What is the DBS Foundation Startup Grant?
It is a flagship grant programme run by DBS Foundation, the philanthropic arm of DBS Bank, offering equity-free funding of up to SGD 250,000 to for-profit social enterprises and SMEs registered in Singapore, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia or Taiwan, provided the business is creating a measurable social or environmental impact aligned with the Foundation’s current focus areas.
Since 2015, DBS Foundation has provided around SGD 26 million in grant funding to over 180 social enterprises and SMEs across Asia to help them scale their business models and deepen their impact, making it one of the more established and credible impact-focused grant programmes accessible to Indian businesses.
Focus Areas the Grant Supports
The DBS Foundation Grant’s current cycle focuses on two broad themes:
- Providing essential needs: covering areas such as food and nutrition, basic education, and healthcare including mental health
- Fostering financial inclusion: covering financial and digital inclusion initiatives that help underserved populations access formal financial systems
- An Indian social enterprise or SME working in either of these areas, with a genuine business model rather than a purely donor-dependent one, is the natural fit for this programme.
Eligibility Criteria
- Who is eligible for the DBS Foundation Startup Grant?
Eligible applicants are for-profit social enterprises and SMEs that are registered legal entities in Singapore, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia or Taiwan, with at least a two-year track record of measurable social impact in essential needs or financial inclusion, a validated business model evidenced by revenue generation or client traction, and a clear roadmap for scaling that impact. - Must be a registered, legally incorporated business entity, not an individual pursuing a personal project
- Must have a business product or solution already validated in the market, shown through revenue generation or demonstrable client acquisition traction
- Must have a committed social or environmental mission with a clear impact measurement framework, not just a general goodwill claim
- Indian applicants specifically need to either hold approval under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act to receive funds from a foreign entity, or demonstrate that the business’s revenue comes primarily from sales rather than grants, which affects how the FCRA requirement applies
Who Cannot Apply
- Charities, NGOs, cooperatives and sole proprietorships are not eligible, since the grant is designed for legally incorporated for-profit entities
- Religious organisations applying for religious purposes are excluded
- General fundraising campaigns, student projects and individual pursuits without a registered business entity do not qualify
- Entities appearing on a bank caution list are disqualified from consideration
- Individuals without a legally incorporated business structure cannot apply, regardless of the strength of their idea or early traction
Grant Amount and Non-Financial Support
| Component | Details |
|---|---|
| Grant size | Up to SGD 250,000, approximately Rs 1.54 crore, per grantee |
| Equity requirement | None, the grant is entirely equity-free |
| Grant period | Typically structured over roughly two years |
| Non-financial support | Capacity building, networking, advisory and mentoring support extended over the grant period |
| Evaluation basis | Innovation, impact, scalability and team strength, assessed by DBS Bank employees against a structured scoring guide |
How Indian Applicants Should Prepare
- Confirm your business genuinely fits one of the two current focus areas, essential needs or financial inclusion, rather than trying to stretch a loosely related business model to fit
- Prepare clear evidence of your two-year impact track record, including quantifiable metrics rather than only narrative descriptions of impact
- Document your revenue traction and business model validation clearly, since the programme specifically screens out pure donation-dependent or purely philanthropic models
- Address the FCRA question directly in your application if your funding structure could be seen as receiving foreign contributions, since Indian applicants are specifically flagged for this requirement
- Prepare your responses offline first using any template the Foundation provides, then submit through the official online application form before the specified deadline
- Disclose any prior funding received clearly, and be ready to explain how the purpose of this grant is distinct from any previous funding, since past DBS Foundation grantees can reapply but must show a genuinely different funding purpose
Key Takeaways
- The DBS Foundation Startup Grant offers up to SGD 250,000 in equity-free funding to social enterprises and SMEs, including those registered in India, focused on essential needs or financial inclusion.
- Applicants need at least a two-year track record of measurable impact and a validated business model with real revenue or client traction, not just an early-stage idea.
- NGOs, charities, cooperatives, sole proprietorships and individuals without a registered business entity are not eligible.
- Indian applicants need to address FCRA requirements or clearly show their revenue comes primarily from sales rather than grants.
- Grantees also receive capacity building, networking and mentoring support over the roughly two-year grant period, beyond just the funding itself.
FAQs
How much funding does the DBS Foundation Startup Grant provide?
The grant offers up to SGD 250,000, approximately Rs 1.54 crore, in equity-free funding to eligible social enterprises and SMEs.
Is the DBS Foundation Grant available to Indian startups?
Yes, India is one of the eligible markets alongside Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia and Taiwan, and Indian enterprises appear among the grantees in most funding cycles.
Does DBS Foundation take equity in exchange for the grant?
No, the DBS Foundation Grant does not take any equity stake in the businesses it funds, making it a genuinely equity-free funding source.
Can an NGO apply for the DBS Foundation Startup Grant?
No, the grant does not support non-governmental organisations, philanthropy-model charities, cooperatives or sole proprietorships; it is designed specifically for for-profit, legally incorporated social enterprises and SMEs.
What track record do I need to apply for this grant?
Applicants generally need at least a two-year track record of measurable social impact in essential needs or financial inclusion, along with a business model validated through revenue generation or demonstrable client traction.
Do Indian applicants need FCRA approval to receive this grant?
Indian applicants need to either hold Foreign Contribution Regulation Act approval to receive funds from a foreign entity, or clearly demonstrate that their revenue is generated primarily from sales rather than grants, which affects how this requirement applies to their specific structure.
Talk to Growthora
Preparing a strong DBS Foundation Grant application, and making sure your FCRA position and business structure are properly documented, can materially improve your chances in a competitive applicant pool. Book a free consultation with Growthora Advisory’s funding advisory team.
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