Every entrepreneur dreams of achieving various business goals. Some want to be the leading brand in their home countries, but I wish to conquer the globe with my humble company. As soon as I established my enterprise, I told myself that I would work hard to introduce my business to nations surrounding Singapore—and recently, I brought my brand to a neighbouring country through the MRA grant.
Learning About The MRA Grant
When I was dreaming about expanding my business to different countries, I was unsure how to make it happen. But while Googling at my office one evening, I came across the Market Readiness Assistance or MRA grant and its ability to send brands to various nations throughout the globe.
The MRA grant aims to help small and medium enterprises or SMEs expand their businesses to places outside Lion City. It is a programme of the International Enterprise Singapore, a statutory board of the Ministry of Trade and Industry or MTI, that provides humble entrepreneurs with financial assistance—allowing them to make their products or services available to marketplaces abroad.
I learned about the MRA grant through Paul Hype Page & Co, which is a company that provides expert assistance to local and international business owners for operating, developing or expanding their enterprises. Since I was unsure how the MRA grant works and if I could apply, I contacted Paul Hype Page & Co and asked them for help.
Applying For And Reaping The Perks Of The MRA Grant
After calling Paul Hype Page & Co, they assigned me to a representative who agreed to discuss the MRA grant with me. During our meeting, he thoroughly explained what the programme is, including its benefits and eligibility. He told me that getting the MRA grant would mean up to 70{08ffe88c5b90cc48a299f98f7d2ef5e652ad8a7b3196b331bc139ea9b3272ba4} funding—but only on specific costs.
He also said that the programme suits small business owners like me who operate a registered enterprise with at least 30{08ffe88c5b90cc48a299f98f7d2ef5e652ad8a7b3196b331bc139ea9b3272ba4} shareholding. Companies with fewer than 200 employees and a Group Annual Sales Turnover of not more than S$100 million can apply for the MRA grant, specifically, if their overseas sales did not exceed S$100,000 during the last three years.
Since I was eligible for the MRA grant, I applied for it with the help of Paul Hype Page & Co. Its representative said that signing up for the programme has three routes, and he helped me choose the ideal one. Between participating in a trade fair, asking for help from in-market professionals, and building the company in my target market, Paul Hype Page & Co figured I could benefit from the second option.
While preparing my application, Paul Hype Page & Co and their experts were supportive. They helped me identify my target audience and ways to communicate with them. They also prepared me for business meetings and offered their offices for MRA grant discussions with in-market experts. They also assisted me in generating leads, creating an effective market strategy, and finalising my MRA grant report for claims submission. Thanks to our combined effort, the board approved my application, and I am now establishing my brand outside Singapore.
If you plan to expand your business overseas, I highly suggest that you apply for an MRA grant with the help of Paul Hype Page & Co. Check out their website to learn about their passion and expertise in helping local small business owners like us.
