SME Centres to offer more comprehensive advisory services, referrals for complex issues
A Centre for Enterprise Financing Advisory will also be launched later this year
[SINGAPORE] SME Centres will soon offer more comprehensive and personalised advisory services, as well as referrals to partners for complex issues – such as financing-related support from an upcoming Centre for Enterprise Financing Advisory (Cefa).
“It will be easier for SMEs to connect with the right resources that enable their growth and transformation,” said Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry Low Yen Ling on Wednesday (Jul 30) at the SME Centre Conference 2025.
The 10 SME Centres help about 25,000 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) each year through business advisory, capability development and group-based upgrading.
They are run by five trade associations and chambers, in partnership with Enterprise Singapore (EnterpriseSG).
A series of improvements are ahead, to be implemented by 2027.
First, SME Centres’ business advisers will provide more comprehensive and personalised services.
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More than 70 advisers are being trained to deepen their expertise. Beyond general business and grant advisory, they can conduct holistic business reviews to help SMEs achieve their goals.
New diagnostic toolkits will be used to identify capability gaps and give recommendations. For a start, these will cover capabilities related to internationalisation and digitalisation. Topics such as sustainability will be added later.
Specialised support
Second, for complex issues, SME Centres will refer enterprises to partners for specialised help.
These include the SME Pro-Enterprise Office, for regulations; the Centre for the Future of Trade and Investment, for trade and tariff issues; and Cefa, which will become operational in the coming months.
Cefa is jointly set up by EnterpriseSG and the Singapore Business Federation. With help from the Association of Banks in Singapore, it aims to strengthen SMEs’ financial resilience.
The centre will provide tailored advice on growth plans, guidance on financing options, and opportunities to connect with financers and investors. There will also be resources, tools and training for SMEs to build internal financing capabilities.
“Cefa represents a significant step forward in providing SMEs with the financing support as needed to pursue growth opportunities in a rapidly evolving economic landscape,” said Low.
More upgrades
Separately, a new system will centralise appointment booking for SME Centres and simplify the process.
The centres are also being upgraded physically. The SME Centre at the Singapore Manufacturing Federation, for example, was revamped in April with a dedicated room for consultations and presentations, and a showcase of manufacturing solutions and automation equipment.
Wednesday’s conference, held by the SME Centres and EnterpriseSG, included expert talks on how partnerships can drive growth and transformation, as well as an exhibition with consulting firms and solution providers.
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