Insights

Government Funding and Assistance Schemes Available in Singapore: Support for Internationalisation, Part II

This week, we continue to look at governmental resources offered to companies internationalising and entering foreign markets, through the Global Innovation Alliance.

Global Innovation Alliance

The Global Innovation Alliance (GIA) is a network of Singapore and overseas partners in major innovation hubs and key demand markets, with a focus on technology and innovation. GIA Acceleration Programmes under this Alliance will support (i) Singapore startups and SMEs in venturing abroad; and (ii) international startups in scaling up in Asia through Singapore as a springboard.

The GIA network currently spans 13 cities in ten countries:

China – Beijing, Shanghai, Suzhou
France – Paris
Germany – Berlin, Munich
India – Bangalore
Indonesia – Jakarta
Japan – Tokyo
Thailand – Bangkok
Vietnam – Ho Chi Minh City
The United Kingdom – London
The United States of America – San Francisco

GIA Acceleration Programme

This program is designed to help Singapore technology startups and SMEs set up, test-bed and commercialise their solutions, or co-innovate with partners in the foreign country. They would have opportunities to perform such activities through highly customised programmes and activities, thus granting access to the foreign market, and with it potential investors, partners, customers and talent resources.

Acceleration Programmes vary according to country. Stage 1 typically constitutes of a preparation session in Singapore; Stage 2 typically is a business immersion program in the foreign country; Stage 3 (where available) provides additional support according to the needs of that foreign country.

Find the Alliance Partners below:

City	Partner	Additional Services
Beijing (China)	DayDayUp	Co-working spaces Incorporation services Legal services HR services Renting of apartments
Shanghai (China)	XNode	Co-working spaces Industry Expert leaders in China Mentorship by entrepreneurs-in-residence Content, resources and materials about innovation in China Operational expertise in human resources (e.g. hiring), legal (e.g. company registration) and finance (e.g. book-keeping)
Suzhou (China)	No defined partner	Nil
Paris (France)	Hello Tomorrow	Nil
Berlin & Munich (Germany)	German Entrepreneurship Asia Scaler8 (Local Partner)	Nil
Bangalore (India)	Anthill Venture	Innovation-centric workshops and programmes for corporates Access to public sector use cases through government sandboxes Funding support Supporting marketing of products and targeted public relations Sales demo days and investor events Co-working spaces at discounted rates in Singapore and India Additional value-added services for legal, intellectual property, tax, company structuring and more
Jakarta (Indonesia)	Plug and Play Network	Co-working spaces Corporate secretarial, accounting and legal services
Tokyo (Japan)	Leave a Nest	Business advisory services such as assistance in company incorporation Support in the areas of sales, recruitment, business connections and manufacturing Co-working spaces e.g. L-Hub Iidabashi (Tokyo), L-Hub Toranomon (Tokyo), L-Hub Bentencho (Osaka), Center of Garage (Tokyo)
San Francisco (United States)	500 Startups	500 Startups’ services include: Business development and partnership support Briefings on business and technology trends Startup-oriented programming, including custom accelerators and corporate venture capital (CVC) Supporting marketing of products and services to the startup ecosystem Mentorship and training
London (United Kingdom)	IoT Tribe	Assistance in general business services, such as company registration and reporting Assistance in accounting, recruitment and HR IP services for the UK and the EU Shared office space in London
Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam)	Quest Ventures – In partnership with the Saigon Innovation Hub	Co-working spaces, corporate secretarial, accounting and legal services.

CONCLUSION

This marks the end of this 2-part series on the available support extended by the Singapore government to assist companies to achieve internationalisation. We hope you enjoyed these series. Don’t forget to check the earlier part-series on the different schemes as well: Grants, Loans and Insurance, Technology & Innovation, and Training & Upskilling.

At Silvester Legal, we work extensively with SMEs and start-ups to understand our clients’ needs. We want our clients to take full advantage of the opportunities available to them as they pursue their business ventures.

Disclaimer: The materials prepared here are for general information purposes only to inform you about Silvester Legal LLC, our services and related matters. The information presented is not legal advice and is not to be acted on as such.