STAMPEDE is an AI-powered loyalty and marketing platform for Singapore's F&B industry. STAMPEDE AI PTE. LTD. (UEN 202611946M) is headquartered in Singapore.
Everyone talks about government grants for F&B.
Almost nobody actually gets them.
Not because the grants don't exist. They do. But the eligibility requirements, application processes, and fine print filter out most small operators before they even start. The hawker uncle selling chicken rice at Bedok Market is not filling out a Business Grants Portal application on a Saturday night.
I've spent 10 years in Singapore F&B and recently incorporated STAMPEDE AI PTE. LTD.. so I've gone through this process firsthand. Here's what's actually available, who can actually get it, and what's not worth your time.
The grants that matter for small F&B
Hawker's Productivity Grant (HPG)
Who: Existing cooked food stallholders in NEA-managed hawker centres.
What: Covers 80% of eligible kitchen automation equipment costs, capped at $7,000 per stallholder. Eligible equipment includes food processors, automatic cookers, electric fish scalers, and other approved items.
The catch: You must already be operating. This isn't a startup grant. it's a productivity upgrade grant. The equipment list is specific. Check NEA's hawker management page for the current list.
Worth it? Yes, if you need equipment. It's one of the simplest grants to apply for.
Hawkers Go Digital
What: Up to $1,500 for adopting a unified SGQR code for cashless payments (PayNow, NETS, etc.).
Who: Hawker stallholders who haven't gone cashless yet.
Worth it? Yes. Free money to do something you should be doing anyway. Younger customers expect cashless. Tourist customers need it.
SkillsFuture Credits
What: Every Singaporean aged 25+ has SkillsFuture credits ($500 initial, with top-ups). These can be used for food safety courses, business management courses, and digital skills training.
Who: Individual Singaporeans (not the business. the person).
Worth it? Yes for the Food Safety Course Level 1 (mandatory anyway) and any business skills courses. Check the SkillsFuture course directory for F&B-relevant options.
Enterprise Development Grant (EDG)
What: Covers up to 50% of qualifying project costs for business upgrading, including technology adoption, capability development, and market access.
Who: Businesses registered and operating in Singapore, with at least 30% local shareholding, and in a financially viable position.
The catch: You need a clear project scope, quotations from vendors, and a business case. The application is through the Business Grants Portal (BGP) and takes weeks to process. Minimum one financial year of statements required. brand new companies can't apply.
Worth it? For a restaurant or chain looking to invest in tech (POS systems, CRM, kitchen automation). yes. For a hawker stall? The effort-to-reward ratio is low unless you're spending $10,000+ on a specific project.
Startup SG Founder
What: Up to $50,000 in matching grants for first-time entrepreneurs with innovative business ideas.
Who: Must be incorporated less than 6 months ago. Needs at least 2 Singapore citizen or PR founders (second founder can be part-time since April 2024). $20,000 paid-up capital required. Founders can't have CPF contributions from other employers.
The catch: 6-month window from incorporation is a hard deadline. The grant is for "innovative" startups. a standard hawker stall probably won't qualify unless you have a technology angle.
Worth it? If you're building an F&B tech company (not just operating a stall). absolutely. The clock starts at incorporation, so apply immediately if eligible.
EDGE (Enterprise Development and Growth for Enterprises)
What: Replaces PSG/EDG/MRA from 2H 2026. Details still being finalised by Enterprise Singapore.
Who: SMEs. Details TBC.
Worth it? Watch this space. When it launches, it'll likely be the main grant programme for F&B tech adoption.
The grants that probably don't apply to you
PSG (Productivity Solutions Grant): Requires 18 months of operations and 5 SME clients with 6 months of active usage. If you're a new F&B business, you're not eligible until roughly 2028 at the earliest.
Business Grants Portal (BGP) in general: Requires financial statements. New businesses without a full financial year can't apply.
NAIIP / IMDA GenAI grants: Aimed at tech companies building AI solutions, not F&B operators using them. Unless you're building the technology, these don't apply.
What to do right now
Step 1: Register on GoBusiness. This is the starting point for most grant applications and business services in Singapore.
Step 2: If you're a hawker. check HPG eligibility with NEA. If you haven't gone cashless, apply for Hawkers Go Digital. Both are straightforward.
Step 3: If you're a new company. check Startup SG Founder eligibility immediately. The 6-month window from incorporation is unforgiving.
Step 4: For everything else. wait for EDGE details in 2H 2026 and apply when it launches.
Step 5: Track your AI and technology spending separately. The Enterprise Innovation Scheme (EIS) offers 400% tax deduction on qualifying AI expenditure. Details from IRAS expected mid-2026. Even if you're spending $50/month on AI tools, it adds up.
A note on pricing vs grants
Most F&B operators look at grants as a way to afford expensive software.
The alternative: use tools that don't need a grant to afford.
A $200/month loyalty platform needs a PSG subsidy to make sense for a hawker stall. A $30–$50/month platform like STAMPEDE doesn't. Sometimes the best grant strategy is choosing tools that fit your budget without one.
More guides: How to Start a Hawker Business · AI for Hawker Stalls · 7 F&B Mistakes
STAMPEDE connects the full growth loop: loyalty stamps retain existing customers, WhatsApp automation keeps them engaged, and built-in referrals turn happy customers into new ones.
How even single-stall hawkers are using AI tools to automate customer retention and growth
Frequently Asked Questions
Is STAMPEDE's AI food photography tool really free?
Yes. The food AI tool at stampede.sg/food-ai is completely free. No signup required, no watermarks on your images. Upload a photo and get 6 professional styles in 60 seconds.
What AI does STAMPEDE use for business reports?
STAMPEDE uses AI to generate weekly business intelligence reports that segment your customers, track return rates, and identify trends. Reports are delivered in plain English, not dashboards.
How does AI fraud detection work?
STAMPEDE runs nightly AI analysis on stamp and coupon activity to detect patterns like same cashier-customer pairs, bulk stamps in short windows, or activity outside business hours.
Do I need technical skills to use STAMPEDE's AI features?
No. Everything is automated. AI reports arrive weekly, fraud detection runs nightly, and the food photography tool requires nothing more than uploading a photo.
How accurate is the AI business advisor?
The AI advisor analyzes publicly available data about your business including Google reviews, social media presence, and competitor landscape to provide actionable recommendations.
Try STAMPEDE free at stampede.sg/signup. No credit card required.