Tech@SG Programme

Tech@SG aims to help companies achieve faster growth by gaining access to the talents they need to scale their business in Singapore and regionally. This Programme is administered by Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) and Enterprise Singapore.

Benefits

Company-level endorsement to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) will be provided through the Tech@SG Programme for all eligible companies.  This is to reduce the risks of rejections for their Employment Pass (EP) applications to MOM.

You can expect to receive the following if your company is eligible:

• Up to 10 new EPs over 2 years for foreign employees that you are hiring as part of your Singapore company’s core team.
• First renewal coverage

Requirements for companies

Meeting all of the following requirements is a must to qualify for the Tech@SG Programme:

• Incorporate a business entity with the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) in Singapore
• Having a digital or technology product or service as your core business

This is inclusive of cases where the company’s business model is built on proprietary hardware or software technologies, i.e. big data analytics, artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity. Examples are:

• Software-as-a-service
• E-commerce
• Digital media
• Digital gaming
• Medtech
• Cleantech
• Fintech.

Businesses under the following categories will not be qualified for this Programme:

• Coffeeshops
• Hawker centres
• Food courts
• Bars
• Night clubs
• Karaoke lounges
• Foot reflexology
• Massage parlours
• Acupuncture
• Traditional Chinese medicine
• Herbal dispensing businesses
• Employment agencies
• Geomancy businesses

• Received funding (no minimum) in the past 36 months from a Programme-recognised investment firm
• Secured more than US$10 million (cumulative) in investment funding in the past 36 months

For companies having lesser than 30% local shareholding, applications should be submitted to EDB.

Requirements for individuals

MOM will be the one issuing the EPs. Besides ensuring that your company qualifies for Tech@SG, you will have to ensure that the individuals whom you are applying for meet all the requirements below:

• Applicant’s fixed monthly salary meets the minimum prevailing EP salary benchmark (at least S$4,500)*
• He or she passes background and due diligence checks by MOM
• The applicant is a core team member whose functional role and seniority are as per the conditions outlined below:
  • Functional role: He or she falls into one of the following categories:
    • Core business functions: business development, human resources, finance, partnerships, strategy, general management
    • Technical functions: product management and/or development, software engineering, solution architect, product design, data science
  • Seniority: Applicants should be in roles that are Manager-level and above
    • Analyst/Associate/Executive/Representative-level roles are not considered as core team members.

*Information is correct and updated as of September 2020 after the latest MOM’s changes. For more information on details, please contact us.

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