New S$30 million funding tier to help Singapore employers hire people with disabilities

The grant tier will support enterprises that employ a meaningful number of people with disabilities who have moderate support needs. 

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10 Nov 2026 08:08PM (Updated: 10 Nov 2026 08:21PM)

SINGAPORE: Around S$25 million (US$19.6 million) will be set aside under a new funding tier aimed at encouraging employers to create more jobs for people with disabilities who have moderate support needs.

Speaking at the Enabling Mark Awards on Tuesday (Nov 10) evening, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung, who is also Coordinating Minister for Social Policies, announced that the funding will come under a new tier of the Enabling Employment Grant (EEG), known as S-EEG, with the "S" standing for "stronger support".

The new tier will provide extra funding for enterprises that employ a "meaningful number" of people with such support needs, Mr Ong said. 

For a start, around S$25 million will be set aside for S-EEG, and SG Enable – Singapore's national agency for disability – will launch the first call for proposals by the end of this year.

"We will learn from its implementation and better understand what employers need to make (in order to) to support employment, to make it more sustainable," Mr Ong added. 

"From there, we will consider how government support for disability employment can be further expanded, with the hope that supported employment becomes common practice over time." 

The employment rate of people with disabilities has been rising steadily.

Today, just more than a third of working-age people with disabilities in Singapore are employed, with the government aiming to raise the employment rate to 40 per cent by 2030.

Mr Ong said that employers face practical challenges in hiring and supporting people with disabilities, as they need to survive, compete and manage rising business costs. 

These include extra costs to redesign jobs, provide training, modify workplaces and put in place more supervision or professional support.

"If we want employers to do more, the government must be prepared to lean in and help defray some of these costs," Mr Ong said. 

In the first half of 2027, the government will consolidate existing employer grants into a single Enabling Employment Grant, which will help defray costs incurred by employers in areas such as in redesigning jobs and training. 

"This will make support easier to access and broaden the range of items the grant can be used for," Mr Ong said.

He also urged more companies to hire people with disabilities. 

"We must make inclusive hiring the norm, not the exception; everyone's business, not the initiative of a few; and common industry practice, not something that rests on goodwill alone."

He highlighted companies such as United Overseas Bank and Marina Bay Sands, which have made adjustments to their workplaces to better support employees with disabilities, and smaller businesses such as Reta Social Enterprise and jewellery business Eden and Elie as examples of employers providing work opportunities for people with disabilities.

"With the right job design, training and support, persons with disabilities can do meaningful work and make a real contribution," he added. 

EXPANDING COMMUNITY SUPPORT 

Beyond employment, the government is also expanding community services to better support people with disabilities as their needs change over time.

Another 2,300 places will be added at day activity centres and sheltered workshops by 2030, bringing the capacity to 5,800 places.

"This should hopefully bring down waiting times," Mr Ong said. 

Day activity centres and sheltered workshops are community-based facilities in Singapore that support adults with disabilities aged 18 and above, helping them build independence, engage in daily activities, and transition toward vocational options.

The government is also testing a new model of care, the Enabling Skills for Life Programme, which is now offered at a few day activity centres and sheltered workshops.

The programme aims to go beyond care and engagement, providing a more structured curriculum to help people with disabilities build greater independence, integrate into the community, and where possible, prepare for employment. 

Over the next few years, more day activity centres and sheltered workshops will progressively be converted into Enabling Skills Centres offering the programme, operated by social service agencies.

"With the Enabling Skills for Life Programme, we hope that more persons with disabilities will be able to take greater charge of their own lives and participate more actively in the community," Mr Ong said. 

By 2028, SG Enable will also set up 12 Enabling Services Hubs across Singapore to connect people with disabilities and their caregivers to resources, future care planning services and community programmes.

More than 190 organisations received the Enabling Mark accreditation at Tuesday's awards ceremony, almost double the number at the previous ceremony in 2024. 

A refreshed Enabling Mark 2.0 framework was also launched, placing greater emphasis on meaningful inclusion outcomes, including employee retention and career development.

Mr Ong said: "Inclusion is not just about opening the door – it is about helping people stay, grow and build careers, so that our efforts are both sustained and sustainable."