Working dashboard · updated as we go

EDGE Grants — IMDA Vendor Cockpit

The plan to become an IMDA pre-approved SMEs Go Digital vendor, what has been done, and what happens next. This board is updated first, before any work.

Updated 11 Jul 2026 Phase research & planning Solution content-grounded GenAI chatbot Next gate Dom's go-ahead on the brief

Where this stands

the honest state today
Solution chosen and market-validated. The real work — and the real wait — is landing five reference customers.

We have agreed on what to build (a content-grounded GenAI customer-engagement chatbot for SME websites and WhatsApp) and backed the choice with verified market research. The MVP is a 6-to-8-week build. But IMDA pre-approval is gated on five SME customers who have used it for six months with a measurable productivity gain — so the track record, not the build, sets the timeline of roughly 14 to 17 months.

5
SME reference customers (the gate)
6–8 wk
MVP build
14–17 mo
To pre-approved status
>85%
SMEs still use no AI

The path

choose → build → land 5 → apply
1

Choose the solution & validate the market

Pick the right category to enter and prove the demand is real.

Done · 10–11 JulImpact: sets direction
  • Solution chosen — content-grounded GenAI customer-engagement chatbot (website + WhatsApp), a newer, thinly-populated pre-approved category IMDA is actively recruiting into.
  • TAM + market-gap research — 300,000+ SMEs; AI adoption tripled to 14.5% so 85%+ use none; 84% of AI users only touch off-the-shelf tools. Verified against IMDA Digital Economy Report 2025.
  • MVP feature list — core scope agreed and sent.
2

Build the MVP

A lean, demonstrable product — roughly 6 to 8 weeks.

Next · on Dom's go-aheadEffort: M
  • Core build — content ingestion, grounded question answering, website widget + WhatsApp, lead capture, human handoff, a simple dashboard.
  • Results view — tracks the exact numbers the IMDA application needs: enquiries handled without staff, hours saved, response-time gain.
  • Out of v1 — booking, payment or CRM integrations, multiple languages, custom model training. Added only when a paying pilot asks.
3

Land 5 reference customers, then apply

The real gate — and the four-stage IMDA application on top.

Impact: unlocks eligibilitythe true timeline driver
  • Run 5–8 pilots — six-month pilots at a steep discount or free, for a testimonial and named-reference status. Aim for 5–8 so at least 5 clear the bar.
  • Instrument from day one — satisfaction + the 15%+ productivity gain, collected as evidence rather than reconstructed later.
  • IMDA application — four stages: self-assessment, application, evaluation with a live demo, approval. Roughly 4–5 months.
  • Company eligibility — SG-registered 18+ months, positive net equity, current ratio ≥ 1.0, 8×5 support + 24/7 email, professional website, likely Cyber Essentials mark.

Task board

done · staged · next · waiting
01
Explain EDGE grant + IMDA pre-approved vendor pathway
The consolidated Enterprise Singapore grant, and the 4-stage route to becoming a pre-approved vendor.
Done
02
Choose the solution to build
Content-grounded GenAI customer-engagement chatbot — category rationale agreed with Dom.
Done
03
MVP feature list
Core-first scope sent; deliberate v1 exclusions named.
Done
04
TAM + market-gap research
Delivered to Dom, fact-verified against the IMDA Digital Economy Report 2025.
Done
05
One-page build + go-to-market brief
Prepared and staged. Names target SME profiles and the pilot mechanics; posts on Dom's confirmation.
Staged
06
MVP build plan (6–8 week scope)
Detailed build plan for the MVP — starts once Dom green-lights the brief.
Next
07
Company eligibility pre-check
Confirm the 18-month incorporation, net equity, current ratio and Cyber Essentials position before applying.
Next
08
Target-SME shortlist (warm contacts)
Dom's list of SMEs he already knows who fit the pilot profiles — a warm intro beats a cold pitch for pilot one.
Waiting · Dom
09
Pilot offer decision
Free vs steeply discounted six-month pilot — Dom's call.
Waiting · Dom
10
Vendor interest form + portal
Register interest (go.gov.sg/pareginterest) and self-assess once a track record exists.
Later

Changelog

newest first
11 Jul 2026
Cockpit created. This tracking board stood up — tasks + changelog for the vendor programme.
11 Jul 2026
One-page brief prepared & staged. Build + go-to-market brief written; held for Dom's go-ahead before posting.
11 Jul 2026
TAM + market-gap research delivered. Fact-verified market case sent to Dom, backing the chatbot choice.
10 Jul 2026
MVP feature list sent. Core-first scope with named v1 exclusions.
10 Jul 2026
Solution chosen. Content-grounded GenAI customer-engagement chatbot; category rationale agreed.
10 Jul 2026
Pathway explained. EDGE grant and the IMDA pre-approved vendor route walked through with Dom.

Key facts

verified · the numbers we plan on

Eligibility gate

  • ≥ 5 SME customers using the solution 6+ months, still active, satisfied, with a 15%+ productivity gain (20% for Built Environment).
  • SG-registered, incorporated 18+ months; positive net equity; current ratio ≥ 1.0.
  • 8×5 support + 24/7 email, a professional website, and a fit to an IMDA solution category (often Cyber Essentials mark + security assessment).
  • 4 stages: self-assessment → application → evaluation (live demo) → approval. Roughly 4–5 months.

Source: preapproval-guide.imda.gov.sg · go.gov.sg/pareginterest

The market

  • 300,000+ SMEs in Singapore — 99% of all businesses, ~70% of the workforce.
  • SME AI adoption tripled: 4.2% → 14.5% in a year, so 85%+ still use no AI.
  • Of AI-using firms, ~84% use only off-the-shelf tools like ChatGPT — not AI wired into their business.
  • The chatbot category has its own newer listing IMDA is actively recruiting vendors into, versus mature, crowded CRM.

Source: IMDA Digital Economy Report 2025 · smesgodigital.gov.sg