Grants for digitalising community care in Singapore

01

Which funding route applies to you?

Singapore’s care-sector grants are organised by how your organisation is funded and registered, not by what you want to buy. The same care management system purchase can be co-funded through several different schemes depending on who you are:

Many organisations qualify under more than one route — a charity-registered social service agency may be eligible for both the Transformation Sustainability Scheme and the Charities Capability Fund. The schemes cannot double-fund the same cost, so the practical question is which gives the better terms for the specific purchase.

02

What grants does AIC offer community care providers?

The PDG has closed; its successor is pending. The Productivity and Digitalisation Grant (PDG) was the main digitalisation grant for MOH-funded community care providers under AIC’s Community Care Digital Transformation Plan. It funded up to 85% of approved project costs (capital expenditure plus first-year operating costs), capped between S$30,000 and S$150,000 per project. Applications closed in January 2026, and funded projects are to be completed by 30 September 2026. AIC has stated that further productivity grants are coming, but as of July 2026 the successor scheme’s name, funding level, and eligibility have not been published — providers planning a purchase should contact AIC directly rather than assume the old PDG terms will carry over.

The lineage matters for planning. The PDG itself replaced the Healthcare Productivity Fund’s technology adoption track in September 2022. This is one evolving funding line, not parallel schemes — if a colleague’s funding plan still references the HPF, it is two generations out of date.

Active Ageing Centres have a dedicated route. The AAC IT Grant covers the set-up and first-year subscription of an AAC IT system — including implementation, configuration, and data migration — up to S$33,000 per centre (inclusive of GST). Note the restriction: funding applies only to systems certified as ASG-compatible under Synapxe’s Age Well SG programme, because the AAC 2.0 model requires integration with national IT systems.

The Community Silver Trust is not a technology grant. It matches donations raised by MOH/MSF-funded community care providers dollar-for-dollar. Matched funds can support an organisation’s broader work, but it is a fundraising-matching vehicle — not a scheme you apply to for a software purchase.

NEHR onboarding has its own grant. Separately from the productivity line, the NEHR Connect Grant supports providers mandated to contribute to NEHR under the Health Information Act — a fixed S$14,400 for nursing homes, covering roughly two years of system subscription or up to 40% of enhancement costs, opening progressively from July 2026 (providers that received earlier MOH IT grants are excluded). Details are covered in our Health Information Act and NEHR guide.

03

What grants can social service agencies and charities use?

The Transformation Sustainability Scheme (TSS) is the digitalisation track of the Community Capability Trust — the up-to-S$480-million, ten-year capability fund for the social service sector. The TSS co-funds up to 80% of approved costs over up to three years, in three parts: consultancy and implementation support (capped at S$250,000), bespoke digitalisation projects (capped at S$150,000), and pre-scoped solutions — the track most relevant to buying established software — capped at S$40,000 per solution within a S$150,000 total. Eligibility covers NCSS members and MSF-funded agencies with a valid Organisational Health Framework assessment.

The Charities Capability Fund (CCF) — formerly the VWOs-Charities Capability Fund — is administered by the Commissioner of Charities and runs until 31 March 2027. Its ICT Grant has two categories: basic infrastructure (hardware, connectivity, websites — 80% co-funding with per-item caps, small and medium charities only) and digital solutions — governance, productivity, and operational-efficiency software — at up to 80% of supported costs, capped at S$40,000 per charity over five years, open to charities and IPCs of all sizes. Three comparable vendor quotations are required for costs above S$6,000.

The two schemes co-exist and serve overlapping populations: TSS for the social service sector specifically, CCF for the whole charity sector. Social service agencies that are registered charities should evaluate both. Disability-sector SSAs can additionally explore SG Enable’s Enabling Lives Initiative Grant, though it funds innovation projects rather than software subscriptions.

04

What grants can private care operators apply for?

Private nursing homes, home care companies, and other operators outside MOH/MSF funding fall under the general SME schemes. The Productivity Solutions Grant (PSG) co-funds up to 50% of eligible costs, capped at S$30,000 per application, for Singapore-registered companies with at least 30% local equity and group turnover of no more than S$100 million (or no more than 200 employees). Two constraints matter in practice: the solution must be selected from the pre-approved GoBusiness catalogue before any contract is signed or payment made, and coverage of community-care-specific systems in that catalogue varies — check the live catalogue for the specific product.

EnterpriseSG has indicated that a consolidated EDGE grant will launch in the second half of 2026, bringing together the PSG and other enterprise grants. Existing schemes remain open until then — but a purchase planned for late 2026 should be checked against whichever scheme is current at application time.

05

How do grant applications actually work?

Across schemes, the mechanics are consistent enough to plan around:

• Two portals, split by sector — MOH/MSF-funded providers, SSAs, and charities apply through the OurSG Grants portal; private operators apply through the Business Grants Portal on GoBusiness.

• Apply before you commit — retrospective applications are barred: no contracts, deposits, or work before approval. Sequencing the grant before the vendor contract is the single most common stumbling point.

• Quotations are expected — the CCF requires three comparable quotes for costs above S$6,000; the PSG requires a pre-approved solution. Budget time for a structured vendor comparison — a clear view of what a care management system should cover makes the comparison faster.

• Productivity outcomes are assessed — AIC’s productivity grants evaluate feasibility, scalability, and measurable productivity gains; the TSS ties funding to organisational-health diagnostics. Quantifying expected time savings strengthens an application — the Savings Calculator produces a defensible baseline estimate.

• Payouts are usually reimbursements — most schemes disburse against actual incurred, approved costs, often with sustained-usage or project-completion commitments. Cash-flow planning should assume the organisation pays first and claims after.

06

Frequently asked questions