MRA support is reimbursed on claims, and claims are assessed on evidence. Non-compliance with deliverable requirements results in pro-rated or rejected claims — the grant's own documents say so explicitly. The fix is structural: design the evidence trail into the project before it starts, capture proof as activities happen, and match every deliverable to the KPIs in your approved proposal.
Approval is not the finish line
Winning the Letter of Offer feels like the milestone, but MRA is a reimbursement grant: you pay your vendors, complete the project, then claim. The claim is assessed against the deliverables and KPIs stated in your business proposal or quotation. A project can be executed well and still claim badly — because nobody photographed the pop-up, the meeting notes were thin, or the campaign content was a translation rather than an adaptation.
Why claims get pro-rated or rejected
- Early commencement. Signing, paying or starting before approval — fatal, and unfixable after the fact.
- Content not adapted to the market. ESG explicitly excludes "mere translations or replication of existing content". New, localised creative is the requirement.
- No engagement evidence. Activities that can't demonstrate engagement with the target market's business environment.
- Missing proof. No photos, no analytics, no attendee lists, no invoices matched to bank statements.
- Scope and timeline drift. Activities outside the approved scope, or outside the approved project dates in the Letter of Offer.
- Domestic-market activities. Anything targeting Singapore consumers doesn't belong in an MRA claim.
The evidence checklist, pillar by pillar
Overseas Market Promotion (marketing & PR)
- Detailed activity descriptions with dates, venues, target audiences and market-specific strategies
- Evidence of new content adapted to local preferences, culture and business practices
- Supporting materials: collaterals, advertisements, press releases, media coverage
- Photographs of events, campaigns and promotional activities
- Measurable outcomes against the KPIs in your proposal
Trade fairs (physical and virtual)
- Write-up covering participation intent, activities, outcomes and partnerships established
- Official exhibitor listing showing your company's name/brand and booth details; programme schedule for speaking slots
- Booth photos displaying your branding (co-shared booths and vendor-staffed booths are excluded)
Overseas Business Development
- Partner lists with full business profiles and written suitability rationale per company
- Detailed Notes of Meetings for one-to-one meetings at business premises: date, venue, attendees with designations, outcomes, photos, business cards
- For Overseas Marketing Presence: work authorisation, tenancy/utility documentation covering at least 50% of project duration, progress reports of meetings, leads and milestones
Overseas Market Set-up
- Registration certificates or filing acknowledgements (trademark, entity, licences), with English translations of foreign-language documents
- Shareholding documentation proving your ownership of the incorporated entity and IP
- Tax advisory reports, insurance certificates, first sets of market-specific agreements with annotations (generic templates are not supported)
Every pillar, always
- Invoices, receipts and bank statements evidencing payment to third-party vendors
Building a claim-ready project: five habits
- Write KPIs you can evidence. "10 one-to-one distributor meetings with NOMs" beats "build relationships".
- Assign an evidence owner. Someone captures photos, exports analytics and files documents weekly — not in a panic at claim time.
- Match the quotation to the supportable-activities list. Line items that mirror ESG's own language claim cleanly.
- Keep an evidence index. One register mapping each deliverable → its proof → its location. This is how we run every Indoscale project.
- Flag changes early. Timeline or scope shifts need a change request approved before the fact, not an explanation after it.
Our operating rule: if it isn't documented, it didn't happen. Every Indoscale programme produces its claim file as a by-product of delivery — not as a scramble afterwards.
Key takeaways
- MRA reimburses on evidence; weak documentation means pro-rated or rejected claims.
- Each pillar has explicit deliverable requirements — design the project around them.
- Localisation evidence, meeting documentation and payment trails are the three most common gaps.
- Appoint an evidence owner on day one and keep a living evidence index.
Frequently asked questions
Why do MRA claims get rejected or pro-rated?
The most common reasons: activities not adapted to the target market (e.g. reused Singapore content), missing proof such as photos or meeting records, activities outside the approved scope or timeline, and starting the project before approval.
What evidence is needed for marketing claims?
Comprehensive documentation of market-specific activities: activity descriptions with dates and venues, evidence of new content adapted to local preferences (not mere translations), collaterals and media coverage, photos of campaigns, and measurable outcomes against the KPIs in your proposal.
When do I submit my MRA claim?
Claims are submitted after project completion via the Business Grants Portal, with deliverables as stated in your Letter of Offer. Keep invoices, receipts and bank statements for all third-party payments.
Run your Indonesia project claim-ready from day one
Every Indoscale programme is built around the MRA deliverable requirements — evidence index, weekly capture, claim file included.
Book a free discovery sessionRelated reading: The complete MRA guide · OBD under MRA · MRA grant overview
Based on MRA supportable activities and deliverables updated 1 April 2026. Enterprise Singapore's current requirements prevail.