Centre of Excellence at a glance
Agency
Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS)
Programme
Financial Sector Technology and Innovation Scheme (FSTI 4.0)
Support type
Co-funding
Status
Open
Applicants
Financial institutions, FinTech scale-ups and global technology companies
Support
Up to 50%
Public cap
No fixed public per-project cap currently stated
Core requirement
Establish or expand an innovation centre in Singapore
Local ownership
No local ownership requirement stated
What does the Centre of Excellence track support?
The track supports the establishment or expansion of Singapore innovation centres that bring in specialised talent, expertise and emerging-technology capability relevant to financial services.
The project should create a durable capability in Singapore rather than simply purchase technology or run a short project.
Who can apply?
Current applicant groups include:
- financial institutions;
- FinTech scale-ups; and
- global technology companies.
The company should be establishing or expanding an innovation centre in Singapore and deepening specialised financial-services technology or R&D capabilities.
No local-shareholding requirement is stated.
How much support is available?
The Centre of Excellence track provides up to 50% support.
No fixed public per-project dollar cap is currently stated. The final support package is therefore subject to the approved scope, qualifying costs and MAS assessment.
What expenditure can qualify?
Support relates to costs associated with establishing or expanding the eligible Singapore innovation centre.
The current public summary does not state detailed qualifying cost categories, so the project cost base should be validated with MAS before a company relies on specific manpower, technology or other expenditure categories.
Key conditions
The project should:
- establish or expand an innovation centre in Singapore;
- deepen specialised financial-services technology or R&D capability;
- anchor relevant talent and expertise; and
- present a credible Singapore capability-building case.
Is the Centre of Excellence track relevant to your project?
A strong fit is a financial institution, FinTech scale-up or global technology company building a meaningful innovation, engineering or R&D centre in Singapore with specialised technology capabilities.
A weaker fit is a single software implementation, a small isolated pilot, or an activity that does not create an enduring Singapore capability.
For larger strategic investments, companies should also consider how FSTI Centre of Excellence interacts with broader Singapore incentives such as RIS(C) and the Refundable Investment Credit.
How Reeve | R&D supports Centre of Excellence projects
Reeve | R&D can manage the incentive workstream—eligibility assessment, Singapore capability-case structuring, funding modelling, application preparation, agency interaction and post-award requirements—while the company remains the formal applicant where required by the programme.
Frequently asked questions
How much support is available?
Up to 50% of qualifying project costs, subject to MAS assessment.
Is there a public dollar cap?
No fixed public per-project cap is currently stated.
Can a global technology company qualify?
Yes. Global technology companies are among the stated applicant groups for this track.
Does the project need to establish a real Singapore capability?
Yes. The track is focused on establishing or expanding an innovation centre and deepening specialised capability in Singapore.
Official programme sources
mas.gov.sg (opens in a new tab)Last verified: 2026-10-01