SME Cash Grant 2026

If you own multiple sole proprietorships that did not employ any local qualifying employees, you will receive a flat $500 grant, regardless of the number of sole proprietorships owned.

If you own multiple sole proprietorships with local qualifying employees, each sole proprietorship will receive the SME Cash Grant 2026 based on its respective highest local qualifying employee headcount in any month from Apr to Jun 2026. You will not receive an additional flat $500 grant for your other sole proprietorships that did not employ local qualifying employees.

The flat $500 grant is intended to support sole proprietors who operate their own businesses and would otherwise receive no support. To qualify for this flat $500 grant, the sole proprietor must have a NTI of ≤ $100,00 for YA 2025 declared and assessed by IRAS as at 31 Aug 2026.

Example 1

The sole proprietor will receive a flat grant of $500. Only one flat grant will be given, regardless of the number of sole proprietorships owned.

Example 2

The sole proprietor will receive a grant of $1,500 based on Sole Proprietorship A’s local qualifying employee headcount. There will be no additional $500 grant for Sole Proprietorships B and C.

Example 3

The sole proprietor will receive a grant of $1,500 and $2,500 for Sole Proprietorship A and B respectively, based on each entity’s local qualifying employee headcount. There will be no additional $500 grant for Sole Proprietorship C.

If the same combination of partners owns multiple partnerships that did not employ any local qualifying employees, only a flat $500 grant will be given, regardless of the number of partnerships owned.

If the same combination of partners owns multiple partnerships with local qualifying employees, each partnership will receive the SME Cash Grant 2026 based on its respective highest local qualifying employee headcount in any month from Apr to Jun 2026. They will not receive an additional flat $500 grant for their other partnerships that did not employ local qualifying employees.

The flat $500 grant is intended to support partnerships who operate their own businesses and would otherwise receive no support. To qualify for this flat $500 grant, at least one partner must have a NTI of ≤ $100,000 for YA 2025 declared and assessed by IRAS as at 31 Aug 2026.

Example 1

As Partnerships I and II have the same combination of partners, only one flat $500 grant will be given to Partnerships I and II. Partnership III will receive a separate flat $500 grant as it has a different combination of partners.

Example 2

Although Partnerships I and II have the same combination of partners, each partnership will receive the SME Cash Grant 2026 based on its own local qualifying employee headcount. As Partnership III has a different combination of partners, it will receive a separate grant of $2,000 based on its own local qualifying employee headcount.

Example 3

Although Partnerships I and II have the same combination of partners, each partnership will receive the SME Cash Grant 2026 based on its own local qualifying employee headcount. There will be no additional $500 grant for Partnership III.

If you have assessed that your business fulfils the eligibility criteria but did not receive the SME Cash Grant 2026, you may submit an appeal. Details on the appeal process and appeal submission period will be published on this website nearer to the disbursement period.

The SME Cash Grant 2026 Eligibility Checker will be available from mid-Oct 2026.

Companies, sole proprietorships, partnerships and limited liability partnerships (LLPs) may qualify for the SME Cash Grant 2026 if they meet the eligibility criteria. Individuals who employ workers in their personal capacity under their NRIC are not eligible.

Eligible entities will receive $500 for each local qualifying employee¹ with timely CPF contributions in the period of 1 Apr 2026 to 30 Jun 2026², up to a cap of $2,500 per business.

Sole proprietorships and partnerships that are run by at least one local business owner³ but do not hire any local qualifying employees will receive a flat grant of $500, if the local business owner has a net trade income of no more than $100,000 filed and assessed with IRAS in the Year of Assessment (YA) 2025 as at 31 Aug 2026.

¹ Employees who are Singapore Citizens or Permanent Residents. This includes employees in a company who are also shareholders and directors of the company (shareholder-directors). Other types of business owners (i.e. sole proprietors and partners in a partnership) are not considered employees.
² CPF contributions must be made by the stipulated contribution deadline. The number of local qualifying employees will be based on the highest monthly local qualifying employee headcount in any month from Apr to Jun 2026.
³ Registered business owners who are Singapore Citizens or Permanent Residents.

The Government recognises that there are some sole proprietorships and partnerships run only by the business owners. We are therefore providing a flat grant of $500 for such businesses, as long as the local business owner is earning a net trade income of no more than $100,000 for Year of Assessment (YA) 2025 filed and assessed with IRAS as at 31 Aug 2026.

Sole Proprietorships and partnerships with multiple local business owners would only qualify for the flat grant of $500. This is because sole proprietors and partners are not considered employees.

The SME Cash Grant 2026 is intended to support businesses operating through an ACRA-registered business entity, such as a company, sole proprietorship, partnership or limited liability partnership. Individuals who employ workers in their personal capacity under their NRIC are not eligible.

The deadline for filing YA 2026 Corporate Income Tax Returns is 30 Nov 2026, which is after the SME Cash Grant 2026 is disbursed. Hence, YA 2025 tax returns are used as an eligibility criterion, to ensure a consistent and reliable basis for determining eligibility across businesses.

Apr to Jun 2026 is the latest period for which CPF contribution data is available at the point of scheme computation. The grant amount will be based on the highest monthly local qualifying employee headcount during this period.

The SME Cash Grant 2026 is taxable and will be automatically included for individuals and partnerships (Form B/P). For companies, please declare the amount in the income tax return (Form C/C-S/C-S Lite).

An eligibility checker will be made available on the IRAS website from mid-Oct 2026. You may use it to check whether your business qualifies for the SME Cash Grant 2026. In the meantime, you may review the eligibility criteria on our website and ensure your business has a valid payment mode for IRAS to credit the grant.

The SME Cash Grant 2026 is designed to provide businesses with $500 per local qualifying employee, capped at $2,500 per business.

Eligible sole proprietorships and partnerships without local qualifying employees will receive a flat grant of $500. This is to provide support to owner-operated businesses that do not qualify for the tiered grant because they have no local qualifying employees.

Each eligible sole proprietorship or unique partnership (i.e., unique combination of individuals) will receive a flat grant of $500, regardless of the number of business entities registered.

Each partnership that has local qualifying employees will receive a tiered grant of $500 per local qualifying employee, capped at $2,500 per business.

Where a partnership has no local employees, each unique partnership (i.e., unique combination of individuals) will receive a flat grant of $500, regardless of the number of business entities registered.

The SME Cash Grant 2026 was introduced to provide broad-based support to active SMEs in managing cashflow amidst the Middle East situation. As ceased or inactive businesses are no longer in operation, they are not eligible for the grant.

CPF contributions must be made by the prescribed CPF contribution deadline to be taken into account for the SME Cash Grant 2026.

Late CPF contributions, including those due to administrative oversight, will be excluded. Employers are expected to make CPF contributions on time in accordance with CPF requirements.

Eligible businesses do not need to apply for the SME Cash Grant 2026. IRAS will automatically disburse the grant via PayNow Corporate or an existing GIRO arrangement with IRAS.

To set up PayNow Corporate, please approach your bank directly to link your PayNow Corporate to your company's UEN (without any suffix).

To set up a GIRO arrangement with IRAS, please refer to our website for a step-by-step guide on the GIRO application process.

If your business does not maintain a local bank account, please write to IRAS via myTax Mail (MTM) through your business’s myTax Portal, selecting “Government Payout” as the Category and “Payment Matters” as the Subject. Please include the reason why your business does not maintain a local bank account. Other payment arrangements may be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Regardless of the payment arrangement, the grant can only be paid to the eligible business. IRAS is unable to disburse the grant to a third party.