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Eligibility for EntrePass

This work pass is intended for serial entrepreneurs, high-calibre innovators or experienced investors that want to operate a business in Singapore that is venture-backed or owns innovative technologies.

Who is eligible

EntrePass is open to all nationalities/citizenships.

You can apply for an EntrePass if you meet both conditions:

  • Have started, or intend to start, a private limited company registered with ACRA that is venture-backed or owns innovative technologies.
    • If registered, the company must be less than 6 months old on the date you apply.
    • If not registered, you can do so after you know the outcome of your application.
  • Meet any of the following innovative criteria as an entrepreneur, innovator or investor listed below. You do not need to meet all of the criteria for each respective profile, but having more qualifications would help your application.         

Entrepreneur

Has funding from a government-recognised VC or business angelShow

The registered company raised funding of at least $100,000 from a government investment vehicle, venture capitalist (VC) or business angel that is recognised by a Singapore Government agency.

Examples include:

Is an incubatee at a government-recognised incubator or acceleratorShow

The registered company is an existing incubatee at an incubator or accelerator in Singapore that is recognised by the Government.

Examples include:

Has business network and entrepreneurial track recordShow

You have significant business experience or network and promising entrepreneurial track record of starting highly-scalable businesses and want to start and operate an innovative tech or venture-backed business in Singapore.

Requirements

You must fulfil any of the following:

  • You have founded and sold a tech company.
  • You have raised significant funding from investors for a current or past venture.
  • You have been or are being incubated by an internationally renowned incubator or accelerator.
  • You can demonstrate how your business networks and track record can contribute to the growth of your proposed business in Singapore (e.g. produce a letter of intent from prospective customers).

Innovator

Holds an intellectual propertyShow

You or the registered company holds an intellectual property (IP), registered with an approved national IP institution, which delivers a significant competitive advantage to your proposed business that cannot be easily replicated.

Requirements

You must fulfil all of the following:

  • Your IP must be registered with an approved national IP institution.
  • Your IP delivers a competitive advantage to your proposed business and cannot be easily replicated.
  • One of the shareholders or the company must be the owner of the IP.
  • Expired IP can be considered as long as one of the shareholders is the inventor of the IP.

Has a research collaboration with an IHL or research institute in SingaporeShow

The registered company has an ongoing research collaboration with a research institution under the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), an Institute of Higher Learning (IHL) in Singapore.

Examples include:

  • A*STAR Research Institutes
  • Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE) entities
  • Institutes of Higher Learning (e.g. National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore University of Technology and Design, Singapore Management University, the Polytechnics)
  • Recognised non-profit and private sector research groups

Requirements

You must fulfil all of the following:

  • The research collaboration must be related to your proposed business.
  • The research institution needs to provide a contact person to verify details of the research collaboration.
  • You must be involved with ongoing research collaboration.
  • Contract of services is not considered to be research collaboration.

Has extraordinary achievements in key areas of expertiseShow

You have exceptional technical or domain expertise in an area related to your proposed business that is either venture-backed or owns innovative technologies.

Requirements

You must fulfil all of the following:

  • Your area of expertise must be related to your proposed business.
  • You have outstanding achievements or received international recognition in your area of technical or domain expertise.

Investor

Has investment track recordShow

You have a good track record of investing in businesses and want to grow new or existing businesses in Singapore by starting an investment-related company.

Requirements

You are willing to invest a substantial amount of money in other local tech startups and can provide supporting documents to show that you have one of the following:

  • A strong track record of investing in and driving growth of highly-scalable businesses.
  • Plans (i.e. quantum, period and pipeline) to invest in other local innovative or tech startups.
  • At least 8 years' experience as a senior management professional or executive in a large corporation that can help to scale up local innovative or tech startups.

Successful applicants are encouraged to contribute to the local startup ecosystem through activities such as:

  • Hosting or speaking at workshops or webinars
  • Organizing deal-making or networking sessions
  • Providing mentorship for other startups.

Enterprise Singapore, who works with MOM to evaluate EntrePass applications, may contact EntrePass holders periodically for engagement and audit purposes. 

To find out more about the eligibility criteria, you can contact Enterprise Singapore at entrepassenquiry@enterprisesg.gov.sg.

To find out more about application and appeal matters, send us an  online feedback. To submit an appeal for your EntrePass application, please use this online form.

Businesses that are not eligible

The following businesses are not eligible for an EntrePass:

  • Coffee shops, hawker centres, food courts.
  • Bars, night clubs, karaoke lounges.
  • Foot reflexology, massage parlours.
  • Acupuncture, traditional Chinese medicine, herbal dispensing businesses.
  • Employment agencies.
  • Geomancy business.

Are you intending to start and operate a new tech business in Singapore? You may be eligible for a Tech.Pass if you have founded or led a sizeable tech company, or developed tech products with mass adoption.