Startup SG Founder, Tech and Equity tracks: Documents required and templates

Startup SG Founder, Startup SG Tech and Startup SG Equity are three distinct Enterprise Singapore tracks, offering first-time founder capital, proof-of-concept and proof-of-value technology grants, and government co-investment respectively, and a Singapore company can apply to more than one track at the same time provided the underlying projects are genuinely distinct.

What each track actually funds

Startup SG Founder provides eligible first-time founders with startup capital of S$20,000 to S$50,000, matched roughly 1:1 with capital the founder injects, delivered through an Accredited Mentor Partner rather than a direct government grant. Startup SG Tech supports proprietary technology commercialisation, with proof-of-concept projects capped at S$400,000 and proof-of-value projects capped at S$800,000. Startup SG Equity is a co-investment mechanism where the government invests alongside a qualified third-party investor into innovative, technology-driven startups, with a further S$1 billion added to the scheme at Budget 2026.

Who each track is for

Founder targets first-time entrepreneurs who are Singapore citizens or permanent residents, holding at least 51% equity in the company, incorporating a new Singapore entity for the purpose. Tech suits companies with genuinely proprietary technology at proof-of-concept or proof-of-value stage looking to de-risk commercialisation. Equity suits later-stage, investor-backed technology startups where a qualified private investor has already agreed to co-invest, and the government’s stake mirrors that investor’s terms.

Documents required by track

For Founder: business plan, proof of Singapore citizenship or PR status and shareholding percentage, evidence of the founder’s own capital injection, and the Accredited Mentor Partner’s endorsement. For Tech: a technical proposal describing the proprietary technology and the specific proof-of-concept or proof-of-value milestones, a project budget mapped to those milestones, and evidence of the underlying IP ownership. For Equity: a term sheet or letter of intent from the qualifying third-party investor, the company’s capitalisation table, and financial projections supporting the co-investment case. All three tracks also require standard corporate documents: certificate of incorporation, register of members and directors, and the company’s most recent financial statements where available.

Cost and timeline in numbers

Founder capital of S$20,000 to S$50,000 is typically disbursed in tranches tied to mentorship milestones rather than as a single payment. Tech grants of up to S$400,000 (POC) or S$800,000 (POV) are claimed on a reimbursement basis against actual project spend, following the standard Enterprise Singapore audit-on-claim model described in our companion grant-claims article below. Equity co-investment size mirrors whatever amount the qualifying private investor commits, so there is no fixed government cheque size; the S$1 billion top-up announced at Budget 2026 expands the pool available for matching, not the per-deal cap.

Step-by-step application process

For Founder, a first-time entrepreneur applies through one of Enterprise Singapore’s Accredited Mentor Partners, who assesses the business plan and founder capacity before recommending the grant. For Tech, the applicant submits a technical proposal directly to Enterprise Singapore or a delegated evaluator, who reviews the proprietary technology claim and sets milestone-based disbursement conditions. For Equity, the company first secures commitment from a qualified third-party investor, then applies for matching government co-investment on the same terms, with Enterprise Singapore’s investment arm conducting its own due diligence in parallel with the private investor’s.

Common mistakes and gotchas

A frequent Founder-track error is applying before securing an Accredited Mentor Partner relationship, since the grant is delivered through that partner rather than as a direct Enterprise Singapore disbursement. A common Tech-track mistake is blurring proof-of-concept and proof-of-value milestones in the same proposal, which complicates claims later because the two stages have different caps and evidentiary standards. On Equity, founders sometimes approach government co-investment before finalising private investor terms, when the correct sequence is to lock in the private round first and then apply for matching.

FAQs

Can a company apply for Founder, Tech and Equity at the same time? Yes, provided each track supports a genuinely distinct project or stage; the tracks are not mutually exclusive by design.

What is the maximum Startup SG Tech grant? S$400,000 for proof-of-concept projects and S$800,000 for proof-of-value projects.

Does Startup SG Founder require the founder to already hold a company? The grant supports incorporating a new Singapore company for the first time, with the founder holding at least 51% equity.

Is Startup SG Equity a grant or an investment? It is a co-investment; the government takes an equity stake alongside a qualified private investor, rather than disbursing a non-repayable grant.

What did Budget 2026 change for Startup SG Equity? It added a further S$1 billion to the scheme, expanding the pool of government co-investment capital available for matching qualifying deals.

Related guides

For how these grants are taxed once received, see the income tax, GST and accounting treatment of government grants in Singapore. Founders on an EntrePass considering Startup SG alongside their own work pass should see the documents required and templates for EntrePass founder eligibility and renewal. For post-disbursement audit exposure across all three tracks, see our companion piece, the Enterprise Development Grant step-by-step application guide.

Authoritative background: the Singapore Economic Development Board and IMDA both partner with Enterprise Singapore on technology and innovation funding referenced above.

Need help with this? Call, SMS or WhatsApp +65 8501 7133, or email [email protected]. Raffles Corporate Services works with a panel of corporate and employment law firms; this article is general information, not legal advice.