New portal allows S’pore businesses to access grants and calculate tariffs

The BizSG portal, launched on September 30, provides Singaporean businesses with access to government grants and tools to help them navigate challenges such as tariffs when expanding overseas. The portal, a digital concierge for SMEs, aims to streamline access to government support, making it easier for companies to focus on growth. Minister-for-Trade Relations Grace Fu introduced the initiative jointly led by the Ministry of Energy, Trade and Industry (METI) and Enterprise Singapore (EnterpriseSG).

The BizSG portal features a grant directory listing available government support, an AI-powered grant recommender directing businesses to relevant funding, and a grant eligibility checker determining if a firm qualifies for grants and programmes, currently limited to EnterpriseSG's EDGE Grant and Skills and Workforce Development Agency grants. The portal also calculates tariffs and provides information on savings from free trade agreements, and assesses market viability using trade flow data.

Fu highlighted the increasing complexity of the trade environment, driven by geopolitical factors and fragmentation, which affect how goods move, capital is invested, and supply chains are organised. Despite these challenges, she sees opportunities for businesses to diversify markets, strengthen supply chains, and capture growth areas.

Singapore, as the upcoming ASEAN chair, aims to deepen regional integration and enhance the group's ability to respond to change, with the role transitioning from the Philippines on January 1.