are structuring an overseas internship, weighing GRT against other grants, or simply want a second opinion on how your expansion plans fit together with Singapore’s grant landscape, professional guidance can save considerable time and avoid costly missteps.

To speak with the team at Raffles Corporate Services, you can email [email protected] or call, SMS, or WhatsApp +65 8501 7133. We are happy to assist with any queries.

The Editorial Team, Raffles Corporate Services